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Posted: 7/6/2001 9:09:54 PM EDT
Anyone ever been a witness to something like this on a flight?

Flight Attendants Call for Action
Attendants Allege 4,000 Incidents a Year

By DAVID HO
.c The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (July 6) - Brawls in the sky and other acts of air rage are getting worse, according to flight attendants, who accuse airlines and government agencies of endangering air travelers by failing to combat the problem.

In its second annual air rage report card, the Association of Flight Attendants gave failing grades Friday to airlines, the Justice Department and the Federal Aviation Administration.

''U.S. airlines have failed to promote cabin safety over their profits,'' Patricia Friend, the union's president, said at a news conference. Five years ago, she said, airline crews ''didn't have to worry about going to work and getting beat up.''

Friend said airlines fail to train crews properly to deal with air rage, which can include passenger misconduct ranging from making too much noise to breaking into cockpits and attacking airline crews.

''It is a problem, but we don't think it's a huge epidemic that is out of control,'' said Diana Cronin, a spokeswoman for the Air Transport Association, which represents major U.S. air carriers. She said the association estimates 3,000 to 4,000 incidents occur each year in which passengers are rude or obnoxious but break no laws.

Cronin cited FAA figures identifying 314 incidents of misbehaving passengers last year that resulted in arrests or other official reports to the agency.

The flight attendants said that number does not represent the true scope of the problem and criticized the FAA for not forcing airlines to report all incidents of air rage.

FAA spokesman Les Dorr wouldn't comment on the union's charges but said existing rules allow the agency to fine ''unruly'' passengers up to $25,000.

The flight attendants also said the Justice Department has not sufficiently informed local law enforcement officers that they have federal authority to arrest abusive passengers.

Department spokesman Chris Watney said local officers have been deputized as federal marshals when there has been a need at specific airports.
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Link Posted: 7/6/2001 9:11:44 PM EDT
[#1]
Lynn White, a United Airlines flight attendant, said that in April she was struck in the face by a passenger, one of identical twin sisters who were arrested and charged with causing such a disruption that the flight from San Francisco to Shanghai, China, had to be diverted to Anchorage, Alaska.

Prosecutors said Cynthia and Crystal Mikula, aged 22 at the time, drank too much and fought with each other and the flight crew. The case is pending, and if convicted the sisters face up to 20 years in prison.

''Handling these two out-of-control women put the entire flight in danger,'' White said.

In a well-known case of air rage in 1999, a Continental Airlines agent at Newark International Airport suffered a broken neck in a confrontation with a male passenger, who was acquitted of assault this year.

On Friday, airline workers handed out leaflets in Washington to educate passengers about air rage. Similar demonstrations were planned at airports in San Francisco, Phoenix and Charlotte, N.C.

Other airline workers around the world planned to meet with government officials to discuss the problem.

But Kristie Karen, a saleswoman flying from Washington to Chicago, said the only air rage she had seen had come from rude flight attendants who don't adequately inform travelers about delays and cancellations.

''It's air rage because the airlines aren't doing their jobs to secure those attendants,'' Karen said while waiting in line at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, clutching an air rage leaflet in one hand. ''If they would give out information in a timely manner, you wouldn't see air rage.''

The flight attendants' union blames rising tensions among passengers on overbooking, crowded planes and frequent delays.

David Stempler, president of the Air Travelers Association, said airline employees endure those conditions far more often than passengers and must bear responsibility for some air rage incidents.

AP-NY-07-06-01 1703EDT

Copyright 2001 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
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They really need to put Marshals on airline flights, but the Marshals dont want to because they are still laboring under the belief that they cant bring their guns on board.  But I am pretty sure that MagSafe makes a round that wont penetrate airliner hulls...someone needs to enlighten them about this.
Link Posted: 7/6/2001 9:57:18 PM EDT
[#2]
I saw that on the news and was wondering, I bet when they banned smoking the number of incidents rose. Packing people in like sardines, maybe they should distribute Nicoderm or something. I no longer smoke but have noticed how a irritated
smoker is suddenly fine when they finnally get to lite up. This is just a thought and in no way defending the idiots who endanger others lives.
Link Posted: 7/6/2001 10:13:33 PM EDT
[#3]
There was a special on MSNBC the other day about this shit.

People have to be able to control themselves or they'll have to travel like Hannibal Lecter.

Very disturbing indeed.  30,000+ feet in the air and no mall(plane) security.

No question the availability of alcohol plays a key role.

My guess as to what will happen within the next few years:

- No more alcohol on domestic flights(1st class excepted)
- No more alcohol on international flights(1st class excepted)
- Sobriety checkpoints at the gate
- One assigned le-officer on each flight
Link Posted: 7/6/2001 10:21:20 PM EDT
[#4]
the brits have ait rage trouble. teir is an airport that just takes air rage planes in. its the most eastrn port in the US.  
Link Posted: 7/6/2001 10:42:35 PM EDT
[#5]
i like how everything has a buzz word know instead of just calling it assult or attempted whatver its blank rage. i wish they would call it Going Postal!
Link Posted: 7/6/2001 11:05:47 PM EDT
[#6]
Yeah alcohol almost always plays a role in air rage.  Anyone travel 1st class recently?  Accept a drink, and they'll offer you another before you're finished with the drink you're working on.  All free.  You're soon smashed and the flight goes quickly and in comfort, which is nice, but if you do that to someone who loses control with alcohol......
Link Posted: 7/7/2001 1:18:33 AM EDT
[#7]
Link Posted: 7/7/2001 3:00:50 AM EDT
[#8]
I agree with PRK and Waldo.  Shitty service from the airlines is the fuse.  Just like road rage, though, the experts always advise that the solution is with the angered party--never with the a$$holes that are engaging in the bahavior that causes the situtation in the first place.  Squatting in the left lane, distracted driving like talking on the phone, reading newspapers & magazines, petting dogs, eating a bowl of cereal, etc., is OK, just DON'T GET ANGRY!
Link Posted: 7/7/2001 3:24:20 AM EDT
[#9]
maybe if the airlines were able to fly on time, not sell your ticket 20 minutes before a flight leaves, employed manners training and better screening for their attendants, stopped treating people like pos freight items, and returned to nuts instead of pretzels the flights would go better for everyone.
Link Posted: 7/7/2001 4:50:20 AM EDT
[#10]
Cynthia and Crystal are from Buckley, MI.  They are a couple of hotties, twin hotties.
Link Posted: 7/7/2001 6:06:54 AM EDT
[#11]
Easy solution;;;; everybody gets to puff a dube before the plane takes off......[smoke]
Link Posted: 7/7/2001 6:30:35 AM EDT
[#12]
Link Posted: 7/7/2001 6:33:09 AM EDT
[#13]
Quoted:
Originally Posted By black&green:
Easy solution;;;; everybody gets to puff a dube before the plane takes off......[smoke]
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Hey, now that you're on that track, how about pumping some NO2 into the cabin to keep everyone happy [8P]
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                                        DURING the flight, you mean.......they also could keep a supply of viagra for those in need!...........[grenade]
Link Posted: 7/7/2001 6:50:39 AM EDT
[#14]
Link Posted: 7/7/2001 7:25:53 AM EDT
[#15]
OK, I fly at least every month or twice a month.  Oh yipee.  Security checkpoint people are underpaid people with 1/2 a badge.  Of course they will flex their power, especially when security is NEVER compromised, right?  Flight attendants, well, the ones that were brought up with "service" as their main objective are in old folks homes or worse.  The flight attendants of today are there for our SAFETY first, our comfort second (last), they know no else.

For passengers, here is my short list of gripes.

1. If you are sitting in back of me, please do not bump my seat more than necessary.  I know that you need to put the tray up and down, get out of your seat to go to the bathroom, etc. BUT talking and banging your table connected to my seat for 5 hours is torture.  Letting your kid kick the back of my seat is also slow torture.

2. If I somehow get into first class (usually with PAID upgrades), it really pisses my off when employee family members are loud and mouthy during the flight.  You know, the ones that talk to the FAs about how school is going or how their parents are doing.  If I can tell you are a airline employee relative, that's not right.  BTW this does NOT apply to actual employee's, they seem to know how to behave and are much harder to spot in civilian clothes!

Ah hell, thats enough, my solution to air rage is to install web access in every seat so we can spend our jail time reading forums which we all know eats away time.:)
Link Posted: 7/7/2001 9:11:51 AM EDT
[#16]
Quoted:


 the Airlines bring on all this shit on themselves.
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I agree. If the Airline employees were not such jackasses, peaple would stop trying to smack them.
Link Posted: 7/7/2001 9:11:52 AM EDT
[#17]
I fly every WEEK.  It is not always the fault of the airlines if they can't leave on time.  It is usually beyond their control.  You just learn to deal with it because it happens.

My biggest complaint is other passengers.  

First, they won't take their seat while everyone is boarding.  They take their time putting their stuff away and stand around and talk, disregarding the fact that they are not the only person on the plane, even though they apparently think they are.  I have been on flights that have been delayes for this reason.

Second, and this is partially the airlines fault because they don't enforce this enough.  People bring on board luggage that will barely fit in the overhead and take forever to stuff it in, thus causing delays.  Then the last people to board can't find a place to put their oversized luggage and it has to be checked, therefore causing more delays.  I have asked flight attendants why they don't enforce it and they say because people want to argue about it and cause delays, plus they don't want angry passengers on their hands.  So a lot of the late departures are caused by inconsiderate passengers.  In the case of road rage I agree with Kissel.  However, most air rage is the fault of the obnoxious jerk who is raising hell.  Go ahead and flame, but I fly every week and those are my observations.  If most people were treated by other people the way flight attendants are treated by passengers, they wouldn't be nice either.  Here is a case of everyone blaming everything but themselves.  Sound familiar?
Link Posted: 7/7/2001 11:02:18 AM EDT
[#18]
I do blame the airlines 90% of the time.  They treat passengers like freight.  If a plane is gonna be late, they don't tell anybody until 5 min after it was supposed to land.  They must have known it would be late well in advance.  I have to fly cross country about once a month, and dread it every time.

I have seen a few incidents, and in each case the airline was at fault.  I myself have been guilty of being "too loud", on one flight.  A co-worker and I were on a delayed flight, so we decided to wait in the bar.  The plane was 2 hours late, so we were feeling pretty good by the time we got in the air.  Should they arrest us for talking loudly?  Was I a threat, even though I had my seatbelt on.

Another problem I have is being packed in like a sardine.  I have long legs, and over the years I think they have cut the amount of leg room.  I generally only fly on business, so if I want to upgrade it comes out of my pocket.  Very few flights offer a business class, and first class would bust the bank.  They should also fire all flight attendants, and hire good looking stewardesses.  That would make things go a lot smoother.
Link Posted: 7/7/2001 2:37:11 PM EDT
[#19]
Link Posted: 7/7/2001 2:58:55 PM EDT
[#20]
I dont like to fly at all.

I know that flying is supposed to be safer than any other form of transport, and I beleve that those statistics are correct. HOWEVER...

I simply dont trust the people that fly and maintain those planes.  Basically I dont know them, and what I have heard isnt good.  Ground crews caught using (and smuggling) drugs, pilots fired for drinking before a flight. Maitnence defirred because of issues of profitability and aircraft availability.  I would rather drive if at all possible, in spite of what the statistics say.  Why?  Because I know that most road accident victims kill themselves.  I dont get into a car if I dont know the driver either by the way.  A airline pilot or mechanic- or executive- is just about the only person who can kill 200-250 people at one stroke in this country.
Link Posted: 7/7/2001 4:23:07 PM EDT
[#21]
Quoted:
Quoted:


 the Airlines bring on all this shit on themselves.
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I agree. If the Airline employees were not such jackasses, peaple would stop trying to smack them.
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                                              How come they loose people`s bags so damned much???.......F**K FLYING!!!....[dracula]
Link Posted: 7/7/2001 4:35:13 PM EDT
[#22]
Link Posted: 7/7/2001 4:40:52 PM EDT
[#23]
Quoted:
I'm with Larry G.

I fly cross country three to five times a year and internation a few times now and again. I am always ticked off at people bring aboard fifty to a hundred pounds of crap - that has to be shoved into the overhead lockers crushing my laptop in half. It takes them ten minutes to find locations over other's seats for all that crap. Then when in comes to debark they're wandering up and down the aisles trying to recover all that was stached.
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                                           The real fact is...and not just on airplanes...too many people simply have no respect or consideration/courtesy for others anymore!!!!!!!!!!.........[moon]
Link Posted: 7/7/2001 4:48:48 PM EDT
[#24]
I read recently in one of the major news magazines that the FAA and a small bucnh of entrpeneurs will be creating a "Air Taxi Network" Which will use small "reliable" jets that taxi about 12-20 people to small and large airports all across the country. COst of a ticket is only supposed to be $20-$30 more than the cost of a delta ticket. Might be a decent solution.
-Chuck
Link Posted: 7/7/2001 5:27:35 PM EDT
[#25]
They shouldn't let people drink alcohol on planes.
Link Posted: 7/7/2001 7:25:37 PM EDT
[#26]
Originally Posted By black&green:
Quoted:
I'm with Larry G.

I fly cross country three to five times a year and internation a few times now and again. I am always ticked off at people bring aboard fifty to a hundred pounds of crap - that has to be shoved into the overhead lockers crushing my laptop in half. It takes them ten minutes to find locations over other's seats for all that crap. Then when in comes to debark they're wandering up and down the aisles trying to recover all that was stached.
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                                           The real fact is...and not just on airplanes...too many people simply have no respect or consideration/courtesy for others anymore!!!!!!!!!!.........[moon]
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BINGO!  I believe that this was exacerbated by the Clinton administration's attitude of ME, ME, ME, and 'what can I get that I have not earned' and 'what can I get away with' and this just crept it's way into our society.  After all, if the prez can be that selfish, why can't the rest of us.
Link Posted: 7/7/2001 11:53:51 PM EDT
[#27]

People have been drinking on planes for years, since the begining of passenger air service, and now it's a problem??

The problem is that airlines treat their passengers like shit....especially american airlines.

One other thing that might be pissing people off on planes is the fact that you can't smoke anywhere on the plane.  When they passed that stupid law, they could have at least boxed in a small area of the plane like an extra bathroom to allow people to smoke.  But anti-smoking NAZIs only belive in "zero tolerance". If you don't smoke, fine...but accomodations should be made for those that do.  The same "logic" used by people who would prohibit smoking everywhere can be equally applied to gun owners who shoot lead bullets...."that lead is poisoning the land and my children, you can't shoot in my state !!! It can also be applied to anyone who drives a vehicle that gets less than 40mpg...."you are polluting the air I breath with your SUV, why do you need an SUV.?..you should only be allowed to drive a Geo metro....etc..

I get prescribed valium when I fly (only about once a year), so I sleep through most of it.
Link Posted: 7/8/2001 5:40:01 AM EDT
[#28]
Quoted:
Originally Posted By LARRY G:
I fly every WEEK.  
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It is not always the fault of the airlines if they can't leave on time.  It is usually beyond their control.  You just learn to deal with it because it happens.
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My bitching (and I think most people's) is not about weather delays or genuine equipment problems.  

The several hours I spent on the ground at JFK because the pilot decided a tire needed to be changed, was for a damn good reason, but it was poorly handled. While the "half an hour" turned into at least two and a half, they kept telling us it would only be a little while longer.  

If they'd told the truth, people would have demanded to get off until it was fixed, or maybe to catch a different flight.  They just didn't want to deal with that.  So they kept us all on the plane, sitting in the sun and getting hotter and hotter.  

So, lets blame the passengers.  Right.

In the case of road rage I agree with Kissel.  However, most air rage is the fault of the obnoxious jerk who is raising hell.
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Why you are so wrong:  

With air rage, the person who gets obnoxious is often the victim of some corporate jackass who figured out what was an "acceptable" rage rate,

Your issue with carry-on storage space is largely attributable to cramming more people and their carry-ons into the same amount of space.

Here is a case of everyone blaming everything but themselves.  Sound familiar?
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Yep. It sounds like a bunch of flight attendant's wanting to cop an attitude, with no consequences.

If most people were treated by other people the way flight attendants are treated by passengers, they wouldn't be nice either.
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In the years I've flown, I've seen a lot more obnoxious flight attendants than annoying passengers.  Also since I'm paying the airline, I figure they should act like they appreciate the business and want to help.

[red][size=3]PRK
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You don't have a clue, do you?  The 'victim' of some corporate jackass?  Oh, please.  BOO f**cking HOO!  Poor little victim.

My issue with carryon luggage is SOLELY attributable to inconsiderate assholes who won't check their damn luggage.

I would probably not be a good flight attendant.  I see a lot more obnoxious passengers than flight attendants and I would get fired for telling some jerk to put his stuff up, sit down, and get the hell out of the way.

Why you are so wrong:  {/quote] I'm not.

You're still just as entitled to your opinion as the rest of us, though we might think your judgement is colored by mileage awards and familiarity with airline staff.  Assimilation!!!!
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What's this WE shit, paleface?  Not only am I just as entitled to my opinion, I am MORE qualified than you to comment on the subject since I do it more.
Link Posted: 7/8/2001 8:26:17 PM EDT
[#29]
My issue with carryon luggage is SOLELY attributable to inconsiderate assholes who won't check their damn luggage.
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You have obviously never had an airline lose your luggage.  My roomate once had his luggage completely lost.  I have had mine delayed (it did not make my connection), and they delivered it to me the next day.  I was fortunate enough to have a change of clothes and my shave kit in my carry on.  One reason people don't want to check their bags, is because they may not get there.  I still check my main bag, but always take 1 days supplies in my carryon bag.
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