I guess when Mitt means strong America, he doesn't mean him, personally, or his sons, but other sons. Hired hands. Cops. Stewardess. You know, little people. He's above all that. Preserving himself, and family, for a higher calling.
Posted on 02/17/2010 4:26:00 AM PST by ninonitti
Former Gov. Mitt Romney showed the right stuff by keeping cool when an unruly airline passenger threatened the likely GOP presidential contender in a flap over reclining seats, experts said.
“There’s no need to get into fisticuffs over a reclined seat,” said etiquette guru Jodi R.R. Smith, president of Mannersmith.
Smith called Romney “generally one of the more well-mannered politicians on our national stage.”
The former Bay State governor and his wife, Ann, were on a flight from Vancouver to Los Angeles Monday when Romney asked the man sitting in front of his wife to put his seat upright for take-off.
The man became “physically violent” and threatened Romney, an aide said. The ex-governor allowed the airline crew to handle the incident.
The man was arrested and the Romneys continued on their Air Canada flight to Los Angeles.
“Gov. Romney did the right thing by not retaliating and not letting it escalate,” said Anthony Amore, former assistant federal security director with the TSA at Logan International Airport.
Travelers have learned the consequences of acting out on flights, Amore said.
“Before Sept. 11, there were a lot of incidents of air rage where people would get into altercations with the air crew,” Amore said. “It’s not as common to see two passengers have an altercation or a fight on an aircraft.”
Smith said passengers should be able to point out that a seat is reclined at take-off without worrying about their personal safety.
“If the person either snarls at you or ignores you, step number two is to enlist the help of a ‘powerful other,’ ” she said, applying the psychology term for a person of authority.
David Rowell, publisher of “The Travel Insider,” which includes travel tips and horror stories, suggested passengers who are upset with a fellow flier’s behavior ask a flight crew member if another seat is available. He said Romney’s experience is almost unheard of.
“I’ve certainly seen mean, nasty, drunk passengers, but I’ve never seen anything break into a fight,” the frequent flier said. “Just rude words exchanged and nothing more than that.”
Why not give Nancy Pelosi a call next time you need a ride?
“etiquette guru Jodi R.R. Smith”!?
...they actually had to call a “guru” to ask if Mitt did the right thing? This isn’t under the heading of “etiquette”! It’s more under the heading of “self defense”!
If Romney had not tried to do the stewardess’
job, we would not need to hear Stephen Reynolds’s
side of the alleged incident that was stoked by Romney.
“Prevailed?”
He might have done the right thing, but prevailed means you are standing with your foot on the broken corpe of your enemy wiping the blood from your sword with the tattered remains of his flag. Not “allowed the airline crew to handle the incident”.
That could have meant the end of his presidential ambitions. Romney is too careful a fellow to fall for a provocation like that.
I didn’t read the whole article, but the smells like it was a lefty who was trying to provoke just that sort of reaction...by going after Romney’s wife.
Wouldn’t be surprised at all.
He could have merely slapped the person across both cheeks with an AMC work glove!
My comment was about the stupid choice of words used by the author.I don’t even bother commenting about Romney anymore.
Romney handled it the way it’s supposed to be handled. Simple as that.
““Prevailed?”
He might have done the right thing, but prevailed means you are standing with your foot on the broken corpe of your enemy wiping the blood from your sword with the tattered remains of his flag. Not “allowed the airline crew to handle the incident”.”
Using your metaphor...Romney did prevail...he used the stewardess as his sword and won. He won without any loss to himself, indeed looks like he got favorable press and respect for his actions.
why coach? If I had his $$$ I would never fly coach again.
Press the little button on the arm rest and let the professionals do their job.
I guess when Mitt means strong America, he doesn't mean him, personally, or his sons, but other sons. Hired hands. Cops. Stewardess. You know, little people. He's above all that. Preserving himself, and family, for a higher calling.
Haha, an AMC work glove on Mitt would be like Mickey Jackson’s glove....that is too funny Doc!
"Likely GOP presidential contender"in his dreams!
I don’t think there would’ve been anything wrong with standing up and facing the jerk and asking him if he would like to ask the pilot to return to the gate so they could discuss the issue openly on the ground.
We made a serious mistake when we started molly-coddling bullies on the playground.
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