Originally Posted by
Flyboydan
It takes all the time in the world if you don't have people that know what they're doing. You can only lead a horse to water, can't force them to drink. I don't jump to conclusions when I know what is going on, don't jump on people that know what is going on. If the bags aren't loaded completely it's because we have 3-4 other flights coming on at the same time with 5 maybe 6 people total, last time I checked it takes at least 2 to load a CRJ (with any speed). Then there is boarding passengers for all these flights. Plus on top of it, our gate is stupid and don't think logically so we can't board if they don't send us the people. The pax count is what the gate tells us, we have no control over their words, remember that.
Bend? I'm one of very few people who can actually push and with skill. We have too many people that shouldn't be pushing but once again, not my problem. You personally may have gotten all your checklists done like a good pilot, but I have sat in the tug, chocks out, door up and they are just starting FROM the begining. I know the start of any checklist when I hear one, trust me, I no newbie to aviation. You probably don't expect a ramper to understand, and I don't either, but as a pilot I take this a little insulting that you think I'm just another ramper. At least twice in the week I sat for 10mins after door close, listening to the entire checklist because the crew was sloooow in getting stuff done. Almost every push I'm sitting for 5 minutes or more with door closed and paper work in hand.
Don't shoot the messenger when I'm stating the truth about what is happening on the flights that I am working.
So maybe they were slow, but you may not know the whole story...They could be on the phone w/dispatch discussing weather in route or at their destination, working through a mech. problem, have a disruptive pax., dealing with FAR times, etc...the list could go on so just like we shouldn't always assume rampers can't add, don't assume pilots are just "being slow" or reading the USA Today so they can see how close to the sched. dept. time they can get. Lots of things go on inside the cockpit other than do the checklist and block out.