As a lead station attendant for a major airline, I often find myself working with individuals who are not well-suited for the job. These individuals can be clumsy, lazy, or simply not cut out for the demands of working on the ramp. I dislike having to bid with these individuals, as it can make for a long and difficult six-month bid. I also find it frustrating that lead ramp agents bid first, and then station attendants bid. It would be much easier for us leads if the process was reversed and station attendants bid first. One individual I worked with, whom I’ll call Harry, was particularly frustrating to work with. He knew the job well, but he was lazy and often showed up late for flights. He would purposely avoid entering the bulk hold of an aircraft and was always talking too much and standing with his hands in his pockets. Another individual, whom I’ll call the “class clown,” was equally frustrating to work with. This person once put himself in a baggage x-ray machine just to see if he could see his own bones in the image. Because of this, he was nicknamed “Fire worm” and it stuck with him for the rest of his career. I also worked with a person who was never around, as they were always too busy chasing girls, talking to ticket agents, and flight attendants, and always wanted to be the “bridge man.” Another person I worked with didn’t know how to operate any equipment, so we always put him in the bulk hold. This didn’t work out well, as he was too weak to lift any heavy bags and ended up tripping on a conveyor belt and landing on his head. Fortunately, he survived the fall and never worked another day on the ramp, he became a baggage agent. These are just a few examples of the perils of having to bid with individuals who are not well-suited for the job.
