Southwest Airlines Community

Here's an idea for a reality show: Take three people who rarely work with the same people for more than a few days and trap them with their coworkers in a sealed container with over a hundred people who need to travel somewhere for some reason.   See how the workers interact with each other and with the travelers.  There are some amazing interactions that take place.  As humans, we have a need for interaction with our fellow human beings.  Under normal circumstances, we build relationships over time and gradually share more about ourselves and learn about each other.   As a flight attendant, it is interesting to see how this basic human need is handled in a setting that almost mimics a lab experiment.  That person sharing a jump seat with you will cram three stages of normal interaction into three days.   The first day is usually pretty generic, with introductions and the basic, "where do you live?"   The second day is gradual sharing and interaction with stories and jokes.   On the third day you get complete openness.  It's almost like being trapped in a stuck elevator with someone for three days. With the traveling public you get people who are outside their comfort zone.  They are out of their element and are usually under unusual circumstances.  Birth, death, birthdays, weddings, graduations, even just vacations - they all change people's behavior. It is not always positive, but it is usually interesting.  I've had strangers share information that was alarmingly personal...and sometimes I've shared right back.  We are all in that "trapped in an elevator" mindset.  I live a life of friendship and acquaintance, compressed in time and multiplied by hundreds. ... View more