Woman Allegedly Paid Hush Money About Inappropriate Passenger
Jennifer Billock August 31, 2018
United Airlines is at the center of yet another controversy, as a woman claims the airline paid her hush money – instead of going to the police themselves – in order to get her to not discuss a passenger next to her allegedly masturbating for hours during a recent August flight from California to Chicago.
A 21-year-old woman en-route to Chicago from California with her boyfriend in August has called out United Airlines for failing to report inappropriate behavior by another passenger—and then trying to buy her off with hush money. Mikaela Dixon claims that while her boyfriend was sleeping, she noticed the passenger next to her masturbating.
“My bf was asleep in the window seat, I’m in the middle, and the man is in the aisle,” she said in a tweet reported by news.com.au. I had no idea what to do, I couldn’t get up bc [sic] I didn’t want to go anywhere near him.” She continued to say that it gave her the “worst panic attack of [her] life.”
Dixon waited to tell a flight attendant until the man got up to use the bathroom, who then moved Dixon to a new row and told her the airline had spoken to the police about it. He was, in fact, detained at the airport after landing, but when Dixon asked what would happen to him, the airline wouldn’t tell her. Instead, she says, United offered her $75 as hush money.
Dixon discovered later that no action was taken against the passenger; he was released and the Chicago Police Department had no record of any incident.
“Basically United lied about everything, let the man go after a few questions, and refused to involve law enforcement until I called the cops myself and forced them to file a report w [sic] the FBI,” Dixon said in another tweet.
[Photo: Shutterstock]
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The man did NOT commit a crime against the airline. If the woman was harassed, she should have followed up with police, not the airline. It is kind of odd that she was in the middle seat and let her boyfriend sleep while this was happening.
Interresting bf. In that seat configuration, I would have put my gf by the window to avoid any issue with an unknown male pax, which - unfortunately - became reality.
Seems to me like United did what they were supposed to, that the cops didn't follow up. He WAS IN FACT DETAINED upon landing. So other than maybe banning this individual from flying UA, wtf else are they allowed to do? They aren't law enforcement and can't jail the person. "What will happen to him? The airline wouldn't tell her". THAT'S BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO HIM. If you ask a cop what will happen to the guy, at BEST, you're gonna get a generic like "well we're gonna take him in for questioning" or something like that. Any answer that's more punitive is just speculative and probably won't be followed through on. They could've said "he'll probably get the death penalty" but that wouldn't have helped her at all. I'm surprised that Chicago PD doesn't have a record of the incident, but even if they did, would they release that information? I think they would for the victim, but if she called on the phone, I can imagine they wouldn't just take her word that she was the complainant. I feel bad that f***in creeps like this exist, it makes us (men) seem pretty disgusting but a story like this is so full of holes, it's just like 1 sided youtube videos or twitter posts that totally leave out the other side of the story.
It's hard for United to press charges since the man harassed the woman, not United. Also, United only knows of this incident thorough hearsay. It's a bit of a stretch to expect that United press charges on behalf of the woman. HTB.
$75 is not "hush money". It's a good will compensation gesture given to her by UA as a result of the uncomfortable experience the passenger had. Unless this woman can proffer a settlement agreement or similar evidence in which UA agreed to give her a $75 voucher in exchange for her silence, this story needs to be dropped. It already got attention when it happened. The passenger is simply a media-whore who is making a mountain out of a mole hole.