Sunday, April 08, 2007
Where is the love?
On the morning of 8 April 07 at around 8.30 am, I witnessed an extremely distressing incident at the exit of the arrival hall nearest the car park in Changi Airport Terminal 2. I had just dropped off a friend and was sitting outside enjoying the morning and reading the papers. I casually looked up and glimpsed a pilot emerging wearily through the automatic glass doors. He was a pallid Caucasian man in his fifties with thin wispy blond hair and a very generous waistline. He looked tired, like the weight of the world was on his shoulders, and disheveled which lead me to imagine and empathise that he must have had a long and rough flight. But nothing prepared me for the rude shock I was about to encounter.
I returned to my reading and a few moments later, a loud and displeased drawl filled the air. I looked up to see what the commotion was about. The pilot had walked up very near to where I was sitting as he felt that he had to address a bespectacled and emaciated gentleman, easily in his late 60s, who was manning a mini-lectern not 3 feet from me. Equipped with a walkie-talkie, it was evident that the unfortunate elderly man was purely in charge of directing specially designated taxis to the waiting area to pick up Singapore Airlines’ pilots and cabin crew. It appeared that the taxi driver who was originally scheduled to pick this pilot up had the audacity to turn him away, which I later discovered was due to a family matter that had just cropped up. The pilot, clearly disinterested in whatever excuses, ignored the taxi driver’s existence and marched up to the elderly gentleman because he was exasperated at the Hokkein speaking taxi driver’s ineffective command of English as well. The diminutive taxi driver was desperately pleading his case simultaneously to the older man. Meanwhile, the pilot in a very imperious, agitated and raised tone of voice, repeatedly ordered the elderly gentleman to warn the offending taxi driver that if this incident was to occur again, he would drop the taxi company involved, suffer the injustice of walking to the common taxi-stand and obtain a ride there but he vowed that he will continue to bill it to the original taxi company. He continually barked: “Tell him! You tell him!”. As the pilot was just spitting distance from me, I spied the unmistakable avian logo belonging to Singapore Airlines on his pilot’s hat that was so angrily clutched in his right hand. The helpless elderly gentleman was scurrying around and speaking into his walkie-talkie to quickly arrange an alternative vehicle in order to diffuse the ever escalating situation and all the while repetitively nodding his head in complete obeisance in a futile attempt to appease the outraged pilot. Meanwhile, the taxi driver nervously shadowed the pilot in the vain hope that his side of the story would be translated and finally sees the light of day. Sadly, the pilot did not possess the patience or the inclination to determine the truth. By now, the substitute taxi had arrived and was waiting patiently for the pilot. The original taxi driver attempted to usher the pilot into the awaiting cab, but the indignant pilot, fury unabated, persisted with his ranting and raving and paced between the cab and the elderly gentleman, but shouting this time. He seemed loathed to board the cab until he was exceedingly sure that his point had sunk in and was made patently clear to all and sundry. With that accomplished, he entered the cab and was thankfully whisked off and the errant taxi driver understandably rushed off to attend to his family matters.
A veritable moment of stunned silence ensued after the pilot’s departure. After peace was restored, there was the inevitable dissection of the drama that just transpired. Naturally, the maligned elderly gentleman was most vocal. But oddly, his discontent was not directed at the pilot, he was annoyed at the taxi driver. From the conversation he had with the by-standing taxi drivers’, I understood that they agreed that the taxi driver should have disregarded his personal life and completed his duty. They were puzzled as to why his other family members could not intervene and take care of the problem rather than incur the wrath of an angmoh. Finally, they ominously prophesized that the taxi driver was going to “get it” from the angmoh. With that, they all went back about their business.
I was sickened by the events that had just unfolded before my very eyes. I was disgusted with myself for not standing up and defending both the taxi driver and the old man. Truth be told, I was too stunned to react. They were obviously blue-collared workers who valued their jobs too much to say anything in defence. And undoubtedly the pilot’s nationality, skin colour and high-ranking position intimidated the men into submission, but disturbingly, it precipitated blame within their own ranks. This deeply saddens me, we are no longer living under colonial rule, Singaporeans have made our mark on the international arena, and we should hold our heads up high, regardless of our job position or salary size and be able to interact with people of other nationalities and skin colour as equals, as human beings. It is through the collective effort of everyone at every level, not just the upper echelons of society, that Singapore has become the success story that it is today. This is an accomplishment that we should be immensely proud of and one that we should uphold and defend fervently.
To exacerbate matters, this pilot, to me, has tarnished the image of Singapore Airlines. A globally and instantly recognisable and respected icon that Singapore has worked so hard and long to build, maintain and improve upon. An image that epitomised graciousness and impeccable service with a smile. Alas, it was not exhibited in any way, shape or form by the pilot. Being a frequent flyer on Singapore Airlines, I have developed a keen interest in and fascination about how things are done in the company, but I have to emphatically state that I do not purport to be an expert. However, I am aware that for Singapore Airlines cabin crew, once the uniform is donned, there is an almost draconian protocol for grooming and behaviour that is enforced for the benefit and rightful protection of Singapore Airlines’ image. This rule applies immediately whenever the uniformed crew members are in public view, and not just when they are onboard the aircraft. It makes me question, does this not apply to pilots too? Or does their rank absolve them of responsibility to portray a positive image of the airlines? In an industry with ever growing competition, I believe that every little counts in order to continue to set Singapore Airlines apart from other airlines that are fast nipping at their heels. The flawed act of just one unwitting person could potentially be detrimental to the collective whole.
As for the pilot, he may have indeed had a rough day, but did he ever stop to consider that he was the main cause of both the old man and the taxi drivers’ bad start to an otherwise lovely day? Who should they take their grievances out on? Where can they seek recourse? There is no justification for shouting at an innocent elderly man who was a blameless figure in this shameful occurrence. It is inexcusable to shout at another human being like he was a lesser entity at your beck and call. These men were just trying to eke out a living, they do not have the comfort of commanding a high salary, nor do they have unions fighting for their rights and pay rises. They work hard for long arduous hours in a usually thankless job, they do not have long mandatory rest periods in specially appointed corners, nor do they have the luxury of an auto pilot to do their job for them. The reality is, they had to swallow their pride and continue working, because if they do not work, they and their families suffer. I strongly urge that before blowing your top, step back, take a deep breath and calmly seek the most logical solution. Was the 3 minute delay so truly inconvenient and catastrophic that it warranted such a vociferous response? Was it worth it? Did launching into a tirade in anyway soothe frazzled nerves? Did publicly disrespecting and humiliating a senior citizen accomplish anything? The irony was that it took longer for the pilot to vent his frustrations and anger than if he had, without incident, boarded the second cab and gone home.
So please, have some compassion and try to be a little more understanding. Please try to show some consideration for our Asian culture of respecting our elders. They are somebody’s doting grandfather, somebody’s loving father and husband just trying to make a living and provide for their family to the best of their ability. Neither race, age, rank nor earning power gives anyone the right to treat a fellow human being so deplorably.
I returned to my reading and a few moments later, a loud and displeased drawl filled the air. I looked up to see what the commotion was about. The pilot had walked up very near to where I was sitting as he felt that he had to address a bespectacled and emaciated gentleman, easily in his late 60s, who was manning a mini-lectern not 3 feet from me. Equipped with a walkie-talkie, it was evident that the unfortunate elderly man was purely in charge of directing specially designated taxis to the waiting area to pick up Singapore Airlines’ pilots and cabin crew. It appeared that the taxi driver who was originally scheduled to pick this pilot up had the audacity to turn him away, which I later discovered was due to a family matter that had just cropped up. The pilot, clearly disinterested in whatever excuses, ignored the taxi driver’s existence and marched up to the elderly gentleman because he was exasperated at the Hokkein speaking taxi driver’s ineffective command of English as well. The diminutive taxi driver was desperately pleading his case simultaneously to the older man. Meanwhile, the pilot in a very imperious, agitated and raised tone of voice, repeatedly ordered the elderly gentleman to warn the offending taxi driver that if this incident was to occur again, he would drop the taxi company involved, suffer the injustice of walking to the common taxi-stand and obtain a ride there but he vowed that he will continue to bill it to the original taxi company. He continually barked: “Tell him! You tell him!”. As the pilot was just spitting distance from me, I spied the unmistakable avian logo belonging to Singapore Airlines on his pilot’s hat that was so angrily clutched in his right hand. The helpless elderly gentleman was scurrying around and speaking into his walkie-talkie to quickly arrange an alternative vehicle in order to diffuse the ever escalating situation and all the while repetitively nodding his head in complete obeisance in a futile attempt to appease the outraged pilot. Meanwhile, the taxi driver nervously shadowed the pilot in the vain hope that his side of the story would be translated and finally sees the light of day. Sadly, the pilot did not possess the patience or the inclination to determine the truth. By now, the substitute taxi had arrived and was waiting patiently for the pilot. The original taxi driver attempted to usher the pilot into the awaiting cab, but the indignant pilot, fury unabated, persisted with his ranting and raving and paced between the cab and the elderly gentleman, but shouting this time. He seemed loathed to board the cab until he was exceedingly sure that his point had sunk in and was made patently clear to all and sundry. With that accomplished, he entered the cab and was thankfully whisked off and the errant taxi driver understandably rushed off to attend to his family matters.
A veritable moment of stunned silence ensued after the pilot’s departure. After peace was restored, there was the inevitable dissection of the drama that just transpired. Naturally, the maligned elderly gentleman was most vocal. But oddly, his discontent was not directed at the pilot, he was annoyed at the taxi driver. From the conversation he had with the by-standing taxi drivers’, I understood that they agreed that the taxi driver should have disregarded his personal life and completed his duty. They were puzzled as to why his other family members could not intervene and take care of the problem rather than incur the wrath of an angmoh. Finally, they ominously prophesized that the taxi driver was going to “get it” from the angmoh. With that, they all went back about their business.
I was sickened by the events that had just unfolded before my very eyes. I was disgusted with myself for not standing up and defending both the taxi driver and the old man. Truth be told, I was too stunned to react. They were obviously blue-collared workers who valued their jobs too much to say anything in defence. And undoubtedly the pilot’s nationality, skin colour and high-ranking position intimidated the men into submission, but disturbingly, it precipitated blame within their own ranks. This deeply saddens me, we are no longer living under colonial rule, Singaporeans have made our mark on the international arena, and we should hold our heads up high, regardless of our job position or salary size and be able to interact with people of other nationalities and skin colour as equals, as human beings. It is through the collective effort of everyone at every level, not just the upper echelons of society, that Singapore has become the success story that it is today. This is an accomplishment that we should be immensely proud of and one that we should uphold and defend fervently.
To exacerbate matters, this pilot, to me, has tarnished the image of Singapore Airlines. A globally and instantly recognisable and respected icon that Singapore has worked so hard and long to build, maintain and improve upon. An image that epitomised graciousness and impeccable service with a smile. Alas, it was not exhibited in any way, shape or form by the pilot. Being a frequent flyer on Singapore Airlines, I have developed a keen interest in and fascination about how things are done in the company, but I have to emphatically state that I do not purport to be an expert. However, I am aware that for Singapore Airlines cabin crew, once the uniform is donned, there is an almost draconian protocol for grooming and behaviour that is enforced for the benefit and rightful protection of Singapore Airlines’ image. This rule applies immediately whenever the uniformed crew members are in public view, and not just when they are onboard the aircraft. It makes me question, does this not apply to pilots too? Or does their rank absolve them of responsibility to portray a positive image of the airlines? In an industry with ever growing competition, I believe that every little counts in order to continue to set Singapore Airlines apart from other airlines that are fast nipping at their heels. The flawed act of just one unwitting person could potentially be detrimental to the collective whole.
As for the pilot, he may have indeed had a rough day, but did he ever stop to consider that he was the main cause of both the old man and the taxi drivers’ bad start to an otherwise lovely day? Who should they take their grievances out on? Where can they seek recourse? There is no justification for shouting at an innocent elderly man who was a blameless figure in this shameful occurrence. It is inexcusable to shout at another human being like he was a lesser entity at your beck and call. These men were just trying to eke out a living, they do not have the comfort of commanding a high salary, nor do they have unions fighting for their rights and pay rises. They work hard for long arduous hours in a usually thankless job, they do not have long mandatory rest periods in specially appointed corners, nor do they have the luxury of an auto pilot to do their job for them. The reality is, they had to swallow their pride and continue working, because if they do not work, they and their families suffer. I strongly urge that before blowing your top, step back, take a deep breath and calmly seek the most logical solution. Was the 3 minute delay so truly inconvenient and catastrophic that it warranted such a vociferous response? Was it worth it? Did launching into a tirade in anyway soothe frazzled nerves? Did publicly disrespecting and humiliating a senior citizen accomplish anything? The irony was that it took longer for the pilot to vent his frustrations and anger than if he had, without incident, boarded the second cab and gone home.
So please, have some compassion and try to be a little more understanding. Please try to show some consideration for our Asian culture of respecting our elders. They are somebody’s doting grandfather, somebody’s loving father and husband just trying to make a living and provide for their family to the best of their ability. Neither race, age, rank nor earning power gives anyone the right to treat a fellow human being so deplorably.
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