Is there a reasonable basis for America West kicking off a passenger who jokingly asked if the pilot were sober? Maybe, according to an OpinionJournal reader:
In the case of someone publicly accusing the pilots of being intoxicated, both the pilots and the airline will usually hold up the flight in order to give the pilots a sobriety test in order to allay any doubts that may have arisen in the minds of the passengers who heard the accusation.
Given that this obviously costs the airline a lot of money, the passenger who made the accusation will usually be sent on another airline (as happened with the America West passenger who was sent on American Airlines) and often banned from ever flying that airline again for being a troublemaker.
I believe any airline would have done what America West did on Monday for fear of lawsuits, and any pilots would have done the same for fear of any possible FAA or company action against them.
Oooookay. So it’s now a Zero Tolerance issue.
I can understand why someone making baseless accusations — especially costly ones — would be kicked off (and banned). I can even see, given the danger, why someone who jokes about having a bomb would be similarly treated.
But, jeez, folks — given that a week earlier there had been a pair of drunken AWA pilots (thus it was likely on a lot of peoples’ minds), and given that it was just a joke, it still smacks of retribution by the flight crew (not to mention AWA) to have acted as they did — especially since, as far as has been reported, it wasn’t actually treated as an accusation, and no sobriety tests were made.
And what sort of message does this send to folks who really do have a concern? Shut up and pray? If I think I see something funny out on the wing, should I say anything? If I’m wrong, will I be kicked off the flight for being a trouble-maker?
Certainly there doesn’t seem to be any problem these days with passengers complaining about that swarthy-looking Ay-rab fellow giving someone the hairy eyeball. Pilots have been more than happy to turn around and take the plane back to gate under those circumstances, and I’ve not heard of any passengers getting kicked off and banned for such accusations — except for the accused themselves.
But when it’s the pilots who are being joked about, well, that’s just trouble-making.
I feel so much better now …
So this sounds like the accusation is of the same severity as crying ‘fire’ in a crowded theater. (At least in the eyes of the Airlines)
It may lean in that direction. We citizenry are, by and large, easily panicked sheep. And once we lose faith in something, we can quickly be led to angry and ugly scenes. (You think you are above this? I bow to your superiority.)
Airlines, especially now, need to keep their reputations clean. (Which means they need to be above suspicion… much like our politicians… oh, wait a minute… my sieve is leaking…)
I’m not sure where I stand. Call me devil’s advocate, for now.
So let’s not criticize or hint at the (in)competency of our pilots. We wouldn’t want to panic the passengers.
Should it also be illegal to jokingly ask the usher at a movie whether the theater sprinker system is in operating order?
An interesting side note:
A flight attendent for Southwest was called to testify in the David Westfield trial. She is friends with the Van Damme family and testified to the eveing she spent with them on the night their daughter was abducted. As part of her testimony, she admitted to smoking marajuana with the parents and others on that night. In fact, the festivities that night were her going away party, since she was moving to Florida to work for Southwest.
It is reported that someone informed Southwest – which has a zero tolerance policy with drugs – and they fired her. Now, I’m not saying they are wrong, but one should be careful what they testify to in open court, especially when the case is being televised nationally.
Or, for that matter, one should watch what one blogs.
Or e-mails.