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Deaf couple and discrimination at DTW...thoughts?

Deaf couple and discrimination at DTW...thoughts?

Old Jan 29, 2019, 10:33 pm
  #1  
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Deaf couple and discrimination at DTW...thoughts?

What are your thoughts on this?

https://www.freep.com/story/news/loc...rZACtshkBJncsE

Full disclosure: being deaf myself, I can understand both sides. I've been on the receiving end of discrimination and not being communicated with, or even having my attempts to communicate (write) oppressed. I've also been assigned a wheelchair by DL and AA many times, despite not requesting one (another common problem in the deaf community). I can definitely understand their plight. I also personally know Melissa, although not exactly on a personal/friendship level, and she is a kind, considerate person. I do not know the other person, Socorro.

With that said, going behind the podium to get the crumpled paper might not have been the smartest move, although it may have been done with the mindset of a "Kettle" (not knowing the boundaries between GA and passenger). FWIW, I've been invited to go behind the podium and type back and forth with some GA's on different airlines, to facilitate communication, but I went behind only after being asked/invited to.

Thoughts?
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Old Jan 30, 2019, 2:01 am
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​​​​​​If they want to sit together, they should coordinate their seating long before the floor get.
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Old Jan 30, 2019, 3:39 am
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The part of this story that makes no sense:

"The couple said the agent failed to do something many airlines do in this situation: ask for volunteers to switch seats."

Yeah, don't know about you, but I have never seen that happen before at the gate. I mean unreasonable expectations are no excuse to treat people badly, disability or not. However without all the facts it really seems like this could have escalated because they were asking for special treatment and not getting it. This happens all the time without disabilities involved. I feel like the agent could have rolled their eyes at any passenger for this request. Not that it would be ok to do that.
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Old Jan 30, 2019, 3:51 am
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@MrAndy1369, as you are a deaf FF, do you agree with this statement by the two?
The "infamous" Deaf airport discrimination experience... No one in our community is immune to this kind of oppression.
It just sounds to me like they took a 'normal' passenger experience (not getting the seat you want), and quickly attributed it to discrimination, escalating the situation. The main actions (going behind the counter) were by them. The GA may have been a jerk, but let's face it, any passenger can have that experience, but you aren't allowed to cross certain lines regardless.

Originally Posted by defrosted
"The couple said the agent failed to do something many airlines do in this situation: ask for volunteers to switch seats."

Yeah, don't know about you, but I have never seen that happen before at the gate.
I've been paged by the GA and asked to swap seats on more than one occasion. It's only happened to me on US domestic flights.
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Last edited by CPMaverick; Jan 30, 2019 at 4:00 am
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Old Jan 30, 2019, 8:22 am
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How did they want the GA to phrase the request for volunteers to change seats? A couple would like to sit together, so would someone like to take a middle seat? or There are two deaf adults on this flight and because they're deaf, they need to sit together, so who wants to take their middle seat?

I would guess that they would not have wanted the GA to announce that they're deaf to everyone on the flight, nor would they view deafness as something that requires them to sit together, with the implication that deaf people can't travel alone.

I could see an argument for special treatment in the GA or FA trying hard to get them seats together if it's the case that one of them can do lip reading or can speak but the other can communicate only in sign language or by reading and writing, so that one of them could help the other to communicate with the FA on board or help to communicate in an emergency. This would be similar to the case of a traveling companion who provides assistance for passengers with other types of disabilities, such as feeding someone who is physically incapable of eating without help. However, normally if this is the situation, the passenger needing assistance would have their medical condition noted on the record and they would be approved for travel only if accompanied by a traveling companion who can provide the needed assistance. Then the person would never again be permitted to travel alone unless they could prove that the assistance is no longer needed.
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Old Jan 30, 2019, 8:27 am
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Originally Posted by MSPeconomist
How did they want the GA to phrase the request for volunteers to change seats? A couple would like to sit together, so would someone like to take a middle seat? or There are two deaf adults on this flight and because they're deaf, they need to sit together, so who wants to take their middle seat?


I thought the main point is:

Couples allege that the GA refused to communicate with them over paper. Everything beyond that is secondary.
OTOH, Delta says that I tried to help as much as they can.

From the video & Delta's PR, the timeline, at least to me, looks like

1. Couples went up to GA to ask her to see if she can sit them together - and started writing what they wanted to say on their iPhone

2. (Couple's version). GA wrote "We tried, but no" on the paper and threw the paper in the trash can. They tried to follow up by reaching for that paper.
2. (Delta version). GA wrote "We tried, but no" and thinking that she was done, threw paper in the trash can.

3. ???
4. Couples reached for the paper the GA threw in the trash bin. GA alleges that they pushed her.
5. Delta kicked the couple off the flight.

Last edited by samwise6222; Jan 30, 2019 at 8:47 am
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Old Jan 30, 2019, 8:40 am
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Originally Posted by CPMaverick
@MrAndy1369, as you are a deaf FF, do you agree with this statement by the two?
Yes, unfortunately, I do. I've personally known many deaf friends of mine who has been discriminated against, not communicated with clearly, etc. at the airport and on board. To be fair, I've also known of many who got excellent and attentive treatment. It goes both ways. It's kind of hard to explain the perception of being discriminated against to people who aren't deaf, as they aren't in our shoes, but it's often subtle. Little things such as not being given a paper/pen initially, annoyed looks when we explain we can't hear, simplified answers from staff who would probably normally explain things in detail, or missing details. I've experienced treatment like that on all ends of the spectrum myself. This is not only on DL, not only on all airlines, but applies to life in general.

I do think the couple weren't trying to be entitled - they did explain that they understood the plane was full, they were just trying to clarify that information with the GA and see if they could help find someone who would volunteer to swap seats. They were trying to follow through communications with the GA, and probably did not know the nuances of asking the FA to do it opposed to the GA. They also probably felt that the announcement would be made, but not translate to them, so they wanted to follow through. They also probably felt better sitting together, as a couple and for communication reasons.

As for the GA/them alleging the pushing... I can't comment on that as video of that wasn't shared. I can see it probably happening as Socorro trying to get the crumpled paper from the trash bin, and the GA physically blocking her from entering the podium. As things were getting heated, it's possible things happened during the heat of the moment that caused misunderstandings.

I mean, yes, the plane was full, not really much the GA would have done. However, from a deaf person's perspective, the GA could have been more thorough with communicating, and let them finish and have their say, and perhaps explain a bit more that the plane was full and that there really was nothing she could do. I think the couple felt that they were cut off, communication-wise, without closure -- a hearing person can easily continue to speak and get the "closure" they need, if that makes sense.

Again, I can see both sides, really -- but I wanted to share this coming from a deaf perspective.
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Old Jan 30, 2019, 8:55 am
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Originally Posted by davidlhanson
​​​​​​If they want to sit together, they should coordinate their seating long before the floor get.

Might have been a BE ticket with and a boarding pass that did show “Seat Assigned at Gate".
[edit] appearantly one of them did buy a BE fare. Sadly for them there is a high probability that you don't get the benefits that you didn't pay for..

Last edited by Grouchy; Jan 30, 2019 at 9:29 am
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Old Jan 30, 2019, 9:01 am
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Non-story. Everyone is a victim these days.
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Old Jan 30, 2019, 9:09 am
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Want seats together?
Buy seats together.
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Old Jan 30, 2019, 9:11 am
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Originally Posted by FlyBitcoin
Want seats together?
Buy seats together.
stop it; you know full well thats not always possible
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Old Jan 30, 2019, 9:17 am
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Originally Posted by jrl767

stop it; you know full well thats not always possible
If its not possible, then that should be a clue. This case was even more egregious, since one person bought BE.
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Old Jan 30, 2019, 9:25 am
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Originally Posted by jrl767

stop it; you know full well thats not always possible
Nowhere in the article does it say that they bought their tickets inside the T-24 hour window and were unable to get seats together, or that absolutely NO seats were available together when they bought their tickets. It just said the plane was full. That is often true at boarding, but certainly not on the seat maps at greater than T-24 the vast majority of the time.

So until we hear otherwise, they were expecting the benefits of a higher fare class without paying for it.
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Old Jan 30, 2019, 9:42 am
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Another case of "You didn't comply with my totally unreasonable demand just because I am (pick one or more: Black, Asian, White, Indian, Christian, Muslism, Old, Lesbian, Gay, Straight, Trans, Athiest, Tattooed, Disabled, Obese, Female, Autistic, Male, Foreign, Hindu, A Patriots Fan, Canadian, Blind, Have 9 Kids With Me, A Super-Platinum-Triple-Unobtainium Member, In Economy, Environmentalist, Vegetarian, Conservative, Catholic, Circumcised)
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Old Jan 30, 2019, 9:49 am
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I have great sympathy for those with disabilities. Im blessed to have my sight, hearing, speech, and mobility. Its something I generally take for granted, but when I ponder the loss of any of those Im not sure how I would handle it.

That said, I take great exception to the ubiquitous use of the word oppression to describe any little slight or inconvenience. This is a divisive word used to intentionally incite and inflame. With oppression you need two parties the oppressed and the oppressor. One might feel oppressed or discriminated against, when the reality is far from either.

This, in my opinion, does injury to the overall issue as it dilutes and cheapens the efforts to increase awareness of the legitimate concerns of actual discrimination. Its like crying wolf every time you see a squirrel, and I think most of the responses in this thread bear that out were calcified because of the rampant culture of victimhood, which drowns out the cries of the real victims.

And for the OP, I can only imagine that youve had to develop some seriously thick skin dealing with people on a daily basis due to your hearing impairment. Ive even noticed myself subconsciously speaking louder around those I knew were deaf like that somehow helps. (Facepalm)
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