While working at Zone 5, I was assigned to the last flight of Air France at Terminal 2. Preparations for pushback were underway and my ramp manager instructed me to tow the plane to Box Stop 1. However, pushing back an aircraft at Gate 102 can be tight and difficult, especially with other planes at opposite gates. During the pushback, the Air France pilot requested to stop at Box Stop 2, but I informed the pilot that my manager instructed me to stop at Box 1. The pilot responded, “I don’t care what your manager said, the tower said Box 2.” As I continued to tow the plane past Box 1, I saw my manager freaking out and throwing his clipboard in frustration, with the Air France representative standing nearby. My manager was calling and yelling on the radio, but I was not prepared to answer. As I returned to gate 102, I calmly told him not to talk to me that way and to take it up with the pilot and the tower. The manager looked foolish acting that way in front of the Air France representative. I walked away as the manager stood there, speechless and twitching.
The moral of this story is to always stay calm and professional in the face of conflict, and to prioritize following proper protocols and instructions from higher authorities, even if it goes against what your manager says. It’s important to be assertive and stand up for yourself, but also to respect the chain of command and not let personal emotions interfere with your work.
