Hey thanks to the mod who split this thread off into it's own topic.
I've just read many of the posts and many are missing the thrust of what was originally said.
The OP (which was/is mine/me) was in direct respose to a member who has had a few flts in J but has made comments about each flight (please correct me if my memory errs), complaining about the level of service and blaming age discrimination for it (by and large). He posted a photo of the meal which showed thongs as his footware choice in J and then later followed up with a montage of photos where the only photo of his feet also showed thongs but he made the comment he "does not dress like a bogan". I made no such alternate claim (but possibly could do), in fact my comment was directly related to his percieved poor treatment due to his age, whereas I was offering an alternate viewpoint that his percieved poor treatment may be due to factors other than age....like choice of footware.........proudly displayed and described as "not bogan".
The plain reality is, despite whether I or others think it is/isn't bogan is not the point at all. The point is whether the choice of footware distorts the level of service offered. I maintain it will many times (not all) and also that it SHOULDN'T........and I offered adivice that he may wish to try an experiment by wearing appropriate footware and see if that makes a difference! Instead of trying that experiment, he chose to take offence to my comments and suggest that:
a) I'm jealous of him
b) I'm bored with my life
c) I should return to Y where I belong
Those comments, in response to a simple suggestion to experiment, confirms to me that the said poor service may have more to do with immaturity of the mind rather than immaturity of the body and the choice of footware does nothing to assist the situation. Once again that is not meant as a putdown. Just fact. An expectation seems to exist that service above and beyond should be given despite all else. The reality is that does not always happen (but will from time to time in all industries).
Personally, I couldn't give a rats backside who wears thongs. Personally I couldn't give a rats backside about whether anyone reads the comment for what it is or creates mental illusions of what's been said. Personally I couldn't give a rats backside whether the thong wearers continue to recieve poor service.
For the record,
a) I do NOT believe thongs are an acceptable choice of footware on an aircraft.
b) I acknowledge others disagree
c) I acknowledge others agree
In closing, I might add, thongs are not considered respectable footware in higher class clubs, casinos, restaurants, workplaces and theatres (amongst many others). Thongs are appropriate for inhibiting tinea when using communal showers (pools, caravan parks etc) and for walking across hot sands at the beach. Buying expensive thongs just proves how gullible one is but doesn't change fact they are not universally considered "upmarket footwear". Perhaps one day, people will accept thongs as acceptable footwear, but until such time, please don't continually whine when people look down their noses at you when you wear them. Do you have the right?....yes of course. Does that mean you won't suffer discrinination?.....no of course not. Do you have a choice?......yes of course, stop whining, wear them and wear the consequences of popular opinion or don't wear them and conform. Each have their merits and their pitfalls, but stop whining about whether someone else was served first. Out of interest, I recently took two J flts to CNS and I wasn't served first on either flight either! Row 2 was served first on the way north and row 1 was served first on the way south. Should I blame my age?........maybe I should blame my eye colour?......what about my sex?.....oh, I know it must be my height?........or perhaps it's as simple as the fact that not everyone can be served first!
Note: All the above is my own opinion, which I have an equal right to. No I'm not jealous, no I'm not bored, yes I will most likely return to Y where I belong where I won't be wearing thongs either!