Airplane: When Funny is Not Funny

There are times in life when 'joking around' just doesn't seem appropriate, don't you think?

Just hypothetically, if you were to draw up a short-list in this post 9/11 era, what professions would you have at the top of your "people who should not joke around" list? I'm no soothsayer, but i'm willing to bet that your list would include such candidates as:

1. People who carry guns
2. People who scan luggage at airports
3. People who fly planes
4. People who answer 911 calls

Am I right?

Well imagine my horror then upon boarding an American Airlines flight to LA, when I find that the pilot is none other than "Mr Comedy Pilot" who - for a joke - is wearing thick glass spectacles, making wise-cracks with the passengers as they board and - get this - has a comedy "fake-arm-trapped-in-the-window" sticking out of the cockpit glass of the Super 80 plane I was boarding. (I'm not making this up.)

By the time I found my seat, I was fully expecting to hear the pilot go into the "Unger, Over, Dunn" Leslie Nielsen routine, possibly followed by a "Over Macho Grande? No, I'll never get over Macho Grande!"

Note to American Airlines: When Jet Blue does funny things on its planes - it's usually the cabin crew cracking the jokes, not the pilot. Funny pilots are not a good idea.

Comments

[Steph]

American Airlines let their pilot behave in this manner? I wouldn't have been too pleased, either... it's definitely a Jet Blue or Southwest thing to do travel comedy. Historically, AA and United had been the quality choice when flying the friendly skies... but after my last 3 horrible experiences with United, I vowed to fly American only. Now I"m not so sure!