Originally Posted by
Carl Johnson
...Making racist passengers comfortable in their racism is not a legitimate application of the captain's authority - "ultimate" or otherwise.
Ideally (IMHO) what should have happened is that the complainers - the nervous nellies - should have been removed from the flight as potentially subject to OTHER mentally irrational behavior like extreme reaction to turbulence, an insect sighting, or bad dreams if they doze off.
When the true source of the problem is identified and dealt with - irrational over-reaction fueled by racism and prejudice, the rest of the nellies will learn to suck up and deal, or take THEIR problems elsewhere than the airports.
If earlier flight crews in years past had dealt with this syndrome with stern vigor, it would have prevented the mass hysteria we suffer with today. I don't want to fly with the risk of a ticking time bomb of nellie-ness near me. Do I need to report THEM as making ME concerned about the safety of the flight?