COMPLAINT EMPOWERING

Enlightened lefty Keri James is all for attacking a worker with no control over an error:

I read with - I have to admit - a hint of pride the tale of the Prime Minister of this big brown land giving a flight attendant a telling-off for buggering up a meal request.

I'm sorry, but if you get shit service, you complain. Why shouldn't the Prime Minister be able to do the same? And has anyone not wanted to do the same? Aeroplane food is awful. Universally, all-encompassingly bad.

The Prime Minister should complain if the meal he requested is unavailable but there's no point in attacking the flight attendant who simply serves the meals; it's not like she could return to the galley and whip up a vegetarian meal from scratch when the food is prepared in advance and loaded on the plane ready for serving. A complaint should be lodged with Commander of 84 Wing with procedures put in place to ensure future food orders are processed correctly. Then again, berating service staff seems to delight and empower some people.

Editing note: The missing meal was perhaps not meat-free, so is now referred to as simply a "meal".

Update: Gallant Jeremy defends Keri:

It's all second-hand hearsay crap anyway.

There's no evidence he did give her a "telling off". He could have just said something short and annoyed and she, because he's the PM, was devastated by it.

As you point out though, it's a non-issue. If JWH had done it the righties would agree.

It is important for powerful people to realise their actions can have an extraordinary impact simply because of who they are. As Julia Gillard put it:

As a general statement about politicians, anywhere, anytime, we should be treating the people who are dealing with us with respect.

The PM therefore needs to work on his people skills if this predicted scenario is to be avoided:

One day, something will happen and it will all come undone.

All it will take is for someone to spill coffee on him when he thinks there are no cameras there.

Time will tell.