Pax threatened/hit me on flight - FAs refused to help. What would you do?
#61
Join Date: Aug 2008
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FlyerTalkers: Power-tripping flight attendants at United are a scourge and must be stopped.
Also FlyerTalkers: Flight attendants should act like police and intervene in disputes between passengers.
Also FlyerTalkers: Flight attendants should act like police and intervene in disputes between passengers.
#62
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#63
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#64
Join Date: Aug 2008
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I'm mostly with the FAs on this one. While I think that they could have called to the GA to request police (and if they were untruthful about the situation when queried it's unforgivable), I also think that if they engaged in the situation in any visible way it was likely to escalate it further rather than defuse it, so the right answer is to get the passengers off the plane as quickly as possible and let those qualified to handle it deal with it.
Last edited by Sykes; Aug 31, 2018 at 11:21 am
#65
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Join Date: Aug 2018
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30,000 ft. is a much different story than 0 feet. Having said that, in almost every situation I know of where there was a dispute or an aggressive passenger, it has been other passengers that have diffused the situation rather than the crew.
I'm mostly with the FAs on this one. While I think that they could have called to the GA to request police (and if they were untruthful about the situation when queried it's unforgivable), I also think that if they engaged in the situation in any visible way, it was likely to escalate it further rather than defuse it, so the right answer is to get the passengers off the plane as quickly as possible and let those qualified to handle it deal with it.
I'm mostly with the FAs on this one. While I think that they could have called to the GA to request police (and if they were untruthful about the situation when queried it's unforgivable), I also think that if they engaged in the situation in any visible way, it was likely to escalate it further rather than defuse it, so the right answer is to get the passengers off the plane as quickly as possible and let those qualified to handle it deal with it.
I can tell you as someone who sits at the front most of the time, I will not be intervening unless I think there is a terrorist attack or if a child is getting beaten. Outside of those 2 events, I'm going to the lavatory, locking myself in, and waiting for the disturbance to be dealt with.
#66
Join Date: Nov 2012
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I have an answer: At 30,000 feet or a little below, passenger touches the private parts of his female neighbors. The FAMs intervened. Plane returned to its departure airport.
#67
Join Date: Aug 2008
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I don't expect ushers in a theater to intervene in a dispute between patrons, aside from asking them to leave or calling the police if necessary. I have the same expectation of flight attendants when the plane is on the ground and parked at the gate. At 30,000 ft. I expect flight attendants to do whatever is necessary to ensure the continued safety of the flight, but the form that takes will differ a lot depending on the situation.
#68
Join Date: Dec 2011
Programs: UA 1P
Posts: 545
Of course there is, but not in this case. Nothing further happened on the plane post-shrug, unless I'm missing something.
I'm not advocating what they did was proactive, but as I stated, the resources within the airport are much better equipped to handle some guy going off than the flight crew.
I'm not advocating what they did was proactive, but as I stated, the resources within the airport are much better equipped to handle some guy going off than the flight crew.
#69
Join Date: Nov 2002
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This is why everyone in our family (including our young kids) have studied martial arts. Too many rude people who think they can bully others. After years of training, i'm more than happy to meet any clown at the end of the jetway. As long as they throw the first punch, i'm in my full legal right to {response}, which i will do.
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Aug 31, 2018 at 11:57 am Reason: Using symbols, spaces or other methods to mask vulgarities is not allowed.
#70
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: What I write is my opinion alone..don't read into it anything not written.
Posts: 9,685
This is why everyone in our family (including our young kids) have studied martial arts. Too many rude people who think they can bully others. After years of training, i'm more than happy to meet any clown at the end of the jetway. As long as they throw the first punch, i'm in my full legal right to {response}, which i will do.
#71
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 3,359
At the risk of being labeled an apologist, I think the FA did one thing exactly right - got the confrontation off the airplane. I think the outcome would have been worse had it escalated inside the airplane. Note that after they were asked for help, no further contact was made, and once in the gate area the police could be (and were) called.
The one thing UA could have done differently would have reported the pax and incident to the TSA (they have a pax manifest so should be easy to look up). I don't know if TSA has that "technology" but would argue that they should. Their job is to find the security needles in the haystack. Wouldn't mind that disruptive pax getting frisked a few extra times since he's clearly a safety risk. Maybe then they will learn their lesson!
One final thought, and I don't want to be an apologist for this guy. However, one thing we aren't aware of the aggressive pax's context. Perhaps they had a nasty misconnection or something else go on in their life that triggered them. Still, that's no excuse for the behaviour but something to keep in mind.
Safe Travels,
James
#72
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If it doesn't excuse the behavior, why even bother to keep it in mind?
#75
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Why does the row matter. Row 1 or Row 30, it is still assault and the OP should have asked for charges to be pressed against the offender.