People posting here pose the question, "Why do I believe I need to be treated differently from other passengers?"
My answer is "I don't." So, why was everyone else on that flight using a phone and I was the only one hectored about that? Twice.
Sometimes one can be treated differently in a not-so-cuddly way. Take my word for it.
Three things I think are worth mentioning here. One is that American Airlines' "source", a Mr. Weiss, is a liar. I never talked on the phone. Two, American keeps changing their story. Hey, I get that they have to back their employee. But I never yelled at or used inappropriate language to ANYONE on that plane. American's need to dirty me up is pro forma, but transparent. And three, if American was so concerned about my behavior, why did they seat me on the next flight and fly me home to New York at 3PM?
Today, the New York Post features a cover story on me deactivating my Twitter account (social media being a tad less exciting to me just now). Really? The cover of the paper? About that?
Then again, this is the paper owned by that phone-tapping, sociopathic NewsCorp. The company that both British and US courts should immediately strip of all of their broadcast licenses and force them out of the news business.
The front page of a New York newspaper. Over something like that. The New York Post. The worst newspaper in the history of journalism. No doubt about that now.
I'm siding with Alex after experiencing a similarly unpleasant/overblown incident with US Air last summer. The plane was exceptionally late boarding. When the captain announced we were FINALLY leaving I created a text to update my arrival time. A flight attendant instructed me to turn off my phone. I explained I'd finished the text...just needed to press "send". She threatened to kick me off the flight if I pressed send. I thought she was kidding; she wasn't. She again threatened to have me escorted from the plane, this time raising her voice for others to hear. She stood over me, making sure I pressed "off" rather than "send". A Bloomberg News bureau chief seated next to me attempted to intervene on my behalf; he was told he could also leave the plane. We were incredulous. I've never since flown US Air.
The airlines have forgotten who pays their bills. They're actually anti-customer service...tacking on countless fees, shoving more rows into planes, overpacking flights, regularly canceling less-full flights ("mechanical issues"), allowing flight attendants to behave boorishly...all for the almighty bottom line. Yet, several have still managed to sail into bankruptcy. Virgin Air and Jet Blue are exceptions. I'd rather walk cross country than fly most other airlines. I'm buying Mr. Baldwin's side of the story; American's side, not so much.
and unless you own your own private airplane company, you'll fly whoever the company tells you to fly, you're not the captain of a pirate ship for christ's sake.
Um, because you threw a big baby fit?
Boeing performed extensive tests as reported in AeroMagazine's Interference from Electronic Devices[2] in response to reports by flight crews of anomalies that they believed to be caused by electronic devices. The flight crews had apparently confirmed the effect by switching the "suspect" devices on and off and watching the effects. Despite this and despite the fact that Boeing in many cases was able to purchase the actual offending device from the passenger and use it in extensive testing Boeing was never able to reproduce any of the anomalies.
Flying today in no way resembles the pleasent experience it used to be! Baldwin deserves an apology. Don't think I'm bad-mouthing all flight attendants. Most of them are eligible for sainthood.
1. treat others as you want to be treated
2. make peace instead of war
3. stop making excuses for bad behavior
Oh yes I have read all the Airline stories and for the most part theirs are the same it is yours that keeps changing__that is why there is a need for so much Addendum's and Post Submissions__when you make waves you have to roll with the tides!
Because ... ... ... after you (a) disregarded flight attendants' requests, (b) disregarded flight attendants' instructions, (c) got the captain's attention, (d) interrupted the taxiing & take-off processes and checklists, (e) got tower ground control involved, (f) stopped the outbound movement of the aircraft, (g) delayed the departure, (h) altered the airport gate plan, (i) affected schedules for ground crews, gate crews, security personnel, & management, (j) were able to exit safely via the then reconnected jet bridge, and thereby allow the whole departure process to begin a second time ... ... ... American Airlines chose to be polite.
3 times the stewardess asked him nicely to turn off the cell phone. 3 times he ignored her. So, we sat and we all waited until Mr Bigshot finished his call and finally turned of his phone. He made our flight late and I missed my connecting flight.
Mr Baldwin, I don't care if you were talking on the phone or whether you were playing a game on your phone or juggling with it. Because of your actions YOU made others wait for you. Grow up. Start thinking about others and remember that their time is just as valuable as yours. Using the excuse that "others were on their phones, too" does not nullify your actions. You were in the wrong.
1. Flying has become inelegant.
2. Flying is beneath that of bus travel in the United States.
3. Airlines and Government use 9/11 as an excuse for poor service and security theatre.
4. People die tragically everyday. Why do the survivors of 9/11 victims feel entitled to monetary
compensation from tax payers? A special sactimonius perch from which to determine what is
accpetable or not.
That is what you should have politely asked the flight attendant instead of losing your temper. I wanted to be a flight attendant once....until I saw the paycheque. They work a crappy job for little money, they should a least be treated with some respect. If they ask you to put away your phone, then do it. It doesn't matter what the other kids are doing. Everyone get's picked on once and a while, not just famous people.