The Consumerist takes its whole story from the Joe Sugarman blog. Nothing to see here. Move on.

Could be. :)

Still, consider that just because something doesn't hit, say, the New York Times doesn't mean it didn't happen. @:-)

Then google "Joe Sugarman" and ask yourself why somebody with a profitable career would risk his livelihood by telling some crazy and untrue story. @:-)

He's 71, right? :)

Did The Austin American-Statesman cover it? Did the story appear on any of the local TV news programs? Radio stations?

This is my assessment, also. The FA probably has a hearing problem and misunderstood but rather than admit it she acted on what she thought she heard. People with hearing problems very often are unwilling to admit it and react with hostility towards those whose speech they don't understand, blaming them for deliberately slurring their speech.

(This is also assuming it's a real incident at all.)

Consider that just because something doesn't hit, say, the Austin American-Statesman doesn't mean it didn't happen. ;)

This individual has written his side of the story on his own blog with his own name. That makes it IMHO at least as plausible as threads about equally unsubtantiated experiences started on FT by posters who retain their anonymity. @:-)

Yes, an accent can play havoc with understanding in bad conditions. Even after decades of marriage I sometimes have trouble understanding my wife when it's noisy when I would still be able to understand a native-born speaker.

I am skeptical because he promotes himself as one of America's top copywriters.

He authored the following books which are available on Amazon (through links on his blog):

The Adweek Copywriting Handbook: The Ultimate Guide to Writing Powerful Advertising and Marketing Copy from One of America's Top Copywriters

Television Secrets for Marketing Success: How to Sell Your Product on Infomercials, Home Shopping Channels & Spot TV Commercials from the Entrepreneur Who Gave You Blublocker(R) Sunglasses

Marketing Secrets of a Mail Order Maverick : Stories & Lessons on the Power of Direct Marketing to Start a Successful Business, Create a Brand

Advertising Secrets of the Written Word: The Ultimate Resource on How to Write Powerful Advertising Copy from One of America's Top Copywriters and Mail Order Entrepreneurs

Triggers: 30 Sales Tools you can use to Control the Mind of your Prospect to Motivate, Influence and Persuade

This supposed incident occurred on his way back from The Internet Marketing Mastermind Festival.

Actually, 10-15%, and as many as 25%, of Americans are mentally ill to varying degrees, myself included. So it's not surprising that airlines hire mentally ill people. To do otherwise could possibly run amuck of the ADA. We are everywhere.

Mental illness is no different than having a physical illness, like cancer or asthma. The Mental Health Parity Act ensures that mental illnesses are treated on par with physical ones for health insurance purposes.

--------

Also, I read a comment that the passenger was asking for donuts, and the FA thought he meant cops, since donuts is slang for cops. haha!

Actually, many of us that are hearing impaired never assume we heard it right the first time. When people say odd things or things that seem controversial, I always ask for a clarification. It is the hearing non-impaired that occasionally get irritated with me for asking and clarifying.

could that read, " does she sleep under her bed due to an abundance of caution"?

I am curious, with UA and delta merging, I wouldn't be surprised if whe was a Delta FA:rolleyes:

An FA with a hearing problem??

Wouldn't a hearing problem be an automatic disqualifier for the job??...

The ones that admit they have a hearing problem aren't a problem. It's the ones that try to deny it.

Assuming this event is true, I think every UA Elite should carry a poster on board with them that says:

Will there be food on board?


They can wave it in the FA's face so there are no misunderstandings.

I think you go WAAY off the reservation right about there, kimosabi!! ;) :D

Dave

And take the risk of waving it at a FA with vision problems who thinks the sign reads

We have a bomb on board?

;)

Just treat the FA as if she isn't there. IME with Skywest she'll do the same to you.

This was OO? That explains a lot. While I applaud SkyWest's safety record, decent ground handling (relative to other regionals) and generally better working conditions for their staff (again, relative to other regionals), they are notorious for pulling this "abundance of caution" BS. Remember, they are the ones who pretended that the FAA said that nothing other than inflight magazines and the safety card could be in the seat back pocket until a complaint was filed and the FAA sent out a formal rule clarification that wasn't needed. The reality was almost assuredly out of a desire to cut down on repairs of the pockets.

From Sugarman's blog (describing himself in the 3rd person): "He fasts regularly."

I guess not on the day of his flight.

What I love about this story is that there was a UA CS agent waiting to cheerfully book him on the next flight out. If he was so damn dangerous, then why ... oh forget it, my brain hurts.

Who got the last minute op-up? It better not have been a non-rev.

That isn't very nice.:mad:

True; it's never good to generalize (especially in a negative manner). However, I think many of us have encountered FAs that simply don't like customers. In such cases, the best way to preserve peace is often to zone out.

Update: "I will take a lie detector test."
 

Joe Sugarman updates his blog:

If you’ve been following this bazaar [sic] tale when United Airlines kicked me off a flight because a flight attendant thought I was a security threat. (see the previous blog for details).

United Airlines contacted me and shed more light on the situation. In their investigation of the incident, they learned that the flight attendant thought I said, “Is there a LEO on board.” LEO is an abbreviation for Law Enforcement Officer. “I actually said, will you be serving a meal on board.” I asked all my friends and family if they knew what a LEO was and the only thing they would come up with is that it is an astrological sign.

Although “meal” and LEO could be mixed up, she further said that she then asked me to clarify my request. She did not. That was an absolute lie. And I’m willing to take a lie detector test to prove that she made her statement about security and then walked away. There was no clarification, no questions—nothing. I had also never heard the term LEO before in my life...


More here...

Instressing.

Just read the original blogpost. Not disputing Sugarman's account but if LEOs did in fact address Sugarman by name when they approached onboard (and Sugarm responded in the affirmative) then I wonder at the necessity for requesting his DL, inquiring where he was born and where he lived in ascertaining why they were summoned. Unless Sugarman was under arrest he had every right to question their questions.

Not that they have a say in the matter but I have to wonder what went through the minds of the LEOs once they heard Sugarman reiterate to the UA rep that his request was about meals onboard rather than police onboard? Something more profane than "fortheloveofmike ... " I'd bet.

News reporting, by its nature, lags behind first-person accounts and now sometimes even behind the more-credible blogs.

Of course it doesn't hold up. Again as usual "who with any intelligence or even a femto-ounce of common sense is going to just get up and go" Not going to happen!.................

Perhaps so. But it does not follow that we should expect to find the same proportion of mentally ill people hired into jobs involving high stress, security, public safety and customer contact. A majority of Americans are overweight but overweight Americans don't get hired as fashion models. The 10 to 15 percent of cabin staff I think are mentally ill also have unchecked power, a flair for arbitrary judgments, and -- too often -- vindictive tendencies toward both customers and employer. They're also natural, blithe liars, as the upthread discussion suggests. Their union deals shield them from accountability or even simple reason. That is why it is wisest to:

At least at first, until you have observed his or her demeanor from a distance. With apologies to the majority of straight-headed, hard-working flight attendants out there. But you all know a certain proportion of your colleagues are out of their minds; their madness makes your jobs harder too. You have to forgive passengers like me for protecting ourselves by avoiding all unnecessary eye / verbal contact. A more congenial environment could be achieved if it were easier to get rid of the difficult minority.

From reports in the press and blogs, it seems that LEOs these days default to beginning virtually any encounter with an ID check and a warrant check on the person. I don't for a minute believe that this should hold up in court, have some doubt it would hold up in court, and would debate strongly that the citizen feels the ID request is "voluntary" or consensual. In fact, citizens who decline such requests tend to end up in escalated/power-trip situations with the LEO, e.g, the FTer who was handcuffed at LAX for refusing to produce his bar association card.

This obsession with ID/warrant checking everyone they encounter is one of several issues that I think the entire LEO community needs a brief stand-down and re-training to address. One of the others being filming/photographing police encounters.

Pretty much the first thing out of any cop's mouth is "See s'mID". I think it's part of that Command Presence cr@p - it's supposed to establish Who's The Boss from the beginning.