Airport worker becomes internet hero for funny signs he writes on boarding gate screens

Is Steve's beard epic? Yes. Yes it is. Photo / rootbeer1, Imgur

A San Francisco airport employee has become an internet hero for the witty sayings he displays on the gate to give passengers a giggle when they board Virgin America flights.

Steve Freitag, 55, has been putting funny phrases on the screen that shows flight information at the boarding gate for years and even gets into costume on occasion for an extra special comedy touch, including a Hipster Santa outfit on Halloween and a full set of pajamas on April Fool's Day.

Photo / rootbeer1, Imgur

"I've always loved puns and what they call "dad jokes". I thought this would be a good time to entertain people," he told The Huffington Post of the signs, which he shared pictures of on Imgur.

According to Steve, Virgin America encourages its staff to make air travel fun and has no issues with the messages he writes for customers.

He explained that unless there is important news to report such as inclement weather or flight delays, he is allowed to write whatever he wants as long as the message isn't insulting or offensive.

The Virgin employee, who has been with the company for six years, has been coming up with brilliants messages since he started the job.

One of his most popular signs simply read: "Have a good flight, muggles".

Photo / rootbeer1, Imgur

On other signs Steve has quoted David Bowie and reminded passengers that the "mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell".

Photo / rootbeer1, Imgur

And for passengers traveling from San Francisco to Philadelphia, Steve joked that they would be boarding by "cheese steak preference: whiz, provolone, and then American".

Photo / rootbeer1, Imgur

Steve also incorporates his appearance into his signs, including one message that asked people in the waiting area: "Is Steve's beard epic? Vote yes or no."

On April Fool's Day, Steve wore his pajamas to work and updated the boarding gate sign to read: "It's Pajama Day, they said. Everyone will be wearing pajamas, they said. I didn't realize what day of the month it was."

Steve is clearly a fan of celebrating the holidays, and on Halloween in 2014 he donned a red and green flannel shirt and a leopard Santa hat.

"Hipster Santa delivers 180 gram vinyl to cool little boys and girls, but only bands you wouldn't have heard of," read the sign that day.

And Steve had no problem playfully poking fun at Virgin America's hipster reputation by sharing a quote from Fred Armisen's character in Portlandia.

"Virgin is now serving Brussels sprouts on their planes with honey and maple syrup ... as a dessert!" he wrote.

However, not all of Steve's messages have been instant hits. A few days before Christmas in 2014, he featured the poem Another Christmas of Agony from a 1980s episode of Cheers.

"Mischa the dog lies dead in the bog. The children cry over the carcass. The mist chokes my heart, covers the mourners. At least this year we eat," read the sign.

And while it's unclear if anyone was unhappy with the dark poem, Steve explained on Imgur that he "took it down pretty quickly".

"Not everyone wants to have a good laugh before their flight," he jokes of the depressing message.

Photo / rootbeer1, Imgur

Alaska Airlines recently took over Virgin America, but Steve said he is hopeful the new management will allow him to continue to make customers laugh with his jokes.

"New owner Alaska Airlines isn't really known for a cheeky corporate culture, so signs like these are most likely going away," he wrote on Imgur.

However, in the comments section Steve went on to note that the Alaska Airlines employees he has met "have been awesome and welcoming".