Let’s just go ahead and break this down, all basic-like.
That button above your head with the outline of a stewardess holding a tray with a drink on it? It is not the reading light. It is also not to be touched unless there are dire, life-threatening circumstances.
Okay, that may be a slight exaggeration–maybe–but you get the idea.
I remember traveling back in the olden days. Picture it: one big happy family flying far away to exotic locales; there was me and my sister (the cute little angelic children) and my mom (the school marm). My mom was the one scolding her two daughters for even attempting to touch that sacred little flight attendant call button hoovering just above our tiny heads. The numerous experiences of being threatened with M&M withdrawal if we even thought about touching one of those cool buttons were forever engrained into our brains.
Years later, as teenagers flying without a parent, my sister and I were still desperately trying to not push those damn buttons. It was almost as if there was some strong, invisible magnetic force pulling our index fingers above our heads. We could barely control ourselves; something had taken over our bodies! But by the end of the flight we both realized that we had done it. We had actually resisted the button!
To this day, we continue to discuss the pull of the flight attendant call button. The bottom line for us was that unless someone was bleeding or having a heart attack, you don’t dare push that thing.
So just as a heads up, that goes for passengers calling the stews to come pick up their gum wrapper, to ask where we are at that very moment (I don’t know, 35,000 feet?), to ask when the seat-belt sign will be turned off, or to ask for your 45th drink on your 1 hour flight.
And for the love of God, if you hear that tell-tale *ding-ding-ding-ding-ding* and you happen to have a child with you, kindly check the location of your little one’s fingers.
carbonated water is pretty big in Europe. In NL they have different coloured bottles to help you tell which is which, and if you go to a restaurant and ask for a water, you usually get asked “with or without” (bubbles).
I have to admit, I did press it once…but it’s because my water exploded all over me and I needed some paper towels. I was taking a flight from London to New York and at the departures gate at Heathrow, I wanted to use up some of my British change so I bought a bottle of water from a vending machine. Little did I know it was carbonated water, so I opened it up mid-way through the flight. After the intense pressure, you can imagine what it did. Who knew you had to read the water bottle to make sure it wasn’t carbonated? Must be a European thing…
You are such a skilled writer… everyone should follow you!!!!
I was on a flight recently where the flight attendant lady kindly told us (over the intercom) that pushing the little button with a picture of her on it didn’t “turn her on”! The whole cabin laughed, it was really cute.
Aren’t those buttons in the arm rests these days? I will generally press it only if I’m on an international flight (which means it’s gonna be at least 7 hours) and i have run out of water and need a drink.I travelled a lot when I was younger but I don;t ever remember wanting to push that button (then again, I was probably too busy trying not to puke).
: i have same urge but i wouldn’t dare coz my my mom would sit right next to me. THAT LOOK that a mom threatens her children would never fade, although i’m 25, i still fear. *shudder*