Attendants: 'Our hero!'

Cynthia Susanne, ex-wife of Steven Slater

It's inhuman up there.

Workers, unite! Let's sing the praises of Steven Slater -- the flight attendant who rose from the depths of employee hell to stand up for abused wage slaves everywhere. "Eff you!"

"He's a hero in all our eyes!" said American Airlines flight attendant Holly, who laughed at La Guardia with three fellow stews -- with a century of flying time among them. It beats crying.

When Slater unleashed his infamous public-address system rant heard 'round the heavens to a customer who clocked him in the head, he delivered more than a primal scream from one stressed-out attendant living out a Charles Bronson revenge fantasy.
Cynthia Susanne, ex-wife of Steven Slater
matthew kent
Cynthia Susanne, ex-wife of Steven Slater

As he snatched two beers before exiting the plane via the JetBlue emergency chute, Slater spoke for a generation of workers who've been forced to bend over and take it from a public that's lost its last vestige of civility.

Free Steven! Or at least remember the hero next time you abuse the help.

The stories flight crews tell about barnyard behavior are enough to make an innocent flier beg forgiveness. There was a woman who grew enraged when she was denied a needle -- expecting a flight attendant to rid her eye of a sty.

"Cry all you want, I will not give you a needle," said flight attendant Jennifer. "Gross!"

Some passengers change nasty diapers on folding tables -- then leave the evidence in seat pockets.

"There's the Britney Spears trick," offered colleague Jeannie. "Who would go to the [bathroom] with bare feet? They do! In first class, the shoes are the first things to come off!"

"I had a woman hold something out for me to take. It was her gum!" offered Leigh. "Makes you wonder who's riding the Greyhound bus."

When did the once-glamorous world of commercial flight turn into an aerial landfill?

Airline cutbacks, no food or free checked baggage, coupled with post-9/11 security measures have made flying incredibly stressful. But attendants with whom I spoke say they saw a breakdown in courtesy before the terrorist attacks. It's evident on the subway or at the bodega, too -- folks feel entitled to unleash their inner Naomi Campbell.

It can get vicious. One woman worker for a major airline told me a customer cursed her, then filed a complaint, telling the airline she was the one who swore.

"They didn't want to pay the change fee. I couldn't do anything. Then they said, 'I don't like the way you said that.' They think if they complain, they'll get a free ticket."

The woman, who's been with her carrier 20 years, was suspended without pay for two months as the airline investigated. Then she went "on trial."

"It's funny. It's like you killed somebody."

She was cleared after eyewitnesses testified for her. Surprisingly, this attendant still goes the extra mile for customers.

"You do this long enough, you get into the 'duck syndrome,' " said Jeannie. "You just let it roll off your back like a duck."

A man once ranted at Holly for no reason. When she asked what was wrong, the man raved, "I want to make someone else's life miserable!"

Holly smiled sweetly and said, "You'll be off this plane in three hours, sir. In the meantime, I'll be glad to get you something to drink."

Be nice to your flight attendant. She (or he) knows where the booze and emergency exits are located.

andrea.peyser@nypost.com