Discussion»Questions»Computers and the Internet» What would have happened if an entire group of passengers stood up and refused to let security remove the man from the United flight?
I gave the link only a cursory review so I cannot make much of a response. But in a general way it is very understandable that passengers were unwilling to risk possible arrest or even financial loss. It is also unlikely airport security would have bowed to the passengers had there been a confrontation.
More to the point, which of the possible consequences should have been avoided. The security officers apparently showed poor judgment in what they did, but their right to do something is established.
Realistically, in today's world, it would probably have started a brouhaha that may have ended very badly for a lot of people.
When officers get involved, things tend to escalate. That is true whether it is an avaition (or any type of) security officer/guard, a local/state cop, federal law enforcement, or any one of the multitude of others given the title and/or "authority" over others. It is the nature of the beast.
Nearly every purchase we make today comes with fine print that damn few bother to read. That is true even with "free" things, such as apps and websites. Unless and until people make a stand with their wallets and their choices, that isn't going to change. This incident may bring about change on this one item of fine print, though I doubt it, more likely is that UA will pay the guy off and people will forget about it after a while. Ultimately, while it sparks outrage for a few days, the public has a very short memory, and many who today say they'll never fly UA again will book it the next time they fly and/or UA offers the cheapest fare.
Hi JA, that would be an utopian world. I travel every year to India, I can write stories about flights and flight crews and airports...;)) After 9/11 everyone is wary ....especially when I travel via Doha or Dubai, because Eithad and Emirates provide good amenities...and I save 3 hours in flight duration. These are Muslim airports, they are equally scared of other nationals, once I was carrying big silver lamps, being a Hindu I need it for worship. The security guys ran amok carrying my 2 silver lamps as if it were a time bomb;)) Somehow I made them understand. In the return flight to US, a co-passenger, a Muslim lady was taken for interrogation because her child's trolley had a toy scissors. My hubby has a Muslim colleague every time he travels and that is every weekend he is throughly checked.
There are weird rules too, for instance, I was boarding a flight from Newark, standing there after my security check was over and I was about to board the plane, suddenly out of nowhere ( it seemed) security guard rushed to me, there was a lady guard too; my carryon was throughly checked and the lady checked me, I was burning with humiliation and embarrassment, naturally they found nothing suspicious, I demanded an explanation. I was told every hundredth passenger is random-checked...and so sorry for the trouble they said.
Now regarding the crew, you know JA, when you travel alone and that too for 22 hours you can expect most bizzare things happening to you. I was newly married and boarding a flight to join my hubby. I was seated next to a college boy who I presume was going to US for further studies. Everything was fine, then lights were lowered so that passengers could sleep. Suddenly I felt a hand crawling over my back, at first I thought it was some bug...then to my utter shock I saw it was this college boy's hand. I rushed to the crew and sought a different seat, I was denied, I travelled rest of the journey by standing near the rest room or strolling. After 4 hours seeing my stubborness on refusing to sit down I was given a seat somewhere else.
There was another time when a gentleman drank and drank as liquor is free and he stank like a skunk...I could close my mouth and sit but he went to sleep and decided my shoulder was a good pillow, again I repeated my request and again denied.
There is a bright side too, sometimes the crew is very cooperative ...there was a passenger who just fainted and a passenger who was a doctor helped revive him. A pregnant lady was once offered a crew's bed to rest.
Passengers are helpless, they are totally at the mercy of the crew. It is esay to say brave things here but reality is something else!
This post was edited by Veena.K at April 12, 2017 1:09 PM MDT
Hi Just Asking~ There are many factors that could play into this scenario. I agree with "Thebigd," and would like to expound on their thought. If that were to happen, EVERYONE on the this flight and connecting flights would be affected. It would have had the domino effect. It would disgruntle hundreds of people and flights in other cities. Also, they would have been considered co-conspirators. The goofy part is, I don't see this man actually committed a crime. He made a reservation for that seat on that plane on that day. He paid. United accepted. In turn, they had a contract. He fulfilled his part of the contract. They did not. When that paying customer refused, United should have dropped him and moved to other people who may have agreed to the circumstances. I know for a fact, Don and I would have taken the deal. The passengers left in the adjoining seats to this man must have felt extremely uncomfortable. I am sure the United worker who took that seat was beyond embarrassed. The power of the many may have forced other actions to happen but would be just as disastrous. To me, it is unfathomable United would allow an incident like this to play entirely out. The person in charge needs to go back to human relations class and really learn. Actions like this will inevitably have circumstantial reactions from everyone involved. What an embarrassment.
