View from the cabin: I hope people start to appreciate the role of cabin crew

I laugh when people say: "You're just a glamorous waitress." We have to deal with so many issues: I've had people beating each other up and people dying and it's become a much more stressful job. Over the years it's become much more difficult to contain difficult situations with passengers. We have a lot of people flying now who behave as they would in a local pub. Life is becoming much more aggressive, airlines are cramming in more and more seats and planes are flying for longer, with passengers hemmed into that small space. People sometimes just don't consider people around them. I had a young couple in business class with a baby. It wasn't ideal having a child crying but I had one totally unreasonable man. He was absolutely vile. I accommodated him as best as I could, but in the end I said to him: "Which of these passengers would you like me to move to suit you?" They don't care.

Airlines are complicit in this because they have downgraded the job. There were 3,000 applications for every job when I started. It was something very special. But the new rates of pay puts it in the lowest category of job. The increase in low cost carriers has not helped. New recruits are paid very little and they don't stay very long.

I hope that people start to appreciate the role of cabin crew, particularly since 9/11. Before, when things got difficult, you'd get the captain. Just him standing there with his four stripes helped. But there's a metal door now and they won't leave the cockpit. So we have to deal with everything.

The writer – who wishes to remain anonymous – has worked for British Airways for more than 30 years