Advice needed - assault on AA flight
#31
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Agree with JDiver's suggestion above -- if your friend wants to pursue any actions through the courts or government authorities, he should seek advice from appropriate legal counsel. But from what you've described, he probably wouldn't consider it worth the time or expense.
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#32
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It just so happened it was convenient for the bully to attack my friend as my friend tried to pass the bully who was blocking the aisle. There were no other senior citizens in business as old as my friend that the bully could mistreat.
During many episodes of the bully blocking the aisle, several young people passed by the aisle and the bully graciously allowed them to pass him. But, when my friend tried to pass the bully, my friend got elbowed and further blocked from passing through the aisle.
The other attributes you mentioned are irrelevant such as " eye color, accent, height, or whatever."
What does that have to do with attacking a senior citizen who was trying to get past the bully who was blocking the aisle?
Last edited by dgcpaphd; Jul 9, 2018 at 9:20 pm Reason: sentence clarity
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#33
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How do you know whether this person was a "bully" given that you were not even there - all that seems to be the case is that it is alleged that he got hit by an elbow
I cannot see what there is to do now - I cannot see that even if bruised, that would be able to show that the bruise came from that incident ; if your friend was really concerned, then he needed to properly get it investigated at the time ; anything not would be "he says , he says"
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#34
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Thanks folks for some good answers and for some not so good answers.
I will advise my friend accordingly.
I will advise my friend accordingly.
Last edited by dgcpaphd; Jul 8, 2018 at 3:40 pm Reason: responses after I thought the thread would close
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#35
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I'd consult an attorney and find out if the subpoena power could be used to identify the individual. Then I'd consider suing him for assault.
It's not about winning compensation or retribution. It's about imposing a cost--any kind of cost (even just the hassle of the perp having to talk to the police or having to respond to a small claims case).
A good rule to live by: never let anyone punk you. You can't win every fight, but you should never go down without throwing a punch.
It's not about winning compensation or retribution. It's about imposing a cost--any kind of cost (even just the hassle of the perp having to talk to the police or having to respond to a small claims case).
A good rule to live by: never let anyone punk you. You can't win every fight, but you should never go down without throwing a punch.
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#36
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I'd consult an attorney and find out if the subpoena power could be used to identify the individual. Then I'd consider suing him for assault.
It's not about winning compensation or retribution. It's about imposing a cost--any kind of cost (even just the hassle of the perp having to talk to the police or having to respond to a small claims case).
A good rule to live by: never let anyone punk you. You can't win every fight, but you should never go down without throwing a punch.
If my friend can get the legal system to compel the bully to answer for his behavior to the police or courts, that might stop the bully from future aggressive behavior against other senior citizens (or any passenger, for that matter).
I will forward your post to my friend.
I am confident he will agree with you.
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#37
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Charges of assault go to law enforcement. That's not AA. With no record of the event, and the person choosing not to have anyone create any record of the event, I'm going to say there's not much LEO/AA is going to do. A picture of a bruise likely won't be sufficient evidence to prosecute.
I suspect the "cost of any kind" will just end up with the passenger. But let us know what retribution and vengeance he may smite upon his attacker.
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#38
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+1
What happens if your friend acts on your legal advice and ultimately loses (in the process spending tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars)?
If my friend can get the legal system to compel the bully to answer for his behavior to the police or courts, that might stop the bully from future aggressive behavior against other senior citizens (or any passenger, for that matter).
I will forward your post to my friend.
I will forward your post to my friend.
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#39
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This sounds like a principal saying something will go on your "permanent record".
Charges of assault go to law enforcement. That's not AA. With no record of the event, and the person choosing not to have anyone create any record of the event, I'm going to say there's not much LEO/AA is going to do. A picture of a bruise likely won't be sufficient evidence to prosecute.
I suspect the "cost of any kind" will just end up with the passenger. But let us know what retribution and vengeance he may smite upon his attacker.
If you go back over what I wrote, I said, that my friend told two flight attendants about the incident. One flight attendant offered to prepare a formal complaint and the second flight attendant asked my friend if he wanted to change his seat away from the bully. My friend declined the formal complaint. He also declined the offer for a distant seat because it was close to landing time when the incident occurred
.
My friend said that one flight attendant said she would honor my friend's request not to make a formal complaint but that she would make a comment in the flight record about the incident.
Thus, there are two flight attendants who can confirm my friend's complaint plus whatever was written in the flight log.
My friend believes there is a good possibility that other passengers might have heard the bully yelling his denials after he was approached by one of the flight attendants for his improper behavior.
"But let us know what retribution and vengeance he may smite upon his attacker." My friend is not looking for revenge as was fully disclosed in preceding posts. Smiting was done by the bully, not by my friend. Was your highlighted remark necessary?
Last edited by dgcpaphd; Jul 8, 2018 at 5:39 pm Reason: punctuation
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#40
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"What happens if your friend acts on your legal advice and ultimately loses (in the process spending tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars)?"
My friend is old and he is rich.
He has outlived his wife and only child.
He will not outlive his money.
Therefore, if he wants to spend some of his money pursuing an injustice such as what happened to him on his flight, I say, good for him.
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#42
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I'd get the bully's name and file a police report on him.
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#43
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OP I am sorry about what hapoened to your friend but the time to confront the bully would have been when something could be done, even a simple incident report, but not now. Please reassure your friend that an airline would not cancel a return ticket for reporting this incident, or even for complaining. If they did half of FT would be on unintentional one way flights.
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#44
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How would you do that short of filing a lawsuit and getting a subpoena to get the passenger list from AA? I’m not arguing for or against, just curious how you would do that. AA would certainly not release that information to OP’s friend without legal intervention.
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#45
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