Cenk Uygur at the airport. What kind of adult acts this way?

[George II]

Link to tweet

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. An asshole for all seasons, not just on the air.

He's abusive to airline employees who have no control over the situation. Apparently there was a mechanical problem. Does he want to fly on a broken airplane?

[True Blue American]

3. My thoughts on!

Last edited Sun Mar 8, 2020, 12:37 PM - Edit history (1)

What a pompous ass to browbeat people who have no control over a plane having mechanical problems!

A Supervisor or head of Security should have been called. You can not deal with people like him.

[Ferryboat]

22. Almost didn't read this

Glad I did! The ending is priceless.

[GusBob]

2. What a jerk. Reminds me of a funny story

Guy ranting at an airline counter: DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM..?
Agent at the counter picks up intercom microphone: ATTENTION ON THE CONCOURSE! We have a gentleman here who does not know who he is"

[True Blue American]

7. That would have shut

Hm up. Ridicule works. That is what Bloomberg is doing to Trump.

On a golf course in Florida instead of working to combat the virus. I can not wait to hear Seth on that!

[dalton99a]

4. Those decisions are not made by gate agents. He's a sadistic bully and an asshole

[OhNo-Really]

5. Hangry Hangry Hippo

[tishaLA]

6. A union busting misogynist

who couldn't even crack 5% in his recent primary. That's the kind of person who behaves that way.

[TheBlackAdder]

8. Whadda Dick!

[Ilsa]

9. Somebody, please put him on a plane with a box of donuts.

By himself. Tow it back from the gate. Let it sit until mid-August.


What an asshole.

[marble falls]

10. And there were some here who seriously suggested he run for POTUS or be a VP ...

He's still a Republican inside.

[liberalmuse]

11. This is awful.

Glad he was kicked off the plane. What an entitled jerk.

[hlthe2b]

12. I used to volunteer at helpline/shelter for battered women. Cenk has always reminded me of

the stereotypical abusive personality. I'm not saying he abuses women, though I absolutely maintain he's an insecure REACTIVE misogynist, which certainly explains a lot of his hatred toward Hillary Clinton in 2016 and since.

Maybe this and his taking part in the overt Sanders "paint Biden as senile/demented" campaign will finally wake up a lot of supposed Dems/progressives.

[Rorey]

13. What a jerk.

I sure wouldn't want to be at the gate with him, let alone on the plane.

[Leith]

14. Somebody change his diaper!

Give him a bottle and settle him down for a nap.

This is the kind of person who shouts abuse at someone whose care has broken down on the road.

Flight problems and delays happen to everyone eventually. Airline employees are not doing it to irritate people for any reason. Grow the fuck up, Cenk.

[greatauntoftriplets]

15. Aren't there restaurants in that airport?

[Ms. Toad]

16. This appears to be from 3 years ago? n/t

[Maru Kitteh]

41. And?

[Ms. Toad]

51. It's one thing to share oldies but goodies -

It is another to post a video that is years old without an explanation that it is not a current event. Most of the people in the thread seem to believe it just happened.

Look at all of the suggestions about what should happen to him. I've seen only one other poster acknolwedge that this is a 2016 video. Even the ones who posted the follow-ups seem to think they are follow-ups in the present.

And, if nothing else, the only category this fits in from the TOS would be current events (issues, politics, and current events). It's not a current event.

[irisblue]

47. Where did you see a time stamp? It is all over Rose twitter today thx.

[Ms. Toad]

49. Here's one of the videos on YouTube

[Trueblue Texan]

17. I hope they called security...

...I found his behavior very threatening.

[George II]

19. See my post #18. Hilarious. And the clown posted the second video, too.

[George II]

18. Someone found a follow up to this video - THEY KICKED HIM OFF THE PLANE!!!!! See second video:

Link to tweet

[Trueblue Texan]

20. Yes, Cenk! It IS unbelievable!

It is unbelievably excellent! HAHAAHAHAAHA, jerk!

[PunkinPi]

21. HA! He derseved to be kicked off.

Also, if he was so hangry, why didn't he just go to the Starbucks behind him (20 seconds into the second video)?

[dalton99a]

28. Good call.

[True Blue American]

29. Wonderful!

As Paul Harvey used to say,” And now, for the rest of the story!”

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I have had to deal with a few like him.

[Brother Buzz]

40. In my perfect world, the boys in the front office see the video...

and ban him from ever flying American Airlines again....and when he sues, the other airlines step up and stand in solidarity with AA and extended an unwelcome.

[Goodheart]

23. Gotta be honest.... I think his behavior was reasonable and justified.

Airplane passengers deserve information and truth, and if the gate agents don't have it then somebody higher up should make sure that they do. It could very well be that somebody in that crowd does not want or even can not physically wait any further, who might instead be better accommodated by making alternative arrangements.

I generally do not like Cenk Ungur, and I don't like him here, either, but he's correct.

[George II]

24. Screaming and cursing and badgering is NOT reasonable or justified.

[Goodheart]

26. He didn't curse at any of the agents.

And yes, sorry, raising your voice to somebody who has been totally disrespectful of your needs and your questions (as they and American were) IS justified.

[USALiberal]

31. LOL, ok! nt

[True Blue American]

34. Who said they were disrespectful?

I did not see that.

[Goodheart]

38. VERY disrespectful not to give him the information to which he's entitled.

This is a funny thread, actually.

If a reporter seeking information had been raising his voice at Mulvaney or Barr or trump, and in turn got shunned for it, there would be general applause here.

I'm saying all this despite the fact that I don't like Cenk Uygur. But correct is correct.

[True Blue American]

46. Mulvaney and Trump deserve it!

The clerks did not!

[USALiberal]

25. WTF! Wow!

[TwilightZone]

27. Nah.

He was wrong. We also don't know what else he said that he didn't think was YouTube worthy, and he apparently got kicked off his flight so this clearly wasn't everything.

There's more to the story and what we know is bad enough. It's also not an isolated event.

[True Blue American]

33. His first mistake

Was saying,” The plane had mechanical trouble!” He admitted he knew what the problem was. Common sense was missing in Cenk.

[JHB]

42. I think that text was added by somebody else

I'm not defending him, it's just that I remember this from when it happened (2016?) and I'm pretty sure what he put up (on his own account, not the other person with the tweet in the OP) was raw phone footage, not with text edited in.

I fully understand the aggravation when "about 20 minutes" repeatedly stretches, but publicly throwing a tantrum like that isn't going to speed things up and makes it worse for everyone.

[True Blue American]

45. I understand his frustration.

When leaving on a Cruise from Mexico we kept missing planes due to weather but I understood the agents were doing everything they could to help. We ended in Acapulco 15 minutes before our ship left. That was one fun ride through Acapulco, but not once did I blame the agent or act like Cenk did. Today it is funny. The Cruise was great even though I was attacked by 2 Aunt Jemimas in Columbia. A man rescued me.

[JHB]

48. I've been in that kind of situation too. Not on planes, but on trains

No amount of yelling at the crew is going to get you where you're going any faster, and may even slow things down if the company decides that a disruptive person needs to be removed before proceeding.

[True Blue American]

50. We were grateful

How hard they were trying. And this was a group planned by an Agency.

[Jarqui]

30. To me, that was harassment. He got what should have been coming to him.

People do not design situations like this to screw their customers intentionally.
Something unexpected happened: a mistake, a technical problem, etc

The people behind that desk probably did not know much more than the passengers. Maybe the plane they announced was on its way also broke down. Who knows?

The reason I went into business for myself is so that I didn't have to deal with assholes. It wasn't motivated by greed.

But loudly jack-hammering the staff with the same question over and over and over is not appropriate, going to get his plane there much sooner, etc. That type of behavior should always be a last resort. It suggests that Cenk is probably not a very god manager of people because he skips a whole suite of buttons he could push before it ever got to that stage. And in this case, that stage should never be required under any circumstances. You should be able to get what you need to know a lot sooner in a much more civil manner if you have any decent people skills.

[True Blue American]

35. I have never

Had an agent be rude to me. Maybe it is because I put myself in their shoes and treat them with respect.

[Jarqui]

37. The vast majority are just people like you and me

They didn't sabotage the plane or screw up.

Something else happened and they're stuck on the front lines having to deal with it.

Most of us who have worked for another company and dealt with customer complaints have been there.

That crap he put them through is stressful & upsetting. And not necessary.

Unfortunately, we don't live in a perfect world where everything always runs on time.
But you don't need to distress those who are not directly responsible because your number came up as someone who was going to get their travel delayed.

Too bad I wasn't there "That plane kind of ran like your campaign ... it's never gonna take off" Then, he would have some justification.

[True Blue American]

44. Thank you!

I have had to deal with many just like Cenk. That is why I put myself in the shoes of the person helping me.

There was no excuse for Cenks actions, none. It was bullying at it’s worst of those who can not fight back. His video made it worse.

[True Blue American]

32. No, he is Dead wrong.

An intelligent person would never act that way towards lowly agents that had no control over a plane having mechanical problems!

I have stepped in a few times when a customer was abusing a Clerk! Shocking how the clerk is happy I did. There is no excuse for his tirade and I am glad they kicked him off the plane.

Cenk was obnoxious on MSNBC. A real blowhard, just like Trump.

[Goodheart]

39. Act that way?

You mean by asking questions in a loud voice?

He didn't insult them, he didn't call them names, he didn't threaten them. He asked for information to which he's entitled.

American Airlines (who sucks, by the way) is at fault here. If the agents had simply given the customers a credible rundown of what the plan of action was going to be, instead of merely telling them there was a mechanical problem with their assigned plane, then my assessment would be different. As it stands, somebody who is made to wait four hours in the dark is entitled to anger. Sorry.

[True Blue American]

52. Cenk said in

The very first part of his rant they were told the plane had a mechanical problem. He knew what was wrong.

He is an arrogant bully, no matter how you try to excuse him. Typical Ugly American. He won 5% in his Primary. The voters must know him,too.

[rockfordfile]

63. I agree

[tishaLA]

36. Look at the bright side: at least he wasn't union busting

the way he does at his own company.

[spanone]

43. HEY Cenk, go fuck youself.

[phylny]

53. I flew American last weekend and my

8-hour door to door from Lynchburg to Charlotte to White Plains became a 13-hour trip with Chicago inserted into the mix. It was annoying as hell, but I managed to thank the person at the counter who helped me change my flights.

[George II]

56. Several years ago I flew on Delta from Bradley/Springfield (Connecticut) to Atlanta to Columbia SC..

I got to Atlanta at 8:15 AM, on time. There was no plane at the gate for the Atlanta to Columbia flight, which was to leave around 9:00 AM, should have arrived before 10:00..

They brought in a plane but we didn't board it because there was a mechanical failure. Sent us to another gate where a prop-jet was waiting. Boarded (about 2 hours late) and took off fine. The pilot told us we were returning to the airport because there was a problem with the left engine - I looked over and saw it was shut down!

Ever land on a runway lined with fire trucks and ambulances on both sides?

So they brought in a THIRD plane for us, we boarded but before the door was closed ANOTHER mechanical problem, we had to get off.

By this time it was almost 3:00 (I'd been at the airport seven hours). I decided to rent a car and drove for three hours to Columbia, got there 9 hours after I was supposed to!

[phylny]

59. Yes!

I could’ve driven from my house to Westchester County New York in eight or nine hours. I chose to fly because we have been back-and-forth visiting my father in rehab and we had just been there the Sunday before, driving back Monday. I did not want to drive on Saturday having just driven earlier in the week. Now, I will reevaluate my choices, possibly just driving to Charlotte to eliminate the regional airport.

[treestar]

64. I remember being stuck at JFK for a last leg

JFK to Philadelphia. There was a storm in Chicago, which meant planes that would have been at JFK did not get there. We waited like 6 hours. Should have done what you did!

[yonder]

54. What a jerk. If there were a museum of buttholes

he would be featured. Maybe not up there with the tRumps, Pompeo's and Stone's but he would be on the same floor. What's his name Shkrelli would be right up there too.

[empedocles]

60. BS 'campaign top material'

[LakeArenal]

55. To those who think he was justified...

What about the other 200 passengers who are also frustrated, tired and, hungry who have the added annoyance of some braying ass? I don’t understand why any of those didn’t tell him to just shut up. Mr Lake would tell him to shut the hell up. Cenk might try to slug him and that is a sacrifice Mr Lake would be proud to make.

[Blue Owl]

57. Fuck that guy.

He's hungry and tired?

Last time I checked, there were always plenty of places to eat and chairs to rest in at the airport...

Grow up, ya big baby...

[Beartracks]

58. Heard someone yelling behind him, too: "Lie after lie!"

Someone with him? Or maybe he's actually getting the crowd agitated. One butthead acting out like this is certain to encourage other people with no shame to do something similar.

=========

[Lunabell]

61. What the actual hell is wrong with people?

It isn't the guy behind the counter's fault. He needs to calm down!

[Eko]

62. They should have called the Cops on him.

And got his ass arrested. What a tool.