The outrage is justified. The outrage is not just about this event. If it was, this event would not have legs. People like me have watched the TSA and United Airlines spew rudeness and heavy handed business practices for over a decade. When this news story came out, we, the traveling public with experience of United, have all witnessed a United act of rudeness.
The original response of United’s president is the real feeling this airline holds. They believe the airline exists to feed the employees. And the employees are against the company, and barely tolerate the customers. There is a stark deference between Southwest and United. On southwest the employees seem happy to have a job. They are fun and friendly. At United, they are there to get a paycheck. They are unhappy and quick to use the most punitive rules to deal with customers. If customers had been treated well, this story would not have snowballed like it has.
And also, I believe airlines exist to garner enough money to pay off the loans on airplanes. If airlines didn't exist, Boeing and Airbus would have had to invent them. /S
Any passenger on that plane had the power to stop that madness at any time by simply volunteering to exit the plane in place of the old guy. No, those passengers just sat snugly in their seats and watched the show; what was obviously a mentally distributed old man in a weird situation.