Viral Video Of Fight Between Passenger And Indigo Crew Makes Me Ask Some Hard Questions

Social media went abuzz with a short clip yesterday in which an Indigo flight attendant and a passenger are having an altercation with each other. For the uninitiated, here is the link to the video clip:

A video of an argument between a passenger and one of the crew members of IndiGo airline has gone viral on social media.

Video: Er. Gurpreet Singh Hans/ Twitter pic.twitter.com/JHpZoHETpA

— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) December 21, 2022

As always, the opinions and reactions on Twitter were divided and this matter started trending. While some called out the male passenger’s entitled behaviour, several others felt that the woman attendant was unprofessional and unnecessarily screaming. There were a few tweets which even indicated that the airhostess probably ‘asked’ for it, and she must have done something to irk the passenger before the clip was shot.

Honestly, I was not present there and it is not fully clear from the video what transpired between them before someone started recording the argument. Hence, it is not in my place to really take sides here and that is not what this post is for anyway. I do not condone the staff’s unprofessional behaviour and do agree that as per protocol, she could have reported to her seniors about the passenger’s inappropriate conduct.

Having said that, the clip made me remember all those times during my flight journeys when I had seen the entitled behaviour of passengers towards the airline staff. I was once traveling with my daughter to my maternal home when this man kept calling the airhostess on the pretext of some or the other request. It was evident he was doing this on purpose, and I kept wondering how the woman had not lost her patience yet. She was professional, and did what she had to do, but was he being respectful? No! He was enjoying her misery and chuckling at her plight.

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Some people feel that flight attendants are supposed to be available always at their every beck and call. Women flight attendants are expected to take it all – rude passengers, sexual abuse, humiliation. Why? Because customer is king?

Yes, I understand that pleasing customers is extremely important in the service industry, and one must deal tactfully with all kinds of people. But does that have to be done at the cost of someone’s dignity? A customer has all the right to be upset or angry if the service is not up to the mark, but at the same time what about the responsibility of being respectful while expressing it?

Is it ok to be insolent if someone is unprofessional? Never.

Is it ok to assume that flight attendants are there to serve your majesty like your subjects? Not at all.

When I was watching the in-flight clip, at the beginning, I was neutral till the point the man screamed ‘Shut Up’. Assuming that it was the staff’s fault, and she was the one who started the dispute, who gave him the right to ask her to shut up even then? Even he could have followed the protocol and called for the flight service manager. Worst was when he unabashedly spouted the words – ‘You are a servant’. Honestly, he completely lost me there. After this point, this entire incident was not up for any more discussion for me. He had clearly crossed the line in more than one way.

My daughter was a passenger on this flight and she was witness to the entire incident…this video is one sided … as per her the passenger was very very rude and compelled her to reply back .. hope she gets justice ..

— B Rathore (@ChandelaBindu) December 21, 2022

Firstly, using the term ‘servant’ to demean the flight attendant was itself a sign of his caste superiority complex. Then assuming that it was acceptable to put her down like this because he was a customer reeked of his appalling entitled attitude.

Then why is it that we are even giving him a clean chit in all of this? If Indigo were at the wrong, even he was. ‘There might have been a reason’ is encouragement of this disconcerting and infuriating entitled behaviour. Unfortunately, the impact of this event on the man and the woman in question is anyone’s guess. While I desperately hope it is otherwise, we know where the scales will tilt.

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