Getting bumped, asking for volunteers is fine but enforcing it with goons and dragging a 69 year old unconscious passenger off the plane is not right. Do you fly? Seems like most or all dismissing the passenger in various FR threads do not fly, some taking pride in how long since they last flew. No standing on topic. I fly nearly every week. I am at SeaTac now for Delta flight after speaking at conference today. I side with the passenger. His only mistake was to fly United.
The flight was overbooked, and they needed to remove four passengers.
The passengers were offered an overnight hotel room and $400.
They asked for volunteers. None.
They raised the offer to an overnight hotel room and $800.
They once again asked for volunteers. None.
They randomly picked four people. Three complied.
This guy flatly refused.
They explained he didn’t have a choice, he would have to disembark.
He refused.
Somehow they got him off the plane.
Minutes later, he was back on the plane.
They once again told him he would have to disembark.
He refused.
They called the airport police.
He was removed.
He was injured due to his own refusal to do what the other three passengers reluctantly had to do.
This guy has a very sordid record.
He’s very fortunate he still has a license (work related).
I do fly from time to time, but it has been a while.
Look, things come up every single day of my life that I do not want to do. As an adult, I have to tell myself that’s the way it goes, and follow through. Why should this guy be any different?
I don’t know if they assaulted him as a means of pay-back. I suspect any injuries he got were inflicted because he was fighting tooth and nail to remain on board.
BTW: Every other passenger had to sit there while this guy held up the flight.
Long term captains and stewards explain that behavior abnormalities on the ground are magnified during the flight. If a person was giving them problems on the ground, most of the time they turn into a nightmare on the flight. At that point they think they can do anything they want, because the crew can’t just toss them out a door or some such.
Not only that, he thinks the flight crew deserved to be trashed for the full flight for giving him a hard time. It would be insufferable to have him there carping on them using profanity et all. (That’s the real potential)
Then if he gets an in-flight drink(s), it gets even worse.
The airline crews have the safety of a lot of people on those flights. This guy violated a number of problematic warning signs on the ground. From that alone, he was a prime target to not be allowed to fly.
He’s definitely not a guy I’d want in a seat next to me, or anywhere on the plane for that matter.
This sort is even a danger to go into depression mid-flight when he “came down” and do something that might endanger the whole flight.
What if he decided he just wanted to end it all, and it would be a very fitting way if he opened a door to exit, just to show them and get even?
Sorry, the guy doesn’t get my sympathy.
I don't fly much because of the poor service. I am retired, so I have a choice. From the looks of it the airline service has gotten down right dangerous to one’s health.