You’ve surely heard about Steven Slater, the Jet Blue airline attendant who told a passenger off over the in-flight intercom, resigned, grabbed a couple of beers and then activated the emergency exit to slide out of his career in style. People are heralding Slater as a kind of anti-hero in one of the most frustrating industries. Others are saying his actions were dangerous and could have killed someone.

Slater maintains that he was provoked by an abusive passenger who deliberately hit him in the head with the door from the overhead luggage compartment, gashing his head. Jet Blue wants their workers to realize how out of line the guy was and how his actions could have killed people working around the plane, which was in the process of unloading passengers at JFK airport at the time. They issued a letter to employees reminding them of the seriousness of the situation and asking them to avoid speaking to the media.

Slater was arrested at home in Queens about a half an hour after his memorable resignation. He was sent to jail for a few hours and was released last night after making bail. He spoke to media outside, and allegedly called himself a “hero”. It’s hard to tell in the video that Radar posts, and it sounds like he’s responding to other people bringing up the “hero” label first.

Fired-up flight attendant Steven Slater was walking on air as he emerged from jail Tuesday night as a folk hero.

“I knew there was a brouhaha about this, but while I was on the inside I didn’t realize how much attention it got,” said Slater, wearing the same T-shirt and plaid shorts he had on when arrested a day earlier.

“I think something about this resonated with people. The outpouring of support is very appreciated. I’m overwhelmed, very thankful,” Slater said after being released from the Vernon C. Bain Center in Hunts Point, the Bronx, after posting $2,500 bail.

Slater, 38, was transformed into a folk hero after he cursed out a nasty passenger over a plane intercom, grabbed some beer and fled down an emergency slide at Kennedy Airport Sunday.

“It’s been a good time,” a beaming Slater said, as employees leaving the lockup shouted, “You’re a hero” and “You’re a celebrity.”

Relishing in his cult status, Slater even joked about his short stay in the slammer. “I feel tired, I feel about how I did when that suitcase fell on me.”Then he pointed to cuts and bruises on his forehead that he called “aviation-related.”

But Slater’s flight to freedom hit a little turbulence. Freaked out by the media horde following his livery car, Slater’s driver returned him to the jail after a 10-minute ride.

“The food was just too good,” Slater deadpanned about why he returned.

A lot of people agree that Slater didn’t commit a crime, and that includes his mother, his lawyer – and about half the world.

“I can understand why he snapped. I would have snapped, too,” Diane Slater said Tuesday after her son pleaded not guilty to criminal charges.

“I think he just had a very small meltdown, and I think he deserved to be able to have that meltdown.”

And she isn’t the only one.

“I lost patience after a female passenger had an argument with another passenger and then opened the bin door, hitting me on the head without apologizing,” Slater told cops.

In his announcement to passengers on the flight out of Pittsburgh, Slater referred to the woman as “the f—–g a–hole that told me to f–k off.”

He then declared, “I’ve had it. That’s it,” witnesses said.

Slater’s Legal Aid lawyer, Howard Turman, said his client was trying to defuse a testy situation when the passenger, who has not been identified, started giving him hell after the plane landed.

“He was trying to do his best in providing safety and you have rudeness and lack of courtesy among the traveling public,” Turman said.

“The woman was outraged and cursed him out a great deal. At that point, I think, he just wanted to avoid conflict with her.”

Through his lawyer, Slater pleaded not guilty to criminal mischief, reckless endangerment and trespassing charges.

Authorities said Slater endangered jetBlue employees under the aircraft when he activated the emergency slide, which costs more than $25,000 to replace.

[From The NY Daily News]

Slater faces up to seven years in prison after this stunt. It’s not likely he’ll face large legal fees alone. He has many facebook fan pages including a “legal defense fund” (that may or may not be legit) and fellow flight attendants are trying to raise money for him. You may wonder what’s next for him after he deals with criminal charges. Given the way the public has embraced him I’m sure he can spin this into some kind of media or endorsement career. Hell I’d much rather see a reality show with this guy than with with Levi Johnston.