Here's a little story. It's about two guys. One's name is Wounded Phil (WP). (DC, you can play along too.) The other's name is Wetglue Violet (WV). WP and WV sit down at a nice eatery and pick up the menu to browse.

WP: Hey, get the clams, they're really good.
WV: Nah, I'm gonna have the shrimp.
WP: No, seriously. You gotta get the clams. Best in the city.
WV: Well, I'm not really a "clam" kinda guy. I'm more into shrimp tonight.
WP: Man, you are really missing out on these here clams.
WV: Well, to be honest, I've had the clams here and didn't like them. In fact, I kind of had a bad reaction to them. Left a bad taste in my mouth.
WP: You must have gotten a bad batch. Try them again.
WV: Not interested. I'm getting the shrimp.
WP: OH, are you too good to get clams, mr shrimp man?
WV: Look, nothing against YOU getting clams. I've tried them and don't care for them. They just don't agree with me.
WP: OK then, you don't wanna get clams, don't get clams..........No skin off of my nose....really good though........not that you care.......(browses menu, mumbling under his breath) mr "I don't like clams"....you are the one missing out....doesn't bother me a bit...WV: OK, thanks. I'm going with the shrimp.
WP: (Slamming menu down) LOOK! I don't get it. These clams are the best in the city. I'm telling you to get the clams. I'm telling you that you are missing the boat here on this clam issue. You are stupid for NOT ordering the clams. I don't care that you tried them before. Just get the clams.WV: OK, Here's the deal. You like the clams, sounds like you LOVE the clams. I've tried the clams. Didn't like the clams. Said clams gave me the scoots. Sick for two days, I was. I am NOT getting the clams.
WP: FINE! Don't get the clams. Be stupid if you want. Certainly doesn't affect me. I'LL enjoy the clams. Best in the city if you hadn't heard. Stupid jerk. I'll tell you what, it doesn't bother me one iota that you are stupid enough not to get the clams, mr. stupid. I'm not gonna let it bother me one bit. Notta bit. None. Zip. Lettin it go, I am. WP leans over to the table next to him, and with his thumb pointed towards WV says "Get a load of this guy, getting the shrimp over the clams. Can you believe it? Really now. Well far be it from me to focus on his poor taste. Let him be silly and eat the shrimp. Mr Stupid."
WP leans back and looks in his opened menu. He mumbles to himself in a low tone: "Sheesh, try and help a guy out and he's not smart enough to take your advice and eat the best food within four hundred miles. Not letting it bother me though. Just letting it go, I am. No skin off of my extremities.WV: I think I'll be just fine with the shrimp. Thanks.
WP slams the menu down and screams "JUST GET THE CLAMS....OH WHY WON"T YOU GET THE CLAMS. CAN"T YOU SEE THAT I AM RIGHT AND YOU ARE WRONG? GET THE CLAMS!!

You know what you are doing don't you? You are ruining it for the rest of us clam eaters...that's what you are doing!!! That's right Mister. You are sending a message to the owner of the place. That message is: Clams are not important. And he will get that message and he will order less clams. Less clams means less for me and the rest of us clam eaters to eat. There may be a shortage. That affects me and that affects all of us smart clam eaters. YOU are just being selfish. Stupid and selfish.


The story is apparently ongoing, with no end in sight..............

 

I hope not!
You are one funny SOB!

(from the negative guy...)
p.s. "Wait! I'm feeling much better!"
quote from Monty Python's, "Holy Grail".

 

This is GREAT!
Did you guys notice all the CLAM ads following these posts!

 

Yes,well, you'll be stone cold dead in a minute there Automatique

 

OH, I Know! And you don't pickup until Thursday!!!

 

Hey Bill
I understand your point perfectly. In fact I used to agree with you. The year before I left the Navy (2000) we used to look down on anybody not hired by the big three (AA,DAL,UAL) If one of the retireing pilots in the office would tell us they are going to work for CAL, or NWA we would say "hey thats cool congrats" then when they left the room we would look at each other and roll or eyes knowing exactly why. I kept that same attitude into my first year at DAL. Often riding the crew van in ATL I would see a 40ish Airtran guy and wonder to myself "whats in his background?" DUI, bust? who knows. You see I felt I was better than they were. I wondered why they would work for lower wages than me. Surely I was better than they were.
Then 911 happened, my job at DAL is gone! Did some non-airline work for awhile but it just wasn't flying. After a year I was lucky enough to get a call from a LCC and even happier to get hired. Found I enjoyed the job way more than I expected. Fun flying, great guys, security and a piece of the company. I guess I learned Kharma goes around.
Hey good luck to you!

 

hmmm. sure seems to me i stopped a couple of posts ago--yet here you are with another round of mega-tripe. who's the one not letting go?

 

banger, my heart goes out to you guys. DAL was ALWAYS the holy grail for pilots and you have been flushed by "managers" not fit to carry your flight kit bag.

i think part of what i'm railing against is guys who are happy making 70% of what they should be making and who have no intent to make things better.

CO is a prime example of a group of pilots without the collective balls to do anything for themselves. i am ashamed in many ways to be associated with CALALPA. we allowed the 20% who are scabs to control 100% of the union process and we got what we got as a result. we have begun to reverse the process with the recall of our CA and FO reps from IAH but even with that done we have a major uphill battle against the complacency that allowed these limp dicks to assume office in the first place. unless the 80% show up to vote we can still be taken over by 100% of the 20% who vote every time.

all i want is to stop the landslide.

 

Yep that's your pilot group. The pilot group at JetBlue is approaching 1300 with at least half of us furloughed from somwhere or the other. All of which paid dues to ALPA or APA long before they let you guys in. I mean no disrespect to your pilot group as a whole but please come down off your pedestal. CAL was one of the lowest paid for a long long time. You know what they say about those in glass houses.

 

It's good to know that I can always come here and remind myself that my job sucks. What a minute I didn't know my job sucks.