Airline Laughs (click to comment)

My daughter and I were bumping along on a flight recently when an attendant came across the speakers with the following: “Ladies and gentlemen, we do feature a smoking section on this flight. If you must smoke, please contact a member of the flight crew and we will escort you to the wing of the airplane.” Here are a few other examples of pilots and airline attendants using humour to make a long and sometimes turbulent flight a little more bearable:

“Your seat cushions can be used for flotation, and in the event of an emergency water landing, you may keep them with our compliments.” “Welcome aboard Southwest Airlines. To operate your seat belt, insert the metal tab into the buckle, and pull tight. It works just like every other seat belt and if you don’t know how to operate one, you probably shouldn’t be out in public unsupervised.” “As we prepare for takeoff today, please make sure your tray tables and seat backs are fully upright in their most uncomfortable position.” “Folks, we have reached our cruising altitude now, so I am going to switch the seat belt sign off. Feel free to move about as you wish, but please stay inside the plane…it’s a bit cold outside, and when you walk on the wings, it affects the flight pattern.” “Thank you for flying Delta Business Express. We hope you enjoyed giving us the business as much as we enjoyed taking you for a ride.” “Any person caught smoking in the lavatories will be asked to leave the airplane immediately.” “As you exit the plane, please make sure to gather all of your belongings. Anything left behind will be distributed evenly among the flight attendants. Please do not leave children or spouses.” “We’d like to thank you folks for flying with us today. The next time you get the insane urge to go blasting through the skies in a pressurized metal tube, we hope you’ll think of us here at US Airways.”

It’s always a pleasant surprise when we encounter humour and warmth, when we have every reason to expect indifference. Whether it be a flight attendant, grocery store clerk or that guy on the sidewalk. A laugh is the shortest distance between strangers. What kind of stranger are you? Proverbs 12:25 tells us that “Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.” The words you say, have the potential to brighten up someone’s day or tear them down. So be a blessing today. Help at least one complete stranger grin or maybe even laugh themselves silly before going to bed tonight. If they ask you what you’re on, you may want to tell them it’s not the medication, but the joy that comes from knowing Jesus loves you.

You have my permission to be a holy goofball today. And if you have had a hilarious encounter with a stranger, tell us about it. We just may pass it along.