I'd like to know your opinions on this incident-what would YOU do?

[Joanie Baloney]

Passenger dispute delays American Airlines flight overnight

12:23 p.m. August 29, 2007

SAN DIEGO – A conflict between passengers at Lindbergh Field Tuesday night caused the overnight delay of an American Airlines flight headed to Chicago. Flight 590 was scheduled to depart at 11 p.m. for Chicago O'Hare International Airport but was rescheduled for Wednesday at 10:15 a.m. after some kind of dispute among customers started at the gate and continued onto the plane, said American Airlines spokesman Tim Wagner.

While Wagner said it is the airlines policy not to disclose any information about their passengers, televised reports claimed that the incident involved a group of six to seven Iraqi Americans and another passenger who was apparently uncomfortable that the men were speaking in Arabic.
The jet left the gate at 11:14 p.m. but did not take off and instead returned at 11:26 p.m. after a traveler with a child elected to get off the plane, Wagner said.

The airport's 11:30 p.m. curfew then prevented the plane from taking off, Wagner said.

<snip>

Christine Zugay of Chicago was on board flight 590. She said that after the plane's doors closed and everyone was seated, the plane left the gate and began to taxi toward the runway. The pilot then came on the intercom and said there was a problem onboard the jet that needed to be taken care of, and that they were returning to the gate, Zugay said.

A few minutes later, the pilot notified passengers that the flight would have to be rescheduled due to Lindbergh Field's 11:30 p.m. curfew on departures.

Zugay said she did not see or hear any altercation on the plane, but that disembarking passengers were talking about a woman and a child who had left the flight.

Wagner said that no passengers were selectively taken off the plane. He said that all of the flight's passengers had to disembark and that all were welcome to re-board this morning's flight. “For us it was a customer dispute,” Wagner said. “We prefer to handle these issues on the ground.”

It may be impossible to render an opinion having not been in the situation. Dunno.

JB





http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20070829-1223-bn29plane.html

[SteppingRazor]

1. Dude, they were SPEAKING ARABIC! What more do you need to know?

You'd have to be crazy to get on a plane with a bunch of people who were speaking the same language that other people who are terrorists speak. :crazy:

[Joanie Baloney]

2. Oh...how silly of me!

I forgot that all terrorists speak Arabic! (Or vice versa)

:crazy:

[DrDan]

18. but what is more important is that all

Arabic speakers are terrorists . . .

junior has us going down that road with all his fear-preachin' . . .

[MichaelHarris]

3. buy

an extra crossword puzzle book.

[PeaceNikki]

4. There's really not a lot of information.

But, if a woman with a child demanded to get off the plane because "brown people" were speaking in Arabic, she's a total fucking twit.

[MindPilot]

5. The fear fear fear meme has been very effective.

The TSA can proudly claim the moral high ground that they don't "do" racial profiling. The passengers do it for them.

What a nation of quivering fuckwads we've become.

:puke:

[BrklynLib at work]

6. Exactly the reaction that all the fearmongers in the Bush Admin crave.

This is just what they want to instill in everyone....FEAR FEAR FEAR!!!
If they had their way, no one would be able to leave their house without having to watch every corner for someone who might be looking to terrorize them.

This is so sad....and pathetic.

[DCKit]

7. Take the train or stop travelling unnecessarily.

Why is the number of people flying increasing at double digit rates every year? We are SOOOOO spoiled.

[Joanie Baloney]

8. San Diegans will usually fly...or drive.

Unlike DC which has a wonderful mass transit system and access to many trains, San Diego in particular and California in general do not.


JB

[MindPilot]

10. Exactly who decides what travel is "unnecessary"?

It's not like anyone buys an airline ticket for the plane ride. San Diego is headquarters for several very large corporations and tourism is a substantial part of our economy. If someone from Chicago has a week vacation and they want to spend it in Socal, the train just won't work. Hell, if I want to go to San Francisco, I can't do it on the train without spending a few hours on a bus.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

9. I'd have ignored it.

But then again, I ain't a bigot.

[monmouth]

11. I would have gotten off that flight too....fast..

[MindPilot]

12. Mind explaining why? n/t

[monmouth]

13. I think we tend to be a little too complacent and cavalier about the

possibility of these threats. They don't keep me awake at night but there have been many airport incidents that would indicate things could go terribly wrong. Why would I take the chance??

[annabanana]

17. "many airport incidents "

Well, there was that shoe bomber guy. . and the car that crashed into a terminal overseas...

Yeah. Those are good reasons...

[REP]

14. Be Glad As Hell That Mother/Child Aren't On My Flight

A plane load of people have to be inconvenienced for her sake? Betcha anything it turns out to be another disruptive child/non-parenting parent issue, blamed on non-whites speaking non-English.

[screembloodymurder]

15. Given what we've done to them, I'd get off the plane too.

*

[annabanana]

16. Every air passenger in America can now be derailed by any ignorant

uneducated bigoted boob that decides they he "doesn't like the look of" anyone he couldn't recognize as his Uncle Sally...

We can be taken hostage by purblind idiots, with the US Gov as the muscle..

[Fla_Democrat]

19. I'd ....

Have a talk with someone about ditching the curfew. What happens at 11:31... the roll up the landing strips and call it a day?

[MindPilot]

20. The reason for the curfew...

San Diego is fairly unique in that we have a downtown airport. Close to everything, easily accessible, just a few minutes from the cruise ships, train station, convention center, etc. Great for attracting business and tourism. However the downside of course is the noise issue. That's why it shuts down at 11:30; the actual rule is no take-offs after that time so for all practical purposes the airlines cease operation. And for a good part of the year, fog will have closed it by then anyway.