JS, I hear you loud & clear. And I agree with you re: the standing up for one's rights.

The caveat is that, although this may not be China, as you put it, it's still very much "guilty 'till proven innocent" & the onus is on you to hire a lawyer, pay out buckets of money and battle for quite awhile to clear your name / win the case. And any arrest on an airplane is, I believe, definitely a federal crime. Good luck explaining that one away to an employer or to the media or to the feds when you apply for a government security clearance.

We've already seen a tremendous erosion of our civil rights post-Sept 11. Searches, gropes, probes, pat-downs, et.al. all in the name of "the greater good of society." FT people have sent numerous reports of low-paid security donkeys aggressively demeaning & de-humanizing what the donkeys perceive as "rich folk" - it's their moment to avenge perceived slights & to allow their small-minded jealousies & vengefulness to assert itself on the traveling public.

In these times in this country I believe that anything a FA / crewperson states will be taken by the cops / authorities as "the way it went down." Maybe later, when the dust settles, you'd see reason & rational behavior from the authorities, but not in the short term run.

So, yes, I agree with you, but I hedge my bet by looking around at the current climate.

------------------
Only one thing endures & that is character.
- Greeley