I don’t really see either as the good guys.
This “doctor” should have just got off the plane. It isnt a public bus, it is a private company that CAN tell you to get off if they choose. Go sue them after that if he feels slighted.
Now was the force they used excessive? I don’t know. The question is that would you want security on an airplane to be wimpish? If we can demand guns on planes to make terrorist think twice about pulling anything, then bringing on security to remove a guy that was being somewhat entitled in the face of normal company policy, regardless if is considered unfair, isnt as appalling as many are making it out to be.
But like I said, neither look all that great in the end.
The cheap bas***ds at United only came up to $800 in offers to passengers and could have gone up to $1350. They sent in the goon squad to deplane a paying and seated customer. No way will I fly United again.
1) The passenger was a senior citizen, 69 years old.
2) The airline decided to limit themselves to vouchers for $800 to fly some other time rather than increasing their offer until they got volunteers.
3) They decided to “randomly” pick passengers to be forced out of their pre-paid seats, without regard to the personal circumstances of the passengers. They should have excluded senior citizens and parents traveling with children, since those passengers are less able to deal with sudden inconvenience.
4) This was at Chicago, a HUB for United where they also had the option of scrambling another plane to ferry their employees.
The airline made so many mistakes up front that what the passenger did in the face of bullies is moot.