 A WestJet flight attendant's in-flight joke about Fort McMurray, Alta., is causing quite the stir. (QMI Agency File Photo)
|
FORT MCMURRAY, Alta. – A WestJet flight attendant's in-flight joke about Fort McMurray, Alta., left several passengers — including Mayor Melissa Blake — less than impressed.
As a return flight from Vancouver to Fort McMurray was coming in for a landing, the attendant asked how many passengers wanted to go to Fort McMurray. She then asked how many didn’t.
That didn’t impress Blake or former town councillor Joanne Roberts, both of whom were aboard the flight.
“I was disappointed and concerned,” said Blake. “For folks who live here, it’s offensive.”
Blake had posted comments about the incident on Twitter, and many people told her they'd had similar experiences on Fort McMurray-bound flights.
“It took me by surprise,” said Roberts, who gave the flight attendant a piece of her mind.
“I said to her I understand the need for humour, but I said we do a whole bunch of work to get people to change their attitudes about Fort McMurray,” said Roberts. “I’m going to send a request to WestJet to bring some of their staff up to do a tour ... to actually show them what Fort McMurray is.
“She apologized; said she didn’t mean anything by it. I said I’ve heard that before.”
“We’re taking it very seriously,” said Robert Palmer, WestJet spokesman.
“Humour is one of the things guests appreciate about WestJet, but humour can sometimes be a tricky thing. What is funny to one person can be offensive to another. I think people who fly with us know that WestJetters would never knowingly or deliberately offend our guests. However, to those who were offended by these unfortunate remarks, we apologize.”
carol.christian@fortmcmurraytoday.com
