Originally Posted by
MSPeconomist
Common sense would have been to increase the offer until four volunteers were found.
Common sense would have been for UA staff to know that this was not an IDB.
Common sense would have been for the pilot to show some leadership and try to resolve the situation before the "cops" were called.
Common sense would have been for the manager (especially assuming that it really was a UA manager and not just a supervisor) to try to resolve the situation instead of presumably ordering or allowing the GA to call the "cops."
+1 Unfortunately UA union employees (and apparently managers) are not authorized to use common sense when problems arise. That's the difference at WN and other service providers (like hotels).
Originally Posted by
PilgrimsProgress
Agreed that the ivory tower perspective from some of the FT community is not shared by the ordinary traveler who is unfamiliar with all the FT lingo. The dichotomy is particularly borne out with this incident.
I don't think that's quite right because many of us share the outrage knowing that any of us can be abused by airline staff - regardless of status - if they decide they don't like us and then use the right code words (e.g. "safety issue).
Instead I think it is more the "comply with authority" mentality v. the civil liberties crowd. And as one who was raised to always comply (and never arrested) it is sometimes difficult to see the other side, particularly when we all know that this incident would never have made the news if Dr. Dao had complied.
But thank goodness he didn't - as the coming reforms will certainly benefit every single traveler and even staff if they are given proper authority and discretion to resolve these problems in a non-confrontational manner. Moreover the whole balance between real safety issues (9/11) and fabricated safety issues (ordinary people thrown off flights, which happens every day, because the FAs decide to eject them) has been off for some time, and hopefully will be re-aligned. Passengers should not be ejected, and police/security/whatever should not be called to resolve contract or personality disputes.