Top 4 ways to get a flight attendant to go Steve Slater

After an altercation with a passenger, JetBlue flight attendant Steve Slater quit his job on the spot and made a heroic (albeit possibly criminal) slide from an exit hatch. Yes, passengers can be incredibly obnoxious. Here’s a list of what annoys flight attendants most.

- Matt Rocheleau, Contributor

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Yes, your phone conversation is engrossing, but can't you just say 'hello' to the flight attendant as you board? (Business Wire)

4. Flight attendants are people, too

Hey, you and your flight attendants are starting a brief relationship. Why not get off on the right foot and acknowledge their existence?

One peeve of flight attendants: “No eye contact at the first point of contact. Not even hello," writes 20-year veteran flight attendant John Safkow of Castro Valley, Calif., in an e-mail. “Most are already tuned out on cell phones or other electronics. Many hand over used food containers they've been eating from the terminal, instead of disposing of it properly before entering the jetway."

Remedy: “Just say 'hello.' Listen, this experience is no longer a walk in the park for us, either,” writes Mr. Safkow, who blogs under the name Martha Stewardess.

“A smile, a little eye contact, and saying 'please' and 'thank you' always are appreciated,” writes Bobbie Sullivan, an occupational health psychologist based in Hawaii, in an e-mail.