Posted on 08/23/2021 2:06:34 PM PDT by billorites
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration has responded to a new wave of violently unruly behavior among airplane passengers by proposing $531,545 in civil penalties against 34 individuals who have disrupted flights with their shenanigans.
The Unfriendly Skies: Since Jan. 1, the FAA has levied more than $1 million in fines against aggressive passengers. This year, the FAA has received approximately 3,889 reports of unruly behavior by passengers, including about 2,867 reports of passengers refusing to comply with the federal facemask mandate.
The fines are part of the FAA’s Zero Tolerance campaign against unruly behavior on U.S. carriers. The FAA doesn't have criminal prosecutorial authority in these matters, but the agency has asked airports to coordinate more closely with local law enforcement to prosecute passengers whose behavior veers into criminal behavior.
Worst Of The Bunch: Among the most egregious cases cited by the FAA are:
A $45,000 fine against a JetBlue Airways (NASDAQ: JBLU) passenger on a May flight for allegedly throwing objects including his carry-on luggage, lying on the floor in the aisle, then grabbing a flight attendant by the ankles and putting his head up her skirt. The passenger was placed in flexi-cuffs and the flight was forced to make an emergency landing. in Richmond, Virginia.
A $42,000 fine against a passenger on another JetBlue flight in May for allegedly interfering with crewmembers after failing to comply with the facemask mandate, making non-consensual physical contact with another passenger, throwing a playing card at a passenger and threatening him with physical harm, making stabbing gestures towards certain passengers and snorting what appeared to be cocaine from a plastic bag, which the cabin crew confiscated. The passenger was also secured in flex cuffs and that flight was forced to make an emergency landing.
A $32,500 fine against a Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV) passenger in January for allegedly assaulting passengers around him because someone in his row wouldn't change seats to accommodate his travel partner. A $30,000 fine against a passenger on a Frontier Airlines (NASDAQ: ULCC) flight in January for allegedly attempting to gain entry to the flight deck by physically assaulting two flight attendants and threatening to kill one of them.
A $29,000 fine against a JetBlue passenger on an April flight who refused to comply with the facemask mandate, shouted obscenities at the flight crew and intentionally bumped and then punched a seated passenger in the face.
I used to fly a lot. I’ve never seen anything remotely like this. What is going on?
What in the hell is wrong with people? This utterly rude, criminal even, behavior has just become commonplace.
I don't fly anywhere any more, but still... it's everywhere.
For instance, I'm not a fan of mask mandates, by any means... but is it *really* the fault of that minimum wage teen working at Walmart that she has to ask you to put one on?
I don't care if people wear one or not, but shouting at a child is an over the top reaction. Simply say, "no thank you, I'm not wearing one" and go on your way.
Ha! The irony here is I never actually watched one episode of Seinfeld. That was after I had gotten rid of my TV.
Still, I heard so much about certain episodes, I didn’t need to watch it. The joke was in the air.
Was that wrong? Should I not have done that? I tell you, I gotta plead ignorance on this thing, because if anyone had said anything to me at all when I first boarded that that sort of thing is frowned upon... you know, cause I’ve flew on Epstein Air a lot, and I tell you, people do that all the time.
Lewd behavior, fighting, snorting cocaine...
I noticed that the article did not mention the names the perpetrators. So I guess this is another instance of the media protecting Hunter Biden.
>>I have seen a flight attendant on a US flight attractive enough to make that tempting.<<
But it is rare. These days the USA/Canadian FAs are all 30-something gay dudes or women who could be my grandmother and I am in my 60s.
Thank God the entire rest of the world still uses looks to hire FAs who tend to be women. The ones I see from Asian and Middle Eastern countries are particularly spectacular. But Central and South Americans are no slouches either.
I cannot recall seeing any EU FAs - probably bc I mostly fly out of DFW and AA already owns those routes.
Should NEVER be allowed on an airline again.
Was the flight attendant a man or a woman? You never know who’s going to be wearing skirts these days.
“ibtgcr/p”
“In before the George Costanza routine”
Wad I win?
Yeah, Hunter Biden is a good guess.
Personally, I was hoping Florida Man.
What the heck is that, AiRotica?
great movie.
“I used to fly a lot. I’ve never seen anything remotely like this”.
We’ve since adopted the drug culture: You name it, and taped bundles have been washing up on Florida beaches.
You’re not supposed to do that?
I am all for the law penalizing passengers who cause problems on airplanes.
However I am NOT for the regulatory state being able to sit as police, prosecutor, judge and jury. I think fines should only be imposed after the suspect has had their day in court and the regulatory agency PROVES their claim in court. Even with traffic ticket you get your day in court.
That Seinfeld bit was the first thing that I thought of as well. It’s amazing how deeply that show affected the popular culture that ~25 years later we all had the same reaction.
But the most important thing -- the one thing left out of the paragraph -- is whether or not he was wearing a mask when he entered the "forbidden zone"?
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