I prefer hidden idea #3, because #1 and #2 are completely asinine.

Listen, when you signed up for this job, nothing was hidden from you. This wasn't some sort of mystery game where you were strung along and things were told to you piece by piece, bit by bit. You knew exactly what you were getting into, probably long before you even showed up for an interview. I honestly fail to see why the burden of your bad decision making should be placed on someone else's shoulders.

The airline you're working for told you up front how much you'd be making per hour (and, like I said, you probably did research before you went to the interview). They told you their monthly guarantee, training contract, per diem, etc. If you couldn't afford to live off of that, you should not have taken the job. It's as simple as that.

If your financial situation is so backwards that you have to sleep on a filthy drooled on couch in a crew room, wear unwashed wrinkled clothes, and eat out of a lunch pail for X number of days because the per diem you're making needs to go to something other than food, then it's time to reevaluate your life.

I mean, seriously, what's wrong with some of you? You managed to learn multiple aircraft systems, pass multiple checkrides, written exams, etc and yet some of you run around acting like you don't have the brains you were born with.

Wake up, people. Wake the hell up.

(P.S., I'm in no way endorsing the pathetic and disgusting state of the industry.)