Mike Griffin responds to James Helm's recent article on bad travel manners
"I'M A KERRYMAN who has lived in the US for more than 50 years. I've made numerous trips back to Ireland and always loved the attention and good service of Aer Lingus.
"During my flight home last September from Dublin to Washington I had my first bad experience. Two people on their first trip to the US sat close to me. One had a piece of cardboard depicting a penis dangling from his zipper as he walked around the aircraft. The second person made some effort at conversation. He was rather vulgar, and told me that he was looking forward to 'laying' American women during his visit.
"The young lad with the tag dangling from his zipper was exceptionally rude to the young female flight attendant. (I've found them all exceptionally pleasant and customer- oriented.) She was embarrassed but did nothing about it. I asked her why she didn't report such behaviour and she told me it occurs every so often and she was used to it.
"I've flown in many parts of the world as a government employee during my time and have never encountered such behaviour on an aircraft."