Unusually for contemporary poetry, the speaker of “Thank You for Waiting” is separate and in contrast to the poet. The speaker is an airline attendant calling passengers to board an unspecified aircraft. Although they do not interject their subjective feelings for the majority of the poem, it is clear that they divide people based on superficial criteria such as membership status or quality of clothing. They also have a thorough knowledge of company policies and the range of membership options available, showing how deeply they care for the mechanics of the society they live in.