(thanks to James Bow for this one….)
A routine flight from Calgary to Victoria was marred by a passenger who apparently didn’t appreciate having his flight captained by a woman. A passenger, who identified himself as “David” left behind a sexist note questioning the credentials of Carey Steacy, a pilot with more than 17 years of experience. In it, he said “a cockpit is no place for a woman” and that WestJet should inform him if a woman is flying the plane so he can book a different flight.
This is one of those stories that leave me speechless. I mean, what could one possibly say to someone possessing such a Neanderthal take on the role and place of women, even here in the 21st century? Call me naive, but I’d hoped that by now perhaps misogyny would have gone the way of whooping cough- extinct and the subject of history books.
There’s nothing about flying that men are more favorably disposed to handle properly and safely. That anyone would even entertain the thought that women aren’t as able as men when it comes to safely flying a plane is disturbing enough. That a passenger would actually leave a note stating his displeasure with the fact that the pilot of his flight is a woman is offensive.
For the sake of the person who left the note, I have to hope he’s just a relic, a senior citizen old enough that he never managed to accept women as every bit as capable as men in most instances. In this case, Carey Steacy, who just happens to be a woman, has 17 years of flying experience. I’d hazard a guess that Steacy’s experience is equivalent to, and perhaps even superior to, most of her male colleagues. There’s absolutely no reason to believe that she’s anything but capable, competent, and well-equipped to fly safely.
The note-writer questioned Steacy’s ability as soon as she took to the PA system to address passengers during take-off.
He reportedly kept asking flight attendants if she had enough flight hours to be flying a plane.
Steacy took to Facebook to post the note, and respond to the comment.
“In fact, there are no places that are not for ladies anymore,” she wrote, adding that the cockpit is now referred to as the flight deck.
Stacey would have been well within her rights to rip the unidentified Neanderthal a new one, but to her credit, she- being Canadian- chose the high road. Good on her, because there’s no reason why the outdated sexist opinions of one knuckle dragger should be allowed to tarnish her capabilities and accomplishments.
Perhaps someday misogyny and sexism will also be subjects found in history books.
