That was just me taking a cheap shot after too much assignment-marking and piano practice.

We have the same visible minority of tinpot dictatorial cretins here too - although in my experience of domestic flying, this syndrome is thankfully confined to arrogant ground staff, rather than the flight crew (which in Virgin are pretty good).

Just one quibble: you say "things are not defined by the worst examples". But actually to some extent they are, for better or worse. Maybe they shouldn't be (law of averages should mean these examples should have little weight) - but a bad, nasty experience seems to stick in the memory more vividly than a good experience. Speaking personally, anyway.