Ex-JetBlue Employee is Overnight Net-Sensation

Steven Slater - YOU ARE MY HERO!! For reminding us all, no job is worth being ABUSED for.  Enough is enough!!

By CLEMENTE LISI

Move over Chesley Sullenberger, make room for Steven Slater.

The JetBlue flight attendant who went berserk has become an overnight Internet hero to workers everywhere after arguing with a passenger, then escaping down the plane's inflatable emergency chute at JFK Airport clutching a beer.

A day after the attendant-turned-wing-nut had a meltdown on a flight from Pittsburgh, eight Facebook fan pages have been created overnight in Slater's name and on Twitter, users just can't stop talking about him.

What has made the 39-year-old Slater so heroic to many is that he quit his job after grabbing a brew from the beverage cart and, in a move fit for an action movie, deployed the plane's emergency chutes, where he slid away to his parked car and drove off -- a take-this-job-and-shove-it move that many have only dreamed of doing.

"Come to San Francisco and I will buy you a drink," wrote one fan on Facebook. "You are a hero to many!"

There are even "Free Steven Slater" T-shirts available on Customink.com for fans to buy.

“People are making a folk hero out of Slater, because we’ve all been there," said Dr. Alan Hilfer, director of psychology at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn. "Long hours, no raise or possibly a salary cut. Couple that with a difficult customer or client and he did what we all wanted to do, he told the customer to shove it! And stormed off. The drama of this situation captured all of our attention because we all love drama."

The administrator of another Facebook page with nearly 4,000 fans wrote today that many have inquired about helping Slater with his legal bills.

"As of this moment there is no official donation response in effect yet however if such a fund is erected it will be made public on here," according to the posting. "Thanks for the support!"

Despite being labeled a hero across the Internet, Slater faces felony charges of criminal mischief and reckless endangerment. He was busted Monday at his Belle Harbor, Queens, home.

There were about 100 passengers aboard the flight at the time of Slater's daring escape.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Slater has worked for JetBlue since 2008 and served as chairman of the airline's uniform redesign committee and, ironically, in-flight values committee. Previous employers listed included Delta and TWA.

Comments left on Slater's Facebook page included many who wish him well.

"I applaud you sir … grabbin' a beer for the slide was a nice touch!" said one poster.

In another message, a fan wrote, "Kind of jealous. I'll write you in jail, darling!"

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