Having a bad day might as well be up there with the certainties of death and taxes. We’re all bound to encounter them, whether they range from bad hair or bad traffic to the wake-up-to-a-flooded-apartment or take-this-job-and-shove-it kind of days.

Too many of them can sometimes be more than liquid, massage or retail therapy can soothe. So what’s the overworked, stressed-out, can’t-take-anymore American to do? Most of us just suck it up and muddle through the abuse, believing things will get better. But a year ago today, one JetBlue flight attendant enlightened us on a more dramatic exit strategy.

When Flight 1052 from Pittsburgh arrived safely at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport on August 9, 2010, flying the friendly skies reportedly took an unfriendly turn. According to JetBlue flight attendant Steven Slater, one passenger’s rudeness got the better of him.

Others on the flight disputed Slater’s claim that a harried passenger lashed out at him, but the 38-year-old had clearly had enough as he responded by announcing on the plane’s public address system, “I’ve been in this business for 20 years. And that’s it. I’ve had it. I’m done.”

Speaking of liquid therapy, Slater grabbed two beers from the beverage cart on his way out and down the emergency-exit chute and into cult-hero status. To some, his actions were the epitome of unprofessionalism; to others–particularly the overworked, under-appreciated lot–a hero.

Such a dramatic, stand-up-for-yourself exit may seem empowering in theory, but the reality is that actions like Slater’s will get you arrested and charged with things like reckless endangerment and criminal mischief, sentenced to jail time and possibly faced with other fines.

Instead of being locked up, Slater agreed to a year of regular counseling sessions and a $10,000 payment to JetBlue to replace the emergency chute down which he made his spectacular escape.

He’s spent a lot of time on planes in the past year, shuttling between California, where he’s handling his mother’s estate, and home in New York. In addition to the thousands of airline miles he’s racked up, he told CNN he’s widely recognized by both passengers and crew members who welcome him aboard, often with high-fives.

Of course, like most overnight sensations, Slater’s working on a memoir to be titled “Diary of a Mad Flight Attendant.” No word on when it will hit the shelves.