So I was flying home last night on Horizon Air (regional part of Alaska Air, whom previously I was a fan) from PDX to OAK (Flight QX2629). Up and back same day 'work' trip for me (8/5/09)
As usual, we were a few minutes behind schedule for boarding. A family of six - Mom, Dad, son (approx 9), daughter (7?) and young'un (say 4) along with grandma were boarding just ahead of me.
Grandma says to grandson: "This is the smallest plane I have ever flown". You know - general chitchat for a grandmother to strike up convo with a grandson who would be interested in such things. I did not hear the retort from the Stewardess but I presume it was taking umbrage with the small plane comment. So Grandma says 'mind your own business' to the Stewardess. In other words: butt out, I made a comment to my grandson that needs no chime in from you.
They proceeded to their seat but the stewardess was clearly not happy. She calls security. We all (some 60 of us) are now basically getting settled in our seats when Alaska Air rep comes on board and asks Grandma to 'deplane'.
What? Why?Apparently her 'mind your own business' was not acknowledging the air stewards 'commands' (usurping her authority??!) and felt that the plane was not 'safe' with this woman on board.
Ok, really - WHAT?!Mom now gets involved and says 'my mother apologized - and I recognize it was 'rude' for her to say 'mind your own business' but what law has she broken that she cannot fly to the family funeral we are heading to?'
AA Rep: My hands are tied and your mother needs to get off the plane.
Mom: Can you get someone who doesn't have their hands tied? She is not getting off the plane, none of us are going to get off the plane. This is ridiculous.
AA Rep: Now I have to charge you with
AIR PIRACY...
WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON HERE? Did I just hear the AA rep charge the Mom with "Air Piracy"? Presume this was because the flight was now held up from taking off due to the Air Stewardess's over reaction and wanting this family (or at least grandma) thrown off the plane and their refusal made them 'pirates'.
I was in the second row and had the full on ear shot and saw and heard most of this go down. This family of 6 was not unruly and I have seen FAR WORSE behavior on almost any given flight (I have flown ~300,000 miles in the last three years), so you are saying that 'mind your own business' is the reason someone should be thrown off a flight? At no time did the grandmother not follow an order (except the one to deplane), she didn't smoke in the lavatory, she was not drunk or disorderly, she went directly to her seat...
A couple of passengers where conferring, some complaining ("let's GO already") but as I sat there - I thought, am I witnessing another Selma Alabama moment? Because this is an outrage that someone in the service industry doesn't have 'thick enough' skin to handle that mild a comment. Did this spiral out of control so quickly due to a power tripping stewardess? All I knew was I wanted to join this family - leave the plane with them as it was incredulous to me what I was witnessing.
The passenger in seat 1B, just in front of me, turns to say behind him - "I feel for this family and this is outrageous but I don't want to say anything for fear of being booted off with them".
Then it really did click for me - this IS a 21st Century version of 1984 (big brother controlling) meets 'the bus incident' in Selma. I did want to stand up - get off the plane (I have since found out that legally the airline CANNOT keep you from leaving a plane that is at a gate with its door open. They can urge you to stay by saying 'Sir, you must sit down' but cannot physically keep you on the plane - file this info for future reference) but I was struck by fear as well.
If I showed support, would I make it worse for the family with the DHS police (who just pulled up to the plane in their car, lights flashing on the tarmac) who are now involved and 'handling' the situation?
The family oddly enough remained calm through this ordeal. DHS person who rolled up listened to their side and had the Father and kids back on the plane with Mom and Grandma left behind to somehow join them later - simply not on this flight. Ok, so not arrested afaik, but denied their service for this flight all because of the phrase 'mind your own business' and some power tripping, small minded, going to pay it forward for my elementary school days where I was picked on for my braces and pig-tails and now I have some power so I am going to abuse it stewardess (or whatever the currently correct term is - purser? Steward... Airline Host personnel)
Father and kids boarded without incident (I think this also happened because the airline couldn't find the families luggage and the clock was ticking on our already much delayed takeoff) and the flight resumed but I will NEVER fly Alaska Air/Horizon again - nor will any of my 90 employees and I will spread the word to anyone who will listen to this egregious display of intolerance over mere words.
Shame on Alaska/Horizon for allowing this person to abuse this power, shame on the folks who felt inconvenienced by our late departure and showing no compassion for the family and shame on me for not leaving then and there and flying home via Southwest (who had identical flight times as this day trip I booked and both of the SWA flights left/arrived ontime and neither of my flights were with in 30 minutes of scheduled arrival times).
Outside of the retort from the air stewardess to the original 'small plane' comment from grandma that caused grandma to say 'mind your own business' and the DHS conversation with the family on the tarmac, the quotes here are as I remember hearing them.
Assumptions on my part are that once the 'process' of booting someone off the plane is started - there is nothing the supervisor could do to keep this from happening given 9/11 DHS laws that have been passed ("my hands are tied here" - but to escalate to 'Air Piracy'??!), but if Horizon doesn't take some training action or better punishment towards this employee for this mild comment - we are living in a different world than I would expect from a civilized society 21 centuries Anno Domini.
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