I still dress nicely for flying and judge the schlubs.
Judge me all you want, I'mma be comfy
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. :/
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I still dress nicely for flying and judge the schlubs.
A federal criminal complaint accuses Breanna Farquharson of "frantically" demanding to deplane about 30 minutes into the flight. When a flight attendant told her she could not deplane, Farquharson ran to the back of the airplane where she approached another flight attendant...
http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/...which-forced-landing-at-detroit-metro-airport
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.
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.
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.
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!
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". .