Posted on 01/16/2007 6:43:19 AM PST by Ellesu
A federal jury has ordered American Airlines to pay $400,000 to a computer consultant who was pulled from a flight at Logan International Airport because of security concerns, then denied reboarding even after he had been cleared by State Police. "I felt like I was being treated like a terrorist and there was no way I could prove I didn't do anything or say anything at all," said John Cerqueira , 39, who grew up in Fall River and now lives in Miami. "I'm grateful to the jury for sending the message to American Airlines that just the use of the word security isn't an excuse for unlawful behavior."
(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...
This jury needs to be hung for stupidity.
Here we go. More capitulation to the Muslims.
Where does it say he's muslim?
Excessive award.
Max payment should have been 3 times the price of the ticket.
Even IF this guy was unfairly detained and refused a flight, $400,000 is a ludicrous amount of money to pay for something like this!
I wish American would pull me from the queue and hassle me $400,000 worth. It never happens, though. Even when I forget and bring a big bottle of shampoo with me. Damn.
Another super example of everyone's apparent right to be outraged...and get paid for it.
Figures that some screwed up jury of nitwits in MA would render such a verdict and award.
Sheesh. The jurors were probably jealous.
Remember my new motto for the Bay State: "No outrage is too small; no tax is too big; and no sacrifice is necessary."
They thought he was Middle Eastern or with the men who they (mistakenly) thought were Middle Eastern. How much longer before every Muslim denied a flight will file lawsuits and bankrupt the airlines? Not much longer.
I wish I could hit the jackpot like this guy. I think it's wrong and out of line with the "crime", but if them's the rules it would be great to pony up to the trough. Of course it couldn't happen for me since I'm of the race that no discrimination can't be taken against.
Not that low but maybe 10K...
Ah, okay. Yeah, it'll happen. But I'd certainly hope that once a passanger was cleared, the airline would let the passanger on...
That's all he's getting anyway after attorney fees.
American airlines screwed up. The police questioned the guy for 2 hours, cleared him, and the other 2 by the way who were Israelis, and still the airline wouldn't board him. Sometimes the business involved in these cases really is wrong. In any case the award will be reduced on appeal. The guy will probably wind up with much less than this jury award.
Huh? I would have hoped he got more. The airline got off lightly. You just don't treat folks like that.
PERIOD!
Nope. Personally I think at least 1 million would have given them a deserved wakeup call.
A terrible can of worms to open, but now the lid is off the can.
Should be, "I'm grateful to the jury for stealing $200k for me and $200k for my lawyers from AA."
And in a related thread this morning on FR, while 'security' is supposed to be such a paramount concern of the federal government and the airlines, it was reported that over *3700* TSA badges and uniforms have gone missing, and are unaccounted for.
Maybe they'll show up in the Norman Mineta Secure Skies Memorial Museum one day.
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