Why are Indians such ill-mannered flyers?

Kolkata: Just recently, an intoxicated business class passenger on Air India’s New York-Delhi sector unleashed his liquid burdens on a neighbouring lady’s seat. The ‘Pee-Gate’ incident evoked understandable public outrage, although the airline and allied authorities seemed strangely lukewarm in their punitive intent.

My first experience of obnoxious in-flight conduct was in the prolific Calcutta-Bangkok sector from the 1990s, renowned for human carrier traffic. Essentially, they were partially-educated fellows bordering on chronic criminality who carried goodies from Thailand for the thriving Fancy Market in Kidderpore. They were deeply competitive about liquor intake and provoked even the mildest flight attendant to surpass the current-day aggression of the American TSA.

Apart from contaminating the environment of aircraft, they terminally damaged the reputation of Indian flyers at large, candidates to be collared whatever the professional collar. As menfolk who habitually behave like the Duke of Saxony’s nephew, Portia’s suitor, ‘when he is best, he is a little worse than a man, and when he is worst, he is little better than a beast’. This led to differential policies in service for our sectors, and what we indignantly dismiss as racism is perhaps truthfully rooted in reasonable reciprocation.

What queers the plot further is the extension of this conduct in ‘MICE’ groups, especially as cohorts of gentlemen, on flights to Goa typically. Liberated temporarily from the draconian confines of family life, the transformation is rather dramatic, albeit short-lived. The seatbelt sign is considered to be a mid-level HR executive exhorting defaulters to fill overdue time sheets, as the aisle is thwarted by energetic groups planning multi-faceted exploits in the imminent junket.

In fact, this resistance to following instructions, notably the seat belt, is the signature style of Indians who fly, whatever the denomination. Well-endowed elders consider its imposition by uniformed youth to be disrespectful, sprightly youngsters feel that they are indeed above the perils of Physics, while fresh graduates from the jerk-prone railway network fail to comprehend the utility of usually smoother air corridors. When the aircraft finally arrives at the terminal, or rather terminus, the effusive manner in which the belt is removed would qualify as a reflex-enhancing Yoga asana.

This conscious entitlement begins right from the check-in zones, where queues must be enforced with military strictures, and continues organically in the security avenues. Where a new breed of dilettante emerges with smashing aplomb, with a flight set to take off in no time and thus deserving of joyful priority. The reasons proffered would be Mussoorie-like traffic jams or a painfully-erupting stomach ulcer, while the truth would rest in the region of excess aaloo parathas freshly off the lazy tawa. CISF and airline folks must be undergoing top-secret EQ lessons, as gun-brandishing bandits are way easier to handle than the haughty and naughty travellers.

I have often wondered what could be the reason for our disruptive behaviour in the course of aviation, whether it is an appendage of the public space insensitivities displayed in streets and parks. But perhaps, the licence to stretch the civility ante is derived from the deeply aspirational nature of flying, valid earlier unanimously and still relevant for most. Quite like luxury hotels, equally hard-earned, it is a clear jump in stature and we sincerely believe that every whim must be catered to unquestioningly. Compounded by the conviction that we can easily get away with ungainly engagements since the top dollar has indeed been paid to avail of this privilege. This can also be seen as a flip side of genuine arrival, as some parts of the innermost we still need a demonstration of societal recognition, such as stoic adherence to temperamental behaviour.

While ingrained entitlement can justify routine transgressions, peeing on the seat of a fellow traveller, whichever sex, is a seriously damaging offence. The offender, apparently Shekhar Mishra from Mumbai, was let off casually by the operating attendants and allowed to clear immigration and proceed further. Air India must start acting as a Tata company, such perverse vandalism cannot be censured by a token 30-day ban or a much-delayed police action.

Even in the most confusing global aviation hubs, whether Frankfurt or Changi, flights to India can be easily recognised by disorderly melees begging for restraint. In terms of equipment, service levels and increasingly infrastructure, Indian flights are undeniably state-of-art and enthralling. Beyond just policy interventions, Civil Aviation is itching for one more invaluable infusion -civilised flyers who act with collaborative good sense.