Following the rules

There was an article in yesterday's USA Today that compared Flight Attendants to "Dominatrix". I'm guessing the author is referring to our constant commands: "Fasten your seat belt. Put your seat up. Put your table up. Turn your Electronic Device off. Now. No, not after you finish your text. Now. Yes, IPOD's count as electronic devices. Yes, video games count as electronic devices. Turn them off, now. Stow your bag under the seat in front of you. No, all the way. No, I can't get you a glass of wine during the safety demonstration. No, that bag won't fit in the overhead bin. How do I know? Only 30 years of experience watching people try to fit that bag in the overhead bin. "

Some passengers seem to think we want to correct everything they do.We don't.We would like you to follow the much announced rules and policies on your own. I notice more and more passengers wanting to tell me the rules. When I told 24B my airline only collects credit cards for purchase, he said that was "illegal", that we HAD to accept cash. He's a lawyer, and I'm not, so I don't know, he might be right. 18C questioned why I was throwing a plastic bottle in the trash, when we had announced we were recycling. When I tried to explain our policies, she put her fingers in her ears and said "I'm contacting the newspaper when I get home. You are not recycling." Oh, great, another bad letter to the company that I have to spend my time off defending. So, a Dominatrix? No way. A kindergarten teacher, now you're talking. 18C, please take your fingers out of your ears.