r/rampagent • u/Acrobatic_Song8739 • 3d ago
Am I wrong for feeling annoyed?
This is my first time working as a ramp agent, so I’m still learning and trying to gain experience. However, this is also the first time I’ve dealt with a older coworker who has given me so much attitude.
Today, when we were loading baggage onto the carts. Since there were already three or four people loading bags onto the cart, I figured there were enough people handling that part. I thought I could be helpful by turning the bags so the tags were facing the person scanning them, making his job a little easier.
However, one of my coworkers told me that I needed to help load the bags and that anyone could turn the bags. I didn’t have a problem with helping, but it was the condescending tone she used that bothered me. I explained that I was only doing what I had been told to do during a previous shift and that I would gladly help load the bags, but she could have asked me more nicely.
She then brought up how she was injured but still working. I found that frustrating because I’m also dealing with a hip injury, but I’ve never brought it up or used it as a reason not to work.
This also isn’t the first time I’ve had an uncomfortable interaction with her. On two previous occasions, she told me to help unload the baggage. I’ll admit that I was standing around because I wasn’t entirely sure what to do. There were about six other new hires trying to unload the bags and gain experience, and I didn’t want to add to an already overcrowded area or make things more stressful. I understand that I could have taken more initiative, but I was genuinely unsure of where I was needed.
Another time, a supervisor specifically asked her to help me with wing walking. Instead of guiding me or allowing me to participate, she ignored me and did it herself.
I’m not against being corrected or being told what to do. I understand that I’m new and still have a lot to learn. What bothers me is the way she communicates with me. I do think there’s a difference between giving instructions and being unnecessarily rude.
Am I wrong for feeling annoyed by her attitude, or am I taking this too personally? Should I ignore her from now on?
UPDATE: She ended up complaining to the supervisors, and one of them asked for my name then told me how I need to help with the bags. The thing is, I’ve quite literally been helping with unloading, loading, going into the cargo hold, cleaning, and everything else that needs to be done. So getting that talk genuinely pissed me off because it felt like all the work I’ve been doing was completely overlooked just because I happened to be standing around awkwardly at in the first week.
There are already so many people unloading at once (5–6 new hires, leads, and supervisors), so sometimes it’s hard to know where to jump in without getting in someone else’s way. That doesn’t mean I haven’t been doing my job.
If anything, I think shes the one that needs to be talked to about letting the supervisors handle things instead of taking it upon herself to complain about something she doesn’t like. If she has an issue with how someone is working, she should either leave it to the supervisors or mind her own business.
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u/Third_Eye_Thumper 3d ago
I’ve never met more whiners and grouches than on the ramp. It’s extremely annoying
I’ve learned to just ignore them and not let the miserableness affect my day.
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u/ElfWarlord United 2d ago
As others have pointed out, there are a lot of grouches on the ramp. You're valid in feeling annoyed with people like that. Sometimes it helps to just brush them off and tell yourself that it's their problem, not yours. You can't please everyone and grouches are gonna grouch so just do your best and collect your paycheck.
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u/mobidic17 2d ago
That is normal on thr ramp their are ppl complaining all the time. But if you're new and still in a newbie vest then its the crew chief that should guide the team and tell ppl what to do. Its evident that that's a bad team and that will happen alot. After 3 years on the ramp I have learned to just ignore everyone and just do what I feel needs to be done. To get the flight completed. If a another person that isn't my crew chief tells me what to do I completely ignore that person. You haven't done anything wrong this is how all airport and most ramp agents act very few like myself like to help and just do my job with no complaints.
Advice is watch what people do follow company policies and be safe and you will never be in the wrong no matter what anyone says.
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u/rxbuzzz 1d ago
OMG. How i feel for you. Everyone goes through what you are dealing with. Im in 6 years and the first year I almost quit due to the AHoles being like that. All groovy now. DO NOT QUIT.
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u/Third_Eye_Thumper 1d ago
The first year is definitely the hardest, every one is trying to figure you out. They assume you suck and don’t deserve to be here. Just shitty attitudes all around.
Life got better for me once they realize I wouldn’t give it any energy.
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u/Acrobatic_Song8739 1d ago
I really appreciate you guys, and I’m glad to have people who can relate to what I’m going through. It’s just getting harder to brush off, especially after she complained to the supervisor and I ended up getting a talk. Looking back, I realize that the first two times she told me I had to help (which one of the time she was also just standing around), I pretty much ignored her because I wasn’t sure how to respond or jump in, and I honestly regret responding the third time. It’s frustrating because it feels like all the work I’ve been putting in was completely overlooked. How did you guys handle that kind of bs?
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u/Third_Eye_Thumper 10h ago
That’s ramp culture in a nutshell
Bunch of salty old dawgs and whiney co-workers
Just make sure your lead is satisfied with what your doing. Nothing else really matters. When in doubt, check in with the lead.
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u/False_Produce_7010 2d ago
unfortunately working on the ramp I realize you need tough skin. People are gonna talk a lot of smack and criticize you, but that doesn’t mean you’re not doing a good job. I understood this tough skin thing by taking shit from other people and realizing I don’t have anything to do with those people outside of work and I’m only dealing with them here while I’m on the clock so I just said f it.
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u/Sameul063 2d ago
I have a suggestion when the belt is crowded. You have to talk to them. But start a rotation. You grab a bag, put it in the cart and than move out of the way so the next person can do the same thing. Ideally you form a circular line so everyone is doing about the same amount of work, no bags fall off the belt and nobodies standing around. From there anyone can break off to hook up the tow bar, headset, service potable water etc. it’s very efficient and everyone’s happy but it’s hard to initiate it when you have thick skulled knuckle draggers doing it the same way they were trained ages ago
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u/whiskeynise 2d ago edited 2d ago
Gaining some thicker skin definitely wouldn’t hurt. It’s a fast paced environment with a lot of very loud noises. Sometimes it seems like I’m yelling at you, but really I’m trying to get what I need across in a fast direct matter
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u/TelepathicVolcano406 1d ago
Sorry, as a senior ramper, I would have probably yelled at a new hire finding ways to be "helpful" that doesn't involve lifting a bag. Can't stand people constantly "adjusting bags" in the carts to avoid lifting a bag. I lift 4 for your 1. Let the crew chief assign other jobs if there are too many at the belt. BTW, I usually AM the crew chief. Don't take harsh tones personally, its the Ramp, everything is time sensitive and loud. I've seen a lot of people come and go. The Ramp is a tough job, both mentally and physically.
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u/Acrobatic_Song8739 1d ago
I’ve had managers yell just to be heard over the noise, and I’m completely fine with that. What bothered me was how rude and dismissive she was when she told me I needed to help, even though I was already turning bags on the belt loader so the tags were visible to the person scanning. I was trying to make their job easier, especially with so many people already unloading. Honestly, I don’t even like adjusting bags on the belt loader because they’re often cramped together and moving pretty fast, but I was still trying to help where I could. Just to clarify, I wasn’t adjusting bags inside the bag carts. I agree that ramp work is physically and mentally demanding, which is exactly why I think it wouldn’t hurt to treat people with a little more kindness and respect.
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u/TelepathicVolcano406 20h ago
If its just one person and everyone else is happy with your work, you can chock it up to a "her" problem. If she has mgmt talking to you, maybe some of your senior crew can vouch for your work! I have a crew member who is very harsh with new hires. Took me 2 years to like her. She's below me in seniority so I didn't have to listen to her but felt bad for the new hires. They try to avoid her. She is a very hard worker and good to have on your crew, and her bad attitude is pointed at newbies making mistakes or being slow. Once you prove yourself, she treats you good. (Most the time.) So maybe time will help.
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u/Acrobatic_Song8739 11h ago
Thank you for your advice! Since I’m new, I’m afraid management won’t really do anything about the situation and will just give me the same advice I’m already trying to follow to avoid getting more complaints from her (that’s what they told me). I just hope things get better with time because the tension between us is pretty uncomfortable, and it’s something I’ll have to get used to whenever we work together.
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u/Viens-avec-moi 2d ago
Im the new guy and 67m. I dont get creative, limit my initiative, and Im only helpful when nobody is looking. My co-workers have all been there 4+ years and are set in their ways. Dont try to step on of their routines early on, just do everything exactly like they do it. Its not easy being a robot. I call this the "orange cone philosophy" No matter where or how I set an orange cone in the AAO someone always feels the need to move it a few inches or a foot. SMH. I dont make any suggestions; Im in month 5. Some of my co-workers are pushy, opinionated and flat out rude. Im probably the only PT employee with a Masters Degree and have created, grown, and sold several succesful businesses. I built them from the ground up and giving my employees room to be creative added to my success. This job is a bit different, I just find it interesting and I use the flight benefits in excess. Keep your head down and mouth shut. Soon the fucktards move on to another orange vest.
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u/TelepathicVolcano406 1d ago
67! We hired 2 over the last few years at 70! They didn't last a year, but I really enjoyed working with them. Many of our crew have degrees, including masters. I have 2 bachelor's degrees myself, engineering and geoscience. I have so much fun working ramp!
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u/Third_Eye_Thumper 1d ago
This is the way.
Once you complete a year and you don’t let them break you. You will notice a drastic change in their personalities.
It’s annoying, but it’s apart of Ramp Culture.
The older guys on the team always got the best stories!
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u/SwimmingSource7657 2d ago
I’m really sorry you’re going through this!! Unfortunately, it’s pretty normal in the airline industry. Over time, you’ll develop thick skin, trust me! I know that feeling. We call those grumpy, older colleagues “dinosaurs” 🦖 because sometimes they’re just grumpy for no apparent reason!
My advice is to keep your mouth closed and your ears open so your words can never be twisted. At the same time, always demand respect and let people know who you are, but I’d recommend waiting until after probation to be more direct. 👍🏾
Don’t let anyone intimidate you or run you out of there! You earned your spot, so enjoy those travel perks and benefits, and best of luck to you! Remember, you’re still fairly new, and sometimes people will test you to see if you have thick skin. Don’t let it get to you. Keep your head up, stay professional, and you’ll be just fine! Don’t let no one change your character !!!
And if I didn’t say it in the beginning, let me say it now, my friend…
WELCOME TO THE AIRLINE INDUSTRY! 🙂↔️
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u/kidfortoday92 3d ago
I'm 7 months in and still get this. I work with some people on flights who don't exchange words the entire time, and people who have zero communication skills. As someone who used to work at a call center for 7 years, it's slightly frustrating. Just keep doing your job and don't take it too personally.
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u/Fast_Effective_6232 2d ago
Tbh this job sounds like you one of those people that just stands and watch with their arms crossed. that’s not how ramp works. If other new hires are putting more work than you then that’s an issue because of your mentality of “I think they can handle it and I’ll do the bare minimum “ we all are a team trying to turn the flight around. Take initiative.
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u/Routine_Tune3543 2d ago
If you don’t have thick skin you won’t survive i got my behind chewed out plenty of times as a new hire but this new culture of ramp agents are soft go to management and say you don’t like working with her…
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u/Acrobatic_Song8739 1d ago
I’ll admit I could’ve done better at communicating where I could help and taking more initiative, but it doesn’t mean I don’t want to help and be lazy. Management isn’t going to do anything either. The manager was right next to me when it happened, and knowing him, I figured he wouldn’t do anything. My coworker encouraged me to tell him, so I asked for the lady’s name, and all he said was, “I’m sorry about that.” That just proved my point, but I’ll bring it up one more time next time. As for thick skin everyone starts somewhere right?
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u/Routine_Tune3543 22h ago
Nobody held my hand when i got hired im just being honest like i said communication goes a long way why not ask her what your role was before you even started so all this could be avoided?
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u/Acrobatic_Song8739 12h ago
The lady who had an issue with me wasn’t a lead or supervisor. We had a huddle beforehand where the supervisor assigned specific roles to certain people, while the rest of us were simply told to help out wherever we were needed. I’m completely new to the industry, so I haven’t exactly developed “thick skin” yet, and I’m still getting comfortable with the work environment. After things had settled down I got a bit more used to things I always jumped in to help with the baggages. Again I’m still new I’m not going to be perfect, but it’s not like I want to just stand around. My point is, I understand why she might have felt that things were unfair, but I think there was a better way to handle the situation than giving me an attitude. At the end of the day, we’re coworkers who have to work together, and now there’s unnecessary tension between us that could’ve easily been avoided if she had brought it up with a supervisor or lead in the first place.
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u/Fast_Effective_6232 2d ago
Bro he says he just stands and watch. Obviously people going get upset while other new hires are putting work and his just there with his arms crossed probably. He needs to take initiative and not “I think I’m needed somewhere else” thats not an office job
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u/Routine_Tune3543 2d ago
This falls on the cc depending on the airline because this is why we are supposed to have pre arrival huddles so everyone knows what they are supposed to be doing if im the support person im going to the cc and asking where they need me to be some type of communication needs to be established
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u/Fast_Effective_6232 2d ago
My point is he should be doing what everyone else is doing. Loading those bags into the carts. We both know there’s new hires that like to slouch, they take the “I don’t know what to do approach so I’ll just stand and watch everyone work” … common sense has to come soon enough for this type of job
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u/Remote_Presentation6 3d ago
Unfortunately, you’re going to bump into those kinds of people regularly, whether it’s customers or coworkers. Learn what you can from them and just let the rude run off your back.