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Attendant sues airline over stress disorder
Seattle PP ^ | 09/22/06 | Bloomberg News

Posted on 09/22/2006 8:33:21 AM PDT by SW6906

Alaska Airlines Inc., the ninth-largest U.S. airline, was sued by a flight attendant who claimed her stress disorder makes it impossible for her to go through airport security checkpoints.

Cheryl Gunderson said she was groped and fondled in a sexual manner while going through a checkpoint in 2003 and can't go through them anymore without suffering debilitating stress, according to a complaint filed Sept. 15 in U.S. District Court in Seattle.

"The plaintiff is unable to even enter into close proximity to the screening area of an airport without becoming symptomatic of her post-traumatic stress disorder," her lawyer, Robert Van Siclen of Seattle, said in the lawsuit.

...

In her suit, she asked the court to force the carrier to help her get a special pass to walk through checkpoints without being physically searched. She also seeks back pay from April 2003, attorney's fees and unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.

(Excerpt) Read more at seattlepi.nwsource.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; US: Washington
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To: PBRSTREETGANG

Keyboard heck, you owe me new pants!


21 posted on 09/22/2006 9:03:29 AM PDT by Pylon (Remember boys, flies spread disease, so keep yours closed.)
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To: SW6906
The old clean out "worker's comp" ploy!

A few years ago, I had a bet with a lawyer to see who could come up with the best (actually worst) examples comp fraud due to claimed disabilities. The nominees are:

1) Mass. -- A county treasurer was sentenced to the pen for embezzlement. It took several months to fire the felon because of union work rules. During the interval, he was raped by some of his fellow inmates and in the process injured his back. He collected disability benefits for years while in prison.

2) Fla. -- A woman was mugged and had her purse stolen at a bus stop. She was so traumatized by the event that she developed a phobia against black males. She worked for an equal opportunity employer, and thus could not return to work.

3) Cal. -- A state judge became disabled after he developed a fear of heights and could no longer ascend to the bench.

4) Fla. -- A lady worked as a "heavy breather" for a 900 number telephone sex service. She used her hands to stimulate herself to provide the necessary sound effects to the point where she developed carpal tunnel syndrome.

I'll add this to the list.

Thanks, I think.

22 posted on 09/22/2006 9:27:46 AM PDT by Zakeet (Be thankful we don't get all the government we pay for)
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To: RexBeach
"I could use the extra dough!"

Are you sure it's the money? lol

23 posted on 09/22/2006 9:30:51 AM PDT by verity (The MSM is comprised of useless eaters)
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To: Paleo Conservative
They always have females search females.

Sorry, but that really doesn't matter here unless you are assuring women that none of these gropers are lesbians. These days you can be groped by the same sex just as easily as the opposite.

24 posted on 09/22/2006 9:31:26 AM PDT by TXBubba ( Democrats: If they don't abort you then they will tax you to death.)
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To: Paved Paradise
You've obviously never been groped and you are obviously not a woman. I'm not saying this is something legit but women are vulnerable to stuff like this. If someone did that to me, he'd be minus a limb or worse.

I take some, a little, ofense at your statement, "...women are vulnerable to stuff like this."

As a 12 y.o. who delivered papers, I held up buy a grown man with a knife at my drop box. I was scared stiff. I spent the next 3 months I picked up my papers from the drop box, rain or shine, school nights or not, as soon as the papers were dropped off. Usually this happened at about 2 a.m..

I delivered those papers, hiding behind the drop bpx, trees, cars, laying in deep grass, whenever a car would approach. I carried a knife on my ankle, a billy club across my handlebars, and even screwed a long steel rod down the center of my club for added effect.

I guarantee you that I was at least as terrified and on a daily basis, as that flight attendent is/was.

The difference is, I was 12 years old, didn't need the money to pay my bills, I was alone, and on the dark streets as a child, and I WENT TO WORK ANYWAY.

It's got nothing to do with male or female. It has to do with someone who is failing to recover emotionally.

I respectfully submit that she needs to proveto herself that she's not a victim and get her ass to work.

25 posted on 09/22/2006 9:36:53 AM PDT by TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig (Life is tough. It's even tougher when you're stupid.)
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To: SW6906
Cheryl Gunderson said she was groped and fondled in a sexual manner while going through a checkpoint in 2003 and can't go through them anymore without suffering debilitating stress

Get over it weak woman.

26 posted on 09/22/2006 9:40:59 AM PDT by Centurion2000 (Property tax is feudalism. Income taxes are armed robbery of the minority by the majority.)
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To: SW6906

I think that airport security screenings violate the Geneva Conventions that John McCain was arguing for.


27 posted on 09/22/2006 10:03:17 AM PDT by Real Cynic No More (The only thing standing between us and complete victory over the evildoers is POLITICS!)
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To: SW6906

So why is she suing the airline, and not the TSA? Oh yeah, that's right, the airline is a private business and the government courts can be used to extort money from them, but it's harder to pull off with the government.


28 posted on 09/22/2006 10:04:32 AM PDT by 3niner (War is one game where the home team always loses.)
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To: Pylon

So how did your pants get ruined after you looked at a picture of Rosie O'Donnell?


29 posted on 09/22/2006 10:17:28 AM PDT by spinestein (Follow The Brazen Rule!)
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Comment #30 Removed by Moderator

To: Baynative
Do I want to understand that one? I'm not sure.
31 posted on 09/22/2006 11:30:51 AM PDT by SW6906 (6 things you can't have too much of: sex, money, firewood, horsepower, guns and ammunition.)
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To: TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig

You were very brave to do what you did as a small child, but that is no reason to assume this woman is unwilling to work or looking for an easy way out. You are making many assumptions, which is your prerogative, but I try not to do that so easily.

Additionally, I have no idea why you are offended. Your analogy of the fear you felt as a child does not equate with the fear a woman fears of sexual assault, although apparently you don't comprehend the seriousness of groping. Most women get this. Women get that WE are generally weaker than mean, which leaves us vulnerable for many things. Additionally, the offensiveness of sexual provocations against women is not always understood by males since a lot of guys might like a woman squeezing his bottom. Certainly, most men would not feel nearly as assaulted, though I believe it would wrong.

Sorry if you are offended, but I meant no personal offense.


32 posted on 09/22/2006 11:39:42 AM PDT by Paved Paradise
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To: SW6906
Cheryl Gunderson said she was groped and fondled in a sexual manner while going through a checkpoint in 2003 and can't go through them anymore without suffering debilitating stress, according to a complaint filed Sept. 15 in U.S. District Court in Seattle.

Funny -- when that happened to me, I got back in line for another go.

33 posted on 09/22/2006 11:41:03 AM PDT by freedumb2003 (Insultification is the polar opposite of Niceosity)
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To: Zakeet
4) Fla. -- A lady worked as a "heavy breather" for a 900 number telephone sex service. She used her hands to stimulate herself to provide the necessary sound effects to the point where she developed carpal tunnel syndrome.

That has GOT to be the winner!

34 posted on 09/22/2006 11:42:17 AM PDT by freedumb2003 (Insultification is the polar opposite of Niceosity)
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To: Baynative
You forgot the one about the woman in San Francisco who fell to the ground trying to board a moving cable car and sued claiming it caused her to become a nymphomaniac.

You're right.

Then there was the suit in Philly where a lady had a CAT scan and claimed it fried her brain to the point where she lost her ability to earn a living as a psychic.

You easily can get into thousands of crazy claims if you throw the topic open to stupid lawsuits. In my case, I was purposely limiting myself to people who collected from Worker's Comp.

Along a similar line, I once had a contest going with a law prof concerning who could come up with the craziest defense to a legitimate lawsuit. I won with the crazy story (backed up with press clipping, I might add) about a case in South Africa.

It seems that granny had decided to bequeath a sizable estate to a favorite nephew in the condition that he see that she was interred seated behind the wheel of her favorite automobile within three days of her passing.

Junior made all of the necessary arrangements at apparently the only cemetery in the country who would honor the request. When the day finally came, the cemetery backed down and Junior lost his inheritance.

Junior sued for breach of contract, and lost on the grounds of supervening illegality. It seems the cemetery was for whites only -- and the car was blue.

35 posted on 09/22/2006 12:32:22 PM PDT by Zakeet (Be thankful we don't get all the government we pay for)
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To: Paved Paradise
If someone did that to me, he'd be minus a limb or worse.

The problem is that you are automatically a criminal. If you do anything to protect yourself you'll find yourself in federal prison. From the below article, their attitude is "Once you cross that line, I can do whatever I want."

Penn Jillette (of Penn & Teller) was groped a few years ago, I like how he handled it.

36 posted on 09/22/2006 1:16:12 PM PDT by antiRepublicrat
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To: antiRepublicrat

If some guy copped a feel on me and I kicked him in the groin, I'd like to see the cop or security person who'd arrest me since I'm 5 feet tall and petite. I also have that innocent look too. I'm saying this somewhat tongue in cheek but I honestly would take that chance. Either that or I'd be screaming at the top of my lungs and by that time, if my husband were there... well, he's Sicilian, need I say more?


37 posted on 09/22/2006 3:54:39 PM PDT by Paved Paradise
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To: antiRepublicrat

BTW, thanks for that link. I forgot to say that.


38 posted on 09/22/2006 4:04:55 PM PDT by Paved Paradise
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To: traditional1

DON'T DO THAT!!!


39 posted on 09/22/2006 7:23:30 PM PDT by irishtenor (We survived Clinton in the 80s... we can survive her even when her husband is gone.)
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