American Airlines has finally apologized for the bizarre behavior of one of its flight attendants on a recent flight, but only after the incident became an internet sensation. Delta even took a swipe at its arch rival by giving elite status to the passengers aboard this particular journey from hell. But regrettably no one involved has addressed the most disturbing aspect of this flying farce: the use, or misuse, of federal security rules that were designed to protect flight crews from attack.
The saga began when John Reed, a first class passenger on the flight to Dallas—Executive Platinum, no less—was subjected to a scorching tirade when he asked for a glass of orange juice. No one knows what set off the flight attendant, who angrily slammed down the passenger's breakfast tray, and the airline and employee groups are all refusing to elaborate, calling it a "personnel matter."
The saga began when John Reed, a first class passenger on the flight to Dallas—Executive Platinum, no less—was subjected to a scorching tirade when he asked for a glass of orange juice. No one knows what set off the flight attendant, who angrily slammed down the passenger's breakfast tray, and the airline and employee groups are all refusing to elaborate, calling it a "personnel matter."
As you can see from various eyewitness accounts, the flight attendant flew into such a fury that she marched into the cockpit and emerged with a written warning to the passenger that he could be charged with "interfering with a flight crew" which is against the law. In other words, get a flight attendant mad at you and you could greeted by the cops when you land.
There is no central source for air rage incidents (the government doesn’t compile them, citing the many jurisdictions that can come into play). Often, we only learn about them when a federal air marshal happens to be on board and gets involved.
It’s probably better that there was no air marshal aboard to witness this fracas. The TSA has been quietly cutting back on its ranks, according to my sources, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The job is tedious, morale in the ranks was low (in part because they had so little to do), and the money spent on maintaining a full force of flying security guards could be better spent on real improvements to security (better machines and improved intelligence, for starters).
But back to what’s become known as OJ Gate: I've been on the receiving end of some pretty ugly behavior by irritable flight attendants, and I’ve witnessed passengers acting up, too. Flight crews do have the advantage, though, in that they can get you arrested. It’s a power that’s been abused at times—and, given the general edginess that defines flying post 9/11, it’s a power that should be used very sparingly.
Readers: Do you have similar flight attendant horror stories? Share them in comments below.
There is no central source for air rage incidents (the government doesn’t compile them, citing the many jurisdictions that can come into play). Often, we only learn about them when a federal air marshal happens to be on board and gets involved.
It’s probably better that there was no air marshal aboard to witness this fracas. The TSA has been quietly cutting back on its ranks, according to my sources, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The job is tedious, morale in the ranks was low (in part because they had so little to do), and the money spent on maintaining a full force of flying security guards could be better spent on real improvements to security (better machines and improved intelligence, for starters).
But back to what’s become known as OJ Gate: I've been on the receiving end of some pretty ugly behavior by irritable flight attendants, and I’ve witnessed passengers acting up, too. Flight crews do have the advantage, though, in that they can get you arrested. It’s a power that’s been abused at times—and, given the general edginess that defines flying post 9/11, it’s a power that should be used very sparingly.
Readers: Do you have similar flight attendant horror stories? Share them in comments below.
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