I've always seen the ability to laugh at one's self as sign of sanity and good nature, so this article from ArabNews.com really made me laugh...
LOCAL PRESS: Thefts impossible on Saudia flights
By MUHAMMAD SULEIMAN AL-AHIDIB | OKAZ
Published: Jul 26, 2010 23:22 Updated: Jul 26, 2010 23:22
NEWS agencies, newspapers and satellite channels have all carried the story of an Air France flight attendant who had been stealing from passengers while they slept, especially on long haul flights such as those between Paris and Tokyo.
The reports noted that Japanese passengers usually carry with them large amounts of cash as well as valuable mobile phones, and that the air hostess was caught after it was discovered that most of the thefts happened on flights she was on.
This woman would not have been able to steal if she were working for Saudi Arabian Airlines. First, she could easily find a job with Saudia because our people do not thoroughly scrutinize résumés. However, I do not say she would not be able to steal because she would have lost the tact for stealing but because of the special features and characteristics of the Kingdom’s national carrier.
Saudia passengers are unable to sleep on flights because they usually get enough sleep at airports while waiting for their flights due to delays. They usually sleep well enough and do not need to sleep during the flight no matter how long it may be.
The second reason why this woman will not be able to steal on board a Saudia aircraft is that the bell that passengers press to summon flight attendants never stops ringing.
This is not because passengers are demanding but because flight attendants simply ignore them. The continuous ringing of the bell would scare any thief and make him or her hesitant to steal. She will know that all passengers who have called will be waiting for her.
A third reason is that air hostesses on board our flights sleep more than passengers during long haul flights. As soon as air hostesses finish serving food, they go to sleep because they are certain that the management on the ground will ignore passenger complaints.
The management does not follow up on flights. An example of this was seen recently when an Abha to Riyadh flight was delayed by about 11 hours because the crew did not show up. It is little wonder since this coincided with a World Cup match in South Africa.
A fourth reason why this woman cannot steal on Saudia flights is that our airlines only employ young air hostesses who have little need to steal while airlines such as Air France employ much older and experienced hostesses who have financial obligations toward their family that cannot be met by their salaries.
