Sao Paulo , Brazil ( CNN ) -- In a few short days , JetBlue flight attendant Steven Slater has achieved folk-hero status . He 's the man who allegedly cursed out a disruptive passenger over the on-board public address system , then opened an aircraft door , inflating the emergency chute in the process . He grabbed a beer from a service cart and slid down , effectively saying `` Ba-bye '' to his 20-year flying career . Slater 's exit created a danger to ramp workers and could earn him a prison stay . Nevertheless , his actions call attention to escalating tensions between flight attendants and the passengers they serve . They also highlight a little known issue that 's a big problem for flight attendants . For the last 25 years , I 've worked as a flight attendant for a large U.S. carrier . Many times I 've been in Slater 's position : A passenger opens the overhead bin to retrieve a carry-on bag before the captain says the plane has safely reached the gate . ( For safety reasons , attendants are trained to make sure passengers stay in their seats , overhead bins remain closed and carry-on bags are properly stowed `` until the aircraft reaches the gate and the captain turns off the fasten seat belt sign . '' ) Most offenders are simply eager to get off a cramped airplane and willingly sit down when asked . But occasionally -- as was possibly the case with the passenger Slater responded to -- some passengers think the rules do n't apply to them . I 've been glared at , verbally abused , threatened with lawsuits and recriminations from God simply because I asked a passenger to comply with the rules . Herein lies the problem . What exactly are the rules ? Why do they seem different from one flight to the next ? And what authority do flight attendants have when it comes to enforcing them ? The answer to that last and most compelling question is `` zero . '' Contrary to what you may think , flight attendants have absolutely no authority aboard an aircraft . We are not police officers or security personnel . We are not empowered by law to enforce airline policy , FAA regulation or criminal mischief . We ca n't force noncompliant passengers to buckle their seat belts , stow their tray tables , turn off cell phones , put away pornographic magazines ( yes , it happens ) or stay in their seats until the plane docks . All we can do is approach the passenger , explain `` the rules '' and hope they comply . Failing that , the only recourse is to call the captain , who , depending on his or her disposition , may not address the problem adequately . Consequently , flight attendants often find themselves between a rock and a hard place . It 's frustrating when your employer demands that you impose policy without giving you the means to do so . Perhaps this is why Slater snapped . While I disagree with the manner in which he vented , like Chris Rock says , `` I understand . '' As far as carry-on bags are concerned , the rules , which are seemingly clear but not uniformly enforced , are a major point of contention between passengers and crew . Most carriers limit each passenger to one carry-on bag and one personal item ( i.e . laptop bag , small backpack , etc. ) . But does a woman 's large purse qualify as personal item ? Is she therefore allowed three items when a man is only allowed two ? Are passengers allowed more carry-ons on half-empty flights ? This seems reasonable , given the abundance of space in which to stow bags , which is why some attendants and gate agents turn a blind eye to a passenger with too many bags on an empty flight . But when that same passenger tries to board a full connecting flight with four bags and is forced to check two in the cargo hold , he may protest vehemently . `` Hey , they let me bring these on my last flight , why wo n't you ? I 'm never flying this # & * @ ! $ * airline again ! '' I 've heard this so often and so loudly I 've become numb to the allegation . The only way to mitigate passenger-employee conflict and ensure smooth flying is to impose a uniform airline code that begins at the check-in desk and ends at the luggage carousel . Passengers should be allowed no more than two carry-on bags on every flight ; ticket agents should check ALL other bags . If your tweezers are allowed through security at O'Hare , those same tweezers should be allowed through security on your way home from JFK . Disruptive passengers should be blacklisted and banned from future flying . And any flight attendant who takes it upon himself to open an emergency exit and slide down the chute because a foul-mouthed passenger wo n't follow the rules , well ... he might find that behavior is not much better in a prison cell .
But he says he gets why Slater blew up , made dangerous baggage chute exit . He says he 's faced similar problems with passengers who think rules do n't apply to them . But the rules are uneven , he says , and attendants have no power to change them . Hester : Airlines should have uniform code that begins at check - in , ends at baggage claim .