Feinstein asks airlines to limit passengers to 2 drinks

"Feinstein asks airlines to limit passengers to 2 drinks/She says measure would fight 'air rage'"

See:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl.../MN178377.D=TL


Now, for my body type, etc. I can drink nearly two drinks PER HOUR and still be legal to DRIVE.

Now, I don't generally get sauced on my flights -- but a pre-departure mimosa, a couple of (those small) glasses of wine with dinner, and perhaps some grand marnier with my ice cream sunday or some bailey's or kahlua in my coffee with dessert. This doesn't make me the slightest bit tipsy, but does help me enjoy an IAD-SFO transcon.

Mostly I will just be really ticked at Senator Feinstein if the airlines comply.

There's no such thing as "voluntary" when faced with a gun (legislation).

Separately, I'd be curious to know the breakdown of air rage incidents --
how many involve drunken passengers, and of those how many are flying employee class? (perhaps it's just my classist instincts, but I would imagine air rage is more likely to occur in back?)

While I don't think imposing a strict limit is necessarily the answer, I think flight attendants need to be more aware of how many drinks they are giving passengers. I was once sitting in front of a couple of young college-age guys who were clearly somewhat buzzed even before we took off. After flirting big time with the flight attendant, they were given at least 5 or 6 more drinks each, some of which were "on the house." By the time we landed they were rowdy, obnoxious, and had spilled a significant amount of their last drinks on themselves. Fortunately, nothing serious happened. IMHO, the FA should have stopped serving them after the first one. If FAs can't be responsible for preventing pax from getting drunk, who should be?

I agree with robinhood that the FA's need to pay attention to the specific case. Are airlines any different than bars when it comes to serving drinks? It's been established that bars are responsible for making sure their patrons don't get sauced and then go driving into the night. Most of us land and pick up a rental car or our own car on the way home. I also think that the airlines are being a bit two faced with the alcohol since they're making money on the deal, but yet also complain it's causing problems. Virgin has print ads showing their new bar in business class on the NY-LHR route. Does it matter that we're at 30,000?

I agree that a set limit is inappropriate, and I get sloshed as the first drink is set down on my tray!

More appropriate, methinks are (as pointed out above) common sense serving techniques by the FA's. I know how difficult that can be since each pax (depending on the aircraft and the cabin) might be served by a few different FA's through a flight. But, I've been on flights where someone who had clearly had enough was practically hooked up to a liquor IV to the galley anyway.

It also seems to me a few of the air rage incidents I've read about involved empty bottles. THAT should be a primary issue-- pax who serve themselves!

I'm afraid I don't have a solution for that one. I know I couldn't handle an FA's job for more than one short flight.

Any limit would be hard to enforce. People flying on a one hour flight might be challenged to drink two drinks, and passengers on a 15 hour flight should be able to handle more than 2 drinks.

How would they enforce this, stamp your forehead everytime you have a drink?

Gleff,

Thanks for the link, but it didn't work. I posted another one here in the news forum.

Erik.

This rule would spawn new problems. Passengers would start tanking up at airport bars before departure and smuggling their own booze (minis, most likely) onto flights. Let FAs follow the same rules as bartenders. When a passenger has had enough, cut him or her off.

Though I know what your point was, this question struck me as human. My gut instinct is to go, "Uh, the passenger?"

I was on a flight yesterday and ordered 2 drinks. I like to throw down a few quickly because it's the only way I can fall asleep on a flight. As I was preparing to lift my glass and take my first sip (no previous drinks at all that day)I hit the straw with my hand and spilled it all over myself. Did I appear drunk? Should I be served any more?

I had a total of 4 drinks in the first 1 1/2 hours of the flight. Then I took a nap the rest of the way.

I guess my point is that there is no way a fair limit can be set. Every one is different and has a different tolerance for drinking.

Word here from one who serves herself whilst onboard. Most times its not a problem, but once an FA did stop me from opening one of the bottles I brought with me.

Why do I bring my own? Because I like wine and I don't believe flying commercial means I should be forced to drink that cheap headache wine they serve. So, I bring a wine bag that holds an opener, a couple bottles and a glass or two, then I'm set.

I don't know what Diane would make of this, maybe some legislation would address it under subsection 3.2.01, part 6, sub-part of 4.

Anyway, thanks for the thread. Here I thought they frowned on me bringing on my own wine because I was avoiding some type of corkage fee!

Feinstein must be sauced on something to think that a mandated drink limit work. I agree with a previous post that the airport bars would cater to many fliers and would likely increase drunk and disorderly passengers.

I haven't seen many cases of drunk passengers, but there are two that come to mind. Both were where booze was complimentary, once in domestic first and the second in international coach. One of these incidents was quite ugly where the passenger was ultimately refused more alcohol by the flight attendant, and he started verbally abusing the FA.

I don't think that any legislation is needed, but maybe some guidelines are needed on how to handle the (rare) problem cases.

I have seen 2 serious cases of drunken behavior. The proposed rule would not have helped in either case.

1. Man got on the plane stumbling. He had one or 2 more. Then started getting upset that he could not smoke. We were 3 hours in a line in MSP. Flight was to RST only 80 miles away. But there was an ice storm. In the end FBI removed the passenger.

2. On flight from SYD-LAX in F with my wife. Across the room was a 65-year-old couple, both drunk when they got on and getting worse. The swearing at each other was followed by physical violence. The crew intervened and I think they eventually just passed out.

The FAs can receive a large fine if passengers consume alcohol brought on board - in the States at least.

Whoa! So if you ate dinner at a nice restaurant and didn't like the wine they served there, would you bring your own? Why should flights be any different? I believe most states have laws regarding drinking in public places (and bringing your own booze to places that serve it), otherwise we'd have folks carting six packs into movie theatres and flasks into libraries.

To that end, where is it written that we as pax have a right to copious amounts of alcohol on our flights? In that case why don't we have bars that fly around in circles above each city, landing every 4 hours to refuel and refill? (LushAir flight 343 now departing date S11...*hic*) How about we allow pony kegs as carryons? Distribute martini shakers and swizzle sticks instead of pillows and blankets...mix your own!