United Airlines: Passenger violently removed due to overbooking

Originally Posted by Kursk

And, as mentioned earlier, he was 'removed' by law enforcement, not UA staff. Shouldn't every responsible citizen follow the instructions of the law without all the frenzied histrionics? I'll get me coat

Don't care who he was removed by : It was still wrong. You do no go about assaulting innocent people and causing them to bleed. You said you do not mean to make excuses, but you still are and I think you are being unreasonable on the passenger himself. If the man wants scream holy hell, he should be allowed to, he is being removed with unreasonable force, against his will.

Originally Posted by Kursk

Trying to find something? Well, they certainly did. I think your link throws another light on all of this.

Rubbish. It shows no such thing. No other light to shine on this other than an Airline ballsed up. A police officer ballsed up. United Airlines ballsed up with their PR skills, it has taken their share price to drop significantly to say sorry and that to me is unforgivable.

[Kursk]

Originally Posted by Mick

Don't care who he was removed by : It was still wrong. You do no go about assaulting innocent people and causing them to bleed. You said you do not mean to make excuses, but you still are and I think you are being unreasonable on the passenger himself. If the man wants scream holy hell, he should be allowed to, he is being removed with unreasonable force, against his will.

I have repeatedly said the removal itself was heavy-handed (although security staff/police deal regularly with people who refuse to accept the law and a certain amount of physical persuasion is unavoidable and justified imo). Much like the forced grounding of drunk/drugged drivers who won't accept hand restraints.

It might just be me but I find the Doctor's "I want to go home", "just kill me" snivelling, just a little irrational. Who acts like that? But I suppose as you say, if he wants to scream like a cornered polecat, he can; my view is that most, rational adults don't behave that way. He could have left voluntarily, and unassisted, as asked, been escorted off with a hand on his shoulder or screamed blue murder until he had to be dragged off. He invoked the latter (but held on to his iphone when 'unconscious') which was then carried out over-enthusiastically.

Originally Posted by Kursk

I have repeatedly said the removal itself was heavy-handed (although security staff/police deal regularly with people who refuse to accept the law

It might just be me but I find the Doctor's "I want to go home", "just kill me" snivelling, just a little irrational. Who acts like that? But I suppose as you say, if he

As already said, he had his head rammed in to an arm rest. Causing him to bleed. He is clearly in shock. People in shock act in irrational ways. That's just how it goes so I do not agree with this character assassination. It does not remove any wrong doing on United Airlines or the aviation authorities part.

Originally Posted by Kursk

You don't think that a Doctor who writes prescriptions for a male patient in return for sex and whose practice was limited due to felony is no way indicative of character? I do. There is something not quite right about him and it showed in his reaction to authority.

Feel free to be outraged on behalf of all those who abuse the rules by which decent people live and conduct themselves. The Doctor will make a killing thanks to the "oh my God, what are you doing to him" do-goody goods who just don't understand that being nice just won't cut it with some people.

That may not be true. http://claireconnelly.com.au/hello-h...-its-mistakes/

[Kursk]

Originally Posted by Mick

As already said, he had his head rammed in to an arm rest. Causing him to bleed. He is clearly in shock. People in shock act in irrational ways. That's just how it goes so I do not agree with this character assassination. It does not remove any wrong doing on United Airlines or the aviation authorities part.

Imho there is culpability on both sides, which is an entirely different status to a petition-inducing one-sided big-bully airline beating up on a little feller.

It remains no-one gave up their seat even though by his actions that was the outcome he wanted.

I wonder how many of those silent on the plane were thinking "just get off mate ffs" none of which shows up in the video punctuated with cries of Oh my Gaarrrd"

Originally Posted by Damien

That may not be true. http://claireconnelly.com.au/hello-h...-its-mistakes/

Fair enough; withdrawn!

[nomadking]

His wife volunteered and went quietly.

If you try and get into a tug of war with somebody, you will likely go backwards if you break free. Your intended direction of movement is backwards in an uncontrollable manner. Inevitable in that situation to get injured. No attacking involved from the other person. The more somebody struggles, the more likely they are going to injure THEMSELVES.

[Osem]

Originally Posted by Damien

He has been aggressively dragged off a flight, his his head on the way to the extent it's quite bloody. I am not a Doctor, I don't know his condition, but he seems very disturbed.

Not defending anyone here because I haven't seen how it happened but head cuts tend to bleed profusely, even small ones, which often makes them look far worse than they are.

[nomadking]

Originally Posted by Damien

That may not be true. http://claireconnelly.com.au/hello-h...-its-mistakes/

The letter from the Kentucky board, ie NOT New Orleans, refers to a David A Dao, ie NOT David Thanh Duc Dao. The letter is from June of last year, less than a year ago.Looks like it's referring to this one, not the other.

Now that didn't take long to trample all over this supposedly journalist nonsense.

Originally Posted by Osem

Not defending anyone here because I haven't seen how it happened but head cuts tend to bleed profusely, even small ones, which often makes them look far worse than they are.

No, but you are still dealing with a potential head trauma, his head hitting the arm rest and I am sure I read it was hit with such force that it knocked him out briefly. He could have had a bleed on the brain for all we know, we cannot see that without scans/x-rays.

In any case, you do not pay for a service and expect to get assaulted when you have done nothing wrong.

Anyway, CEO has come out and now said that they will not use any force to remove passengers in future and I am pretty sure all other Airlines will not go down this route either but I am sure all others would have managed their overbooking issues better.

This now gives the upper hand to passengers because the BUMP offer, in cases of overbooking will now have to be so lucrative to encourage being BUMPED from that specific flight.

[heero_yuy]

It's interesting to see how mobile phone footage and social media have totally wrong footed the PR department and CEO. No longer can company's that deal badly with people hide these actions from the public and stage manage the media.

[Mr K]

Originally Posted by nomadking

His wife volunteered and went quietly.

Not sure she volunteered; she just wisely didn't physically resist like her husband. Just as well for the airline or it would have looked worse. Just wonder how they were picked ? Not sure I believe the airline that it was random. They seems to have been telling a lot of porkies.

To partly get themselves out of this they could make a declaration never to overbook flights again. This would set the cat amongst the pigeons in the airline industry, others would have to follow suit. Never understood overbooking anyway if you've paid in advance, surely they don't lose anything if you don't turn up. Its obscene profiteering. Happened to us once with a hotel in Spain where we'd booked and paid for months in advance; Mrs K kicked up a public fuss, they very wisely found a room suddenly...

[Osem]

Originally Posted by Mick

No, but you are still dealing with a potential head trauma, his head hitting the arm rest and I am sure I read it was hit with such force that it knocked him out briefly. He could have had a bleed on the brain for all we know, we cannot see that without scans/x-rays.

In any case, you do not pay for a service and expect to get assaulted when you have done nothing wrong.

Anyway, CEO has come out and now said that they will not use any force to remove passengers in future and I am pretty sure all other Airlines will not go down this route either but I am sure all others would have managed their overbooking issues better.

This now gives the upper hand to passengers because the BUMP offer, in cases of overbooking will now have to be so lucrative to encourage being BUMPED from that specific flight.

As I said, just making the point that head injuries frequently look far worse than they are. Of course other injuries are quite possible, including internal ones nothing to do with his head. Time will tell what injuries he has and how they were caused.

Originally Posted by Mick

This now gives the upper hand to passengers because the BUMP offer, in cases of overbooking will now have to be so lucrative to encourage being BUMPED from that specific flight.

Although they're not meant to do this anyway. Overbooking has to be caught at the gate, if they've allowed people to board it's their seat. Obviously they would still have to get out if asked but the airline has broken it's contract and the regulation at that point. Even if they do try to beat the customer into submission.

[adzii_nufc]

You cannot physically assault someone for trespassing without a justifiable reason. It's as simple as refusing to leave does not justify assault. There's no ifs or buts in this scenario its literally that simple.

By law if a complaint is made all three can be arrested. In a court room they'd lose over failure to justify their actions.

UA saying they'll never call for physical removals is great and all but it's dodging the point that this was law enforcement failing too. The witch hunt can't just be directed at one company. These officers absolutely failed.

I know the topics moving on now but reading posts in my absence i felt like this wasn't even debatable. It's literally open and shut.

[denphone]

Originally Posted by heero_yuy

It's interesting to see how mobile phone footage and social media have totally wrong footed the PR department and CEO. No longer can company's that deal badly with people hide these actions from the public and stage manage the media.

Yep social media reveals everything and l am not sure a lot of companies have realised that how much of a Pandora's box it is when things go viral online.