Next time you’re on a plane at takeoff or landing, watch the flight attendant in the jump seat, seemingly lost in thought. Is she idly wondering where she parked her the car at the airport or what’s for dinner?
Not likely, said Leslie Mayo, a flight attendant for over 26 years. Instead, that flight attendant is probably mentally running through “the 30-second review that’s been drilled into our heads,” she said.
“If you see some of us just sitting there looking out into space, we’re probably actually reviewing those safety procedures. You’re assessing the cabin. You’re thinking, if there’s an evacuation, who are my assistants going to be? Who’s going to be the most helpful and calm in a situation where you really need help from passengers?” said Ms. Mayo, who is also a spokeswoman for the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, which represents more than 16,000 American Airlines flight attendants.
