B767 CAPT RECOUNTS THE PROBS THAT OCCURRED ON AN INTL FLT.

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THIS RPT STARTS AT THE GATE; BUT CONTINUES THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE FLT. WHILE REVIEWING THE PAPERWORK FOR THE INTL FLT; THE PURSER POS WAS NOT FILLED WITH APPROX 50 MINS TO GO. I PROCEEDED TO THE ACFT AND BRIEFED AND CHKED THE COMPANY IDENTS OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS LISTED. HOWEVER; AT THIS TIME; THE PURSER HAD NOT ARRIVED OR BEEN ASSIGNED. AS I WAS ABOUT TO CALL SCHEDULING; A FLT ATTENDANT SUPVR APCHED AND EXPLAINED THAT THE PURSER WAS COMING (ON A FLT); AND WOULD BE HERE CLOSE TO DEP. I ASKED HOW LONG HAD CREW SCHEDULE KNOWN ABOUT THIS; AND WAS TOLD APPROX 3 HRS. MY NEXT QUESTION WAS WHY HADN'T THE CAPT BEEN INFORMED AT SIGN-IN IN THAT THE PURSER HAD NOT BEEN ASSIGNED YET? SHE DID NOT KNOW. THE LACK OF COM AND TURMOIL THAT IT CREATES BEGINS THE BALL ROLLING FOR PROBS. THE PURSER SHOWED AT APPROX 2 MINS PRIOR TO DEP; AND EVERYONE WANTED THE DOOR CLOSED. I WOULD NOT ALLOW IT UNTIL I RECEIVED THE PROPER PAPERWORK WITH ALL WORKING CREW MEMBERS; AND AFTER BRIEFING THE NEW PURSER. I HAD HOPED THAT THIS WOULD BE THE END OF THE FUN; LITTLE DID I KNOW THE FUN WAS JUST BEGINNING. AS USUAL; THE BUSINESS CLASS CREW REST SEATS ARE UNCOMFORTABLE AT BEST; AND HARDLY ANYONE CAN GET PROPER REST. THE POOR QUALITY SEAT; ALONG WITH PUTTING A PAX NEXT TO ME DURING 'CREW REST' IS IN MY OPINION; A FARCE. WE MIGHT AS WELL HANG A HAMMOCK FROM THE CABIN CEILING AS WE DID IN THE MIL. OUR NORMAL FLT IS 'SCHEDULED' XO00. THIS FLT WOULD TAKE 11 HRS AND 49 MINS WITH A 14 HR CREW DAY. WE HELD AT ZZZZ; FO FOR 2 HRS AND 30 MINS WAITING FOR THE FOG. WHEN WE FINALLY ARRIVED IN ZZZZ; FO I ASKED THE FLT ATTENDANTS IF THEY WOULD BE 'LEGAL' TO RETURN TONIGHT WITH THEIR NEW CONTRACT. THEY TOLD ME THAT ALL THEY NEEDED WAS 10 HRS; AND THEY COULD GO. IF THIS IS INDEED TRUE; I AM AMAZED. I KNOW WHEN I WOKE UP FROM MY SLEEP AT THE HOTEL THAT DAY; IT WAS MIDNIGHT. I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHERE I WAS. ALTHOUGH; THE NEW CONTRACT THAT THE FLT ATTENDANTS HAVE SIGNED MAY ALLOW THIS SHORTENED REST PERIOD; AND THE COMPANY BEAN COUNTERS MAY THINK THIS IS WONDERFUL FOR PRODUCTIVITY; I PERSONALLY FEEL THAT IT IS UNSAFE; DANGEROUS; AND AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. HOWEVER; I DO NOT BELIEVE ANYTHING WILL BE DONE ABOUT THIS UNTIL ANOTHER ACCIDENT HAPPENS. THINK OF IT THIS WAY; DOCTORS HAVE JUST HAD THEIR WORK WEEK MANDATED TO NO MORE THAN 80 HRS IN 1 WK BY CONGRESS; BECAUSE OF THE MISTAKES MADE BY THESE HIGHLY TRAINED PROFESSIONALS. YET; MY FLT ATTENDANTS WOULD HAVE SIGNED IN AT XA30 ON THE STARTING DAY; FLOWN ALMOST 21 HRS TOTAL; AND BEEN BACK IN MIAMI AT XO30 TWO DAYS LATER; APPROX 35 HRS LATER WITH 10 HRS OF REST; AND NOT 1 MEAL PROVIDED. THIS IS A DISGRACE. WE DON'T EVEN TREAT POW'S THIS BADLY. NOW LET ME ADDRESS THE FLT TO ZZZZ; FO. EVERY JUNE AND JULY FOG OCCURS AT ZZZZ; FO. WHY DON'T WE PUSH THE SCHEDULE BACK TO ACCOMMODATE THE WX? AFTER DIVERTING FOR GAS; DISPATCH WANTED ME TO WAIT ON THE GND LONGER. I EXPLAINED THAT THE WX WAS FORECAST TO BE UP; AND WE WERE RUNNING OUT OF CREW DUTY. SO; HE EVENTUALLY AGREED. IF WE WOULD HAVE WAITED VERY MUCH LINGER; OUR CREW COULD HAVE GONE ILLEGAL. AGAIN; MAYBE WAITING IN MIAMI BY PUSHING THE DEP BACK COULD HELP. OPS AND PERSONNEL WERE FANTASTIC. WHEN WE FINALLY ARRIVED IN ZZZZ; FO THEIR GND CREW AND STATION WORKED WONDERFULLY TO GET EVERYONE MOVING AFTER THIS LONG NIGHT. THEY DID A GREAT JOB. EVERYONE IN MY CREW WORKED REALLY WELL TOGETHER. THEY ALL DESERVE SPECIAL PRAISE. MY FINAL THANKS GOES TO THE PURSER. HE IS A TRUE LEADER AND INSPIRATION TO ALL. AFTER BEING REASSIGNED TO THIS TRIP; HE STILL SMILES AND HAS A POSITIVE ATTITUDE. MY FINAL THOUGHT ON THIS SUBJECT AS A CAPT AT ACR: I KNOW THAT THE NEW RULES ARE HARD; AND SACRIFICES HAVE BEEN MADE BY EVERYONE. HOWEVER; WE SHOULD NEVER; EVER SACRIFICE SAFETY. I TRULY BELIEVE THAT IF MY FLT ATTENDANTS WOULD HAVE WORKED FLT XYZ BACK THAT SAME NIGHT; WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN LEGAL; ACR WOULD HAVE SACRIFICED SAFETY ALONG WITH THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND THE CAPT IF HE KNEW PRIOR TO DEP.