Attendant a folk hero, but was it a good career move?
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JetBlue flight attendant Steven Slater from his MySpace page.
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Steven Slater, the JetBlue flight attendant who slid down an escape chute after losing his temper with an uncooperative passenger, has become an overnight folk hero to burned-out workers.
Tens of thousands showed their support for Mr. Slater on a Faceebook site dedicated to him. But career counselors say the 38-year-old resident of New York City's borough of Queens has probably done his job prospects grave damage, and that there were better ways to deal with stress.
Due to layoffs "most people are doing much more work than they ever did before. There are a lot of people who empathize with the idea of 'I've had it. I can't take it. I can't do it one more minute,'" said Marina London, a clinical social worker and media representative for the Employee Assistance Professionals Association, which trains workplace counselors.
She believes Mr. Slater's meltdown could have been prevented, but finds it difficult to imagine circumstances under which an airline would take him back. JetBlue has said he is suspended, pending investigation.
"Airlines have very, very very strict standards of conduct that usually far exceed what is in place at other companies. ... What I do think would be tragic is if this guy served prison time for this," Ms. London said.
Mr. Slater's bail was set at $2,500 Tuesday when he was arraigned in Queens on charges of criminal mischief, reckless endangerment and trespassing.
According to prosecutors, after the flight from Pittsburgh landed at New York's JFK airport, Mr. Slater quarreled with a passenger, made an obscene speech over the intercom, grabbed a beer and deployed the emergency chute, causing at least $25,000 in damage and potentially harming ground workers. He slid down the chute and walked off the tarmac.
Mr. Slater told police the episode began after he intervened in an argument between two passengers. He told police a female passenger "then opened the (overhead) bin door, hitting me on the head without apologizing. I got on the microphone and said to those of you who have shown dignity and respect these last 20 years, thanks for a great ride."
First Published August 11, 2010 12:00 am
