(no subject)
Life has been quiet in these parts lately. Been working lots, but only one 14-hour day recently, so things haven't been too rushed for me, which is really nice.
I will, however, be in Chicago in exactly one week for the Empires show at Lincoln Hall. I am absolutely THRILLED to get to go, and amused myself yesterday by imagining the will-call ID checker looking at my Georgia driver's license (this was not entirely random - some girl on the Empires facebook page wrote, "i REALLY wish this [concert] wasn't all the way on the northside." Like, it's a train ride away).
With my one-year work anniversary coming up (next Saturday, actually), I bought some new uniform pieces the other day, including a skirt (I've only worn slacks up until now). That, along with a brief mention of feminism on my flist got me to thinking about the unique workplace I'm a part of.
Traditionally, flight attendants are young females, and while that has changed significantly (not only do airlines hire male flight attendants, they also hire people who are over 25, weigh over 135 pounds, are married, have children, and are not registered nurses), I'm pretty sure the industry will never shake that perception that seems to lurk in the subconscious mind of the flying American public. I had a passenger who was behind me on the escalator one day comment that he wished I was his flight attendant instead of the middle-aged woman who had apparently worked his flight.
Due largely to union representation, but also from the traditional background of the profession, this job is one of the few in which pay scale has nothing to do with gender, and everything to do with seniority within the company. Every flight attendant who has reached the one-year mark is paid at exactly the same rate (the only variation comes from number of flight hours), and so on.
Interestingly, though, women are still expected to maintain certain grooming requirements, including mandatory makeup and high-heeled shoes, while men are simply asked to be "well-groomed" (and yes, there are a few specifics within that). While describing this to a friend, she was shocked to hear about it. By no means a feminist, she was outraged that women were held to a higher standard in regards to appearance. I understand why companies ask their female flight attendants to do so - despite the frustrations with modern air travel, people still expect their inflight experience to reflect the old-fashioned white-glove service of 50 years ago. It doesn't even bother me that much - I did go into it willingly, after all. It's just a very interesting perpetuation of the picture of the glamorous aspects of air travel that, for the most part, don't even exist anymore.
Speaking of which, I'm still on hold, trying to pick up a trip for tomorrow.
...And, as usual, scheduling likes to use other people's problems as a reason to tell everybody no. I DON'T WANT TO SIT AT THE AIRPORT IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK.
I will, however, be in Chicago in exactly one week for the Empires show at Lincoln Hall. I am absolutely THRILLED to get to go, and amused myself yesterday by imagining the will-call ID checker looking at my Georgia driver's license (this was not entirely random - some girl on the Empires facebook page wrote, "i REALLY wish this [concert] wasn't all the way on the northside." Like, it's a train ride away).
With my one-year work anniversary coming up (next Saturday, actually), I bought some new uniform pieces the other day, including a skirt (I've only worn slacks up until now). That, along with a brief mention of feminism on my flist got me to thinking about the unique workplace I'm a part of.
Traditionally, flight attendants are young females, and while that has changed significantly (not only do airlines hire male flight attendants, they also hire people who are over 25, weigh over 135 pounds, are married, have children, and are not registered nurses), I'm pretty sure the industry will never shake that perception that seems to lurk in the subconscious mind of the flying American public. I had a passenger who was behind me on the escalator one day comment that he wished I was his flight attendant instead of the middle-aged woman who had apparently worked his flight.
Due largely to union representation, but also from the traditional background of the profession, this job is one of the few in which pay scale has nothing to do with gender, and everything to do with seniority within the company. Every flight attendant who has reached the one-year mark is paid at exactly the same rate (the only variation comes from number of flight hours), and so on.
Interestingly, though, women are still expected to maintain certain grooming requirements, including mandatory makeup and high-heeled shoes, while men are simply asked to be "well-groomed" (and yes, there are a few specifics within that). While describing this to a friend, she was shocked to hear about it. By no means a feminist, she was outraged that women were held to a higher standard in regards to appearance. I understand why companies ask their female flight attendants to do so - despite the frustrations with modern air travel, people still expect their inflight experience to reflect the old-fashioned white-glove service of 50 years ago. It doesn't even bother me that much - I did go into it willingly, after all. It's just a very interesting perpetuation of the picture of the glamorous aspects of air travel that, for the most part, don't even exist anymore.
Speaking of which, I'm still on hold, trying to pick up a trip for tomorrow.
...And, as usual, scheduling likes to use other people's problems as a reason to tell everybody no. I DON'T WANT TO SIT AT THE AIRPORT IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK.