MI - Woman charged with assault on plane

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bluesneakers said:
I still dress nicely for flying and judge the schlubs.
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Judge me all you want, I'mma be comfy :p

Air travel is no longer a luxury, it's a necessity. If I could take a train in a reasonable amount of time to where I'm going, I'd do it. :/
 
Crazy azzzz people, to bad they couldn't chunk her out a window.
 
I fly often, and frequently have kids with me. I'm also an ex-USAF aircrew member. So, I'm accustomed to having a high level of situational awareness in the departure gate. If I observe any behavior in fellow passengers who cause me to be worried, I have a plan that my husband and kids are aware of. If that happens, I will simply quietly and unobtrusively gather our things and the kids and leave the departure gate and intentionally "miss" our flight. We can always say someone was ill in the bathroom as a cover story for why we didn't board. We could figure out how to get where we needed to be after the fact. I'm aware that if we don't board the flight will be delayed to remove our baggage, but I refuse to put myself and the kids in a bad situation, trapped with offensive and/ or violent people at 30,000 feet.

Twice in the past 5 years I considered implementing "the plan", but in both situations, the offensive and argumentative passenger ended up not boarding due to some other issue.

Just want people to be aware that if someone's behavior in a departure lounge is worrisome, it's ok to plan not to board. IMO, bad behavior is unlikely to improve when airborne, and could easily deteriorate.

I suspect this passenger had some observable worrisome issues before she ever got onboard. Maybe not, maybe she was just mentally ill, or a nervous flyer. But everyone should have a high degree of situational awareness of others' behavior in public places like airports.
 
K_Z said:
I fly often, and frequently have kids with me. I'm also an ex-USAF aircrew member. So, I'm accustomed to having a high level of situational awareness in the departure gate. If I observe any behavior in fellow passengers who cause me to be worried, I have a plan that my husband and kids are aware of. If that happens, I will simply quietly and unobtrusively gather our things and the kids and leave the departure gate and intentionally "miss" our flight. We can always say someone was ill in the bathroom as a cover story for why we didn't board. We could figure out how to get where we needed to be after the fact. I'm aware that if we don't board the flight will be delayed to remove our baggage, but I refuse to put myself and the kids in a bad situation, trapped with offensive and/ or violent people at 30,000 feet.

Twice in the past 5 years I considered implementing "the plan", but in both situations, the offensive and argumentative passenger ended up not boarding due to some other issue.

Just want people to be aware that if someone's behavior in a departure lounge is worrisome, it's ok to plan not to board. IMO, bad behavior is unlikely to improve when airborne, and could easily deteriorate.

I suspect this passenger had some observable worrisome issues before she ever got onboard. Maybe not, maybe she was just mentally ill, or a nervous flyer. But everyone should have a high degree of situational awareness of others' behavior in public places like airports.
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It's a pretty costly thing to do, tp just not board. You don't get reimbursed for the ticket. :/
 
Yes. It would likely be an expensive decision. But I would do it if I was very concerned. Safety has a price tag.

And I'd plan to travel on a later flight. Then you just pay a change fee. Sometimes they don't charge you.

If I don't like the way someone is behaving, I'm not getting on an airplane with them.
 
K_Z said:
Yes. It would likely be an expensive decision. But I would do it if I was very concerned. Safety has a price tag.

And I'd plan to travel on a later flight. Then you just pay a change fee. Sometimes they don't charge you.

If I don't like the way someone is behaving, I'm not getting on an airplane with them.
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Why not report the suspicious activity to the gate attendant? If it's so bad your family isn't going to board, why would you not try to stop that person from boarding and potentially harming all the other passengers?
 
And when I was a USAF flight nurse, we moved psych patients in restraints and heavily medicated. Although I'm now an anesthetist, I can't anesthetize any fellow whacky passengers! But I don't have to get onboard with them!
 
In both cases where I considered not boarding, the gate agents were quite aware, because the passengers were on standby. They were both pissed that they weren't getting seats.
 
I feel compelled to relate my two great flying stories, but will not. One involved FERRETS in the passenger cabin, and the other a blender as carry on luggage.

Both awesome.
 
I'm not sure what to say on the 'all about me' statements on this thread today. Fwiw and only imo, tsk, tsk.

'Chunk her out the window'? Seriously?

'I fly often blah blah' 'I have... blah blah' 'I considered implementing ...blah blah'

You have control over who flies and whether or not they are frightened considering the events in the last 15+ years? Imo, shame on all of you that have expressed 'it's all about me' - who cares. Stuff happens and plans don't always pan out they way we would like.

From an article in the first few posts -

According to passenger Matthew Goldgraben, the woman involved in the incident came and asked to sit down next to him and he said OK.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...rt-unhinged-passenger-attacks-stewardess.html

Was she looking for a strong person to sit next to for comfort? I think maybe so. It's a problem she didn't exhibit fear and irrational behavior in the lounge prior to departure? Imo that spilled drink (sudden move) set her off since she was prone to a fear of flying in the first place - again jmo.

'We' are not all the same - I would have thought some of the verified 'specialists' and 'professional vocations' would have some sort of compassion in this situation rather than 'I was soooo inconvenienced once' with a similar scenario. If you drove the distance you were flying would you expect nothing to get in your way?

Boo. Jmo.
 
meanmaryjean said:
I feel compelled to relate my two great flying stories, but will not. One involved FERRETS in the passenger cabin, and the other a blender as carry on luggage.

Both awesome.
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Oh, do tell. Please.
 
Honestly, I'm not surprised about the fear aspect, especially since 9/11. We are fed fear like a dessert, the MSM is notorious because it gets ratings. We are a nation chock full of fear these days, especially as it pertains to some vague terroristic threat to flying. It's no wonder someone who is fearful could have a nervous breakdown on a flight.

It would be like putting me in a box and covering me in spiders. I'd probably have a heart attack and die right there.
 
<modsnip>

I interpreted the "considered implementing" the plan w fam at airport post differently from ^ poster. Situational awareness and having a plan for potential violence around oneself is smart (imo) regardless of location, at home, at work, in car, grocery store, school, place of worship, mall, everywhere.

Victim of violence on a commercial flight has no escape or refuge once up in the air, so deciding before boarding to take a later flight seems reasonable, at least for some ppl. YMMV.

JM2cts.
 
@woodlands, honestly I find myself disagreeing with you on most things - but on this I do. Anxiety attacks on a claustrophobic environment such as a plane could definitely cause a meltdown. If this is the case for this woman, I hope she gets the help she needs.

As to flight disruption...I moved to the US 5 months after 9/11. No problem at all with security. Flying back to the UK for Christmas 2002 we were subject to extreme security. 3 separate checks, El Al plane were landing with security and fire vehicles alongside - I'm assuming there was a threat against LAX at that point.

A group of elderly muslims boarded just behind me. They were not treated any differently. On the Virgin plane back home, an elder was seated beside me. We had turbulence. He was obviously scared and reading from his prayer book. I was scared, too. And I admit, hearing him invoke Allah made me nervous. But. We looked at each other after a nasty jolt, and held hands. We could not be more different, but in a moment of shared fear at flying, we connected.

That is why I totally understand people freaking out when flying, but also agree the plane should land to take that person off to get some help asap.
 
I agree landing the plane and removing her was a good idea - never said otherwise. Trust she wanted to deplane as much as everyone else wanted her to.

Discomfort and inconvenience is annoying.
 
I have only had one panic attack ever, and thank God I was not on a plane.

I felt completely out of control, like I was suffocating, and was not behaving rationally AT ALL. All I knew was that I was coming out of my skin and there was not way to explain it to anyone. I was able to rudely push through several people to get outside and attempt to calm myself. If I had not been able to exit the building I can seriously see myself freaking out even more, and banging on doors, whacking away at anyone who tried to stop me.

Afterwards I was MORTIFIED at my behavior, and surprised it even happened. I never had a panic attack before nor since....but it was super scary and I promise you I had ZERO control over it. The best I can describe it is what it must feel like to be drowning, and your body instinctive fights like crazy to not go under. It is your ONLY focus, only goal.

Anyhoo, that was the first thing I thought of when I read this story. Good thing nobody decided I needed "chunking" out a window. If she was having a panic attack, as I suspect she was, she honestly could not help acting on her need to "get out now". :(.
 
K_Z said:
And when I was a USAF flight nurse, we moved psych patients in restraints and heavily medicated. Although I'm now an anesthetist, I can't anesthetize any fellow whacky passengers! But I don't have to get onboard with them!
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My mom used to have some pretty severe panic attacks when I was growing up. I have a great deal of compassion for folks who suffer from them. That however, is no reason to put yourself in a dangerous situation if you have some forewarning that something bad may happen.

We had a situation where a falling down drunk, would be passenger was shouting with airport personnel near our departure gate. We approached the counter and calmly notified the gate agent that we would refuse to board and demand a refund if this person was allowed on the plane. (I knew a refund was unlikely) A few people around us heard and agreed. He was eventually escorted away. That may have happened whether or not we spoke up, but there was no way we were traveling half way across the country with that guy.
 
EllieBee said:
I have only had one panic attack ever, and thank God I was not on a plane.

I felt completely out of control, like I was suffocating, and was not behaving rationally AT ALL. All I knew was that I was coming out of my skin and there was not way to explain it to anyone. I was able to rudely push through several people to get outside and attempt to calm myself. If I had not been able to exit the building I can seriously see myself freaking out even more, and banging on doors, whacking away at anyone who tried to stop me.

Afterwards I was MORTIFIED at my behavior, and surprised it even happened. I never had a panic attack before nor since....but it was super scary and I promise you I had ZERO control over it. The best I can describe it is what it must feel like to be drowning, and your body instinctive fights like crazy to not go under. It is your ONLY focus, only goal.

Anyhoo, that was the first thing I thought of when I read this story. Good thing nobody decided I needed "chunking" out a window. If she was having a panic attack, as I suspect she was, she honestly could not help acting on her need to "get out now". :(.
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(((EllieBee)))
 
Today's Websleuths "Phrase that Pays" is clearly "chunking out a window".
 
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