Fly the Friendly(?) Skies of .....

Ohio.com ^ | 24 dec 2002 | ap

[sinkspur]

The comment was stupid. And the guy deserved to miss his flight.

But, the rest of it what happened was silly.

[Retired Chemist]

Smart people keep their mouths shut!

[Mike K]

Given this level of idiocy, I'm in no hurry to fly Comair.

Isn't Delta their parent company? A pox on them too! Oh right, they're already afflicted.

[Hank Kerchief]

Smart people keep their mouths shut!

You are absolutely correct, nevertheless, "Congress shall make no law ... abridging the freedom of speech..."

This, "freedom of speech," seems important. At least it was important enough to fight a revolutionary war for, (among other freedoms), and this is a clear example of how what was fought for is now lost.

Hank

[muawiyah]

Comair is a private company. We don't know who the pilots were but let's say they had a serious position in company ownership. Last thing they want to do is be found drunk on the job so it is clearly to their advantage to harrass any customer who might raise the question.

Private parties can refuse to listen to you so it's not a free speech issue. On the other hand, these people at Comair seem determined to take this issue into the courts, and that's where it does become a free speech issue because the court, itself, is part of government.

[Jhoffa_]

It's not like the old "fire in a theater" standby.. The guy didn't break a law, yet he was detained.

If stupid comments were the standard then we would be building jails morning, noon and night.

[muawiyah]

Comair has a currently live "feed back" link at:

http://www.fly-comair.com/feedback/

I am asking them what their policies are concerning their pilots drinking and how they enforce it.

I am pointing out that I wasn't terribly concerned until I saw what they did to that guy who raised the question, and THAT makes me wonder what it is they are covering up!

Here's my note to them:

Wasn't terribly concerned with your personnel policies regarding pilot drinking habits in the past, but I've ended up on your flights a couple of times, and some of my subordinates have too.

Given your "massive resistance" type response to the guy who asked if the pilots had been drinking the other day, it did raise my interest level. In fact, it made me wonder just exactly what it is you were covering up because that's the way folks act who are, in fact, covering up something they don't want folks to know about.

So, before any of us get on a Delta or Comair flight again, can you please let me know what your company policy is concerning pilots' drinking habits and how you enforce it?

How many instances of violation of company policy have you found in the last 5 years?

Do you expect this to be a continuing problem, or will you do something about alleviating it in the near future?

[Drammach]

Smart people keep their mouths shut!

Right up until they open the gas chamber doors, I assume?

The passenger's flippant remark was insensitive, and probably uncalled for.
The response was definitely uncalled for, and an unwarranted abuse of authority under color of law.
Giving badges and authority to idiots should be a capital crime.

[Hank Kerchief]

Last thing they want to do is be found drunk on the job so it is clearly to their advantage to harrass any customer who might raise the question.

Exactly, especially since raising the question automatically requires a sobriety test. I've noticed there has been no mention of either the test or the results in any of these stories.

Comair seem determined to take this issue into the courts, and that's where it does become a free speech issue because the court, itself, is part of government.

Exactly! Considering recent news stories, I do not believe the comment was all that unreasonable, either.

Even if it was unreasonable, there is no law that I know of that forbids unreasonalbe comments. If there were, that would be the end of FR.

Hank

[mrsmith]

"What a tough audience! I tell you I don't get no respect!"

[Jhoffa_]

Exactly, especially since raising the question automatically requires a sobriety test. I've noticed there has been no mention of either the test or the results in any of these stories.

Huge, gigantic mistake.

Remember how the lefties trash peoples fur coats, key their suv's and bash windows out of McDonalds? Imagine if they decided the airlines were their next target..

Just complain that you thought a pilot looked inebriated, or looked a little unstable while walking.. Then say: "I am no expert, and I only saw it for a second, and from a distance at that.. but he looked like he might have been drunk."

You could shut down the whole damn airport with stunts like that.. Remember, these are people who sit in trees for fun, I wouldn't put anything past them.

[Ronin]

Yeah... that's right. Keep your mouth shut. Move along... Don't look at things that are not your business....

"Papers please, Citizen...."

[RossA]

We badly need an "airport gestapo" web site where we can compile these stories. Airport employees love to kick their customers off flights; then the airline executives try to placate you with extra miles and/or credits on future flights. I have one of my own; which Delta offered me $400 to forget - is this a lot? How do I know? We badly need a place where we can compile stories and compare reimbursements and techniques used to extract the maximum from these Nazis.

If enough of you reply I may start compiling stories myself.

[steplock]

quote1: Smart people keep their mouths shut!

quote2: The comment was stupid. And the guy deserved to miss his flight

Quote1 Reply: "smart people" helped Hitler then.

Quote2 Reply: There was NO threat, there was NO scare(unless it WAS the truth!), there was NO terror. A citizen simply made a (not stupid but possibly unmannerly) remark to the pilot that reflected the sorry state the pilots and their union are in. NOTHING was illegal except what happened to the passenger.

As your chairman mao once said: "We don't allow them to have an opinion, why should we allow them to have guns?"

You are anti-gun also? I have 3 purple hearts that have earned me the right to speak what I feel...and heaven help ANYONE who tries to silence me.

[steplock]

Ooops ... I goofed!

It wasn't Chairman Mao, but Comarade Stalin who stated:

"We do not allow people to have guns. Why do you think we should allow them to have ideas?"

-- Josef Stalin

Stalin, Lenin, Mao, Carter ... what the heck ... one and the same.

[BluH2o]

Isn't Delta their parent company? A pox on them too! Oh right, they're already afflicted.

Flew Delta from Gatwick to Cincinnati back in September, one of the surliest crews (cabin attendants) I've been exposed to in many years of travel. Flew on Delta recently from San Juan, PR to Atlanta ... and had a superb group of flight attendants ... cheerful and polite ... they actually seemed to enjoy their work. Contrast between the two night & day ... same airline ... just a different attitude.

[Mind-numbed Robot]

Place the blame where it belongs - on the government-happy Democrats and their enforcers the trial lawyers. Stupid overly-strict rules are passed for CYA purposes and in the unlikely event something does go wrong the trial lawyers are standing by to sue for billions and put companies out of business. With the added costs of insurance against suits and the regulations and taxes passed by the Democrats it is a wonder our economy can even breath, much less prosper.

In addition to the costs look at the freedom we have all lost. You have to be careful of what you say, you can't use a legal product (tobacco) expect under narrow restrictions, zero tolerance rules in schools which are rediculous, and on and on. The reason is to accustom us to the government interferring in even the smallest and most personal aspects of our lives (sex "education" at school) and the fear of punishment (arrest or suit) for the most innocent of things. The left has made lots of progress right under our very noses.

The idea that anytime someone even hints that a pilot has been drinking means he then has to take a sobriety test is a perfect example.

[Mike K]

I had a similar experience on American recently. The difference was one flight attendent was flat out ugly and the FA on the other side of the drink cart couldn't have been more pleasant. They were 3 feet and a world apart in terms of distance and attitude.

Quite appropriate for American though.

[muawiyah]

FR at http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/812596/posts reports on a DELTA co-pilot yanked off the plane for exceeding the legal blood alcohol limit!

Looks like the passenger who asked this Delta-clone pilot if he was drinking was right on the mark with these guys.

With a track record like this - harrassing passengers who question their sobriety - and then getting caught red-handed, the guys at Delta probably were covering up a widespread problem.