RANDOM REMINDER

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32701, 2 September 1971, Page 18

RANDOM REMINDER

“SORRY, SIR!”

The life of the air hostess must seem one of incredible glamour to ambitious and envious schoolgirls, and certain it is that these elegant young ladies do have the satisfaction of winning the almost unanimous admiration and gratitude of those who travel the airways. They always look smart, they are always efficient, and they all look supremely attractive. But there are aspects of the lives of air hostesses which do tend to diminish the appeal of this vocation. There is, for instance, the ludicrous habit of sending aircraft off at impossible hours of the night and early morning. And if the aircraft have to be taken out

when most people are turning over for another hour’s sleep, the crews have to be on the job even earlier. So although one may be young, attractive, and an air hostess, one still has to rise at some ungodly hour on a winter morning quite often. One of these bewitching creatures who lives . in Christchurch had to be at Harewood bright, and early, one day in August. She arranged with one of the taxi companies for a cab to call for her at her house—number 49 in a St Albans street —at 5.55 a.m. And at the appointed hour, she was ready, and waiting. Because the taxi was not there. The driver,

committing an error which was understandable at that time of the day, had got the “55” of the 5.55 firmly fixed in his brain, and went to number 55 in this particular street.

Of course, no-one at 55 was expecting a taxi, and no-one was up. It required quite strenuous efforts with the door-bell before the householder was aroused. It was the most understandable and genuine of mistakes.' After all, who would pass up the chance of driving a gorgeous air hostess to Harewood in favour of rousing an irate householder who happened to be the manager of the taxi firm by which one is employed?