I'm speaking of the United Airlines incident that the media has become obsessed with. Now, I've probably seen less media coverage of this than anyone. I don't watch the news. I read one article on the Internet and watched the 50 second video. But from everything I hear the media is just crucifying United Airlines. And making the belligerent passenger that was removed from the aircraft into a saint.
Let me just remind you all of a few facts.
1 -- Flying is a privilege not a right.
2 -- Airlines have rules which you agree to when you purchase an airline ticket. Granted most people don't bother learning those rules. But they are readily available online, I'm sure, and any employee working for the airline would gladly direct you to where you can read them. If you don't agree to the rules, then don't purchase a ticket with that airline.
3 -- Airlines overbook flights. Is it right? Most people would probably say no. But everybody knows that Airlines do this. It's the nature of the beast. I'm sure everyone who has flown a commercial airline has experienced them asking for volunteers to take the next flight because they overbooked. Along with incentives such as free flights, free hotel accommodations, and cash.
4 -- Good law abiding citizens obey the law. Seems obvious but then why is everyone buying into defending someone who broke the law? I'm not a lawyer so I don't know if there is actually a law regarding airline rules but the belligerent passenger certainly broke the airline rules which he agreed to when he purchased the ticket.
Could United Airlines have handled the situation better? Certainly. Hindsight is also 20/20. The employees of United Airlines were following protocol. Eminent domain comes to mind. The good of the community comes before the good of the individual. Do I agree with eminent domain? Not really. I'm sure there are laws of the land that many people disagree with. But just because you disagree with a law doesn't mean you can go around breaking it.
"We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law." -- Articles of Faith 1:12Do I agree with United Airlines rule that they can kickoff a ticketed passenger so crewmembers can get to where they need to be to work another flight? Not really. But I do understand why they had to do it. A lot more people would have been affected if those crew members couldn't get to their scheduled flight.
I also don't agree with full-grown adults pulling temper tantrums because they don't get their way. Life is not always fair. Deal with it.
The particular passenger in question who became belligerent and refused to leave the aircraft after being asked nicely, I'm sure multiple times, appears to have delusions of grandeur. He actually has a couple strikes against him. First of all many doctors think they are above everyone else because of their chosen profession. That's a bunch of malarkey. And this is coming from a doctor. Believe me, I've dealt with many of them on the professional side. A lot of them have delusions of grandeur thinking they are more important than everyone else. Many professionals are just as important or more important than doctors. And there is always someone who could replace you. Secondly, the society we live in teaches entitlement. Everybody feels entitled. People mistake privileges for rights. Just because someone else has something that you don't, doesn't mean you're entitled to it.
Just because a doctor has patients they are scheduled to see doesn't mean that those appointments can't be rescheduled or someone else couldn't cover them. If worse comes to worse, there are always emergency rooms. That argument is absurd. I'm sure everybody on that flight had a good reason why they didn't want to get off. Probably a lot better reasons than the belligerent tantrum pulling doctor. And just because you purchase an airline ticket on a certain flight doesn't mean that you are entitled to that seat, as per airline rules. Maybe you don't agree with the rules but that's the nature of the beast. Flying is a privilege not a right. If you don't like the rules then find another means of transportation.
Getting bumped from a flight doesn't give anyone the right to scream like a little girl and become belligerent. Any ticketed passenger being removed from a flight would understandably be upset. But law-abiding citizens deal with it peacefully without involving law enforcement.
Yes, the airline certainly could have handled the situation better, and I'm sure they've learned from their mistakes. But don't go putting rule breaking, belligerent havoc wreakers on a pedestal as some kind of hero victim just because they scream like a little girl on a video. If the belligerent passenger had only complied with rules and done what a law-abiding citizen should do, none of this would've happened. He only has himself to blame.
That's my two cents.
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