A 65-year-old urologist, born in India but living in the United States for 38 years now, was flying from his home in Missouri to a medical convention in Las Vegas on June 26th, 2008. Did you notice that “born in India” detail? Apparently his attempts to go to the bathroom angered and frightened a flight attendant, who wouldn’t tell Dr. Sivaprasad Madduri why he couldn’t use the lavatory (the pilot was using it) and who wouldn’t listen to Dr. Madduri’s explanation that he was taking a medicine that acts as a diuretic. When the plane landed he was arrested, spent the night in jail, and was told the next day to plead guilty and pay $2500 if he wanted a quick resolution.
Southwest has since told Dr. Madduri, “We don’t want this experience to affect your feelings about flying with us in the future,” and they’ve offered him a $100 voucher. It turns out the “apology” was meant for the other passengers, and was in fact about Dr. Madduri.
Ironically, even before he filed his complaint with the Southwest Airlines officials, he got a letter from Frederick Taylor Jr, senior manager at the airline’s customer service communications, offering a $100 voucher for a future flight.
“Sometimes, an explanation for the reason why things happen is not always possible, and the bizarre behaviour of the individual during your June 26 flight to Las Vegas supports this point,” Taylor said in a letter accompanying the voucher. “While I am unable to explain the circumstances surrounding the disruption, I think it is important to offer my heartfelt apologies for any concerns you may have had as a result of this event”.
“Naturally, we don’t want this experience to affect your feelings about flying with us in the future, or for it to be your last recollection of traveling with our company. In fact we would consider it a privilege if you gave us another opportunity to provide you with better memories.”
Here’s Dr. Madduri’s story in his own words:
[I am] a physician from India who immigrated to the United States 38 years ago and [has] been in private practice in South East Missouri for more than a quarter century.
On June 26, 2008, I traveled from St Louis to Las Vegas to attend AAPI annual convention by Southwest flight 1226. Two hours into the flight, I tried to go to the bathroom ( I take a blood pressure medicine with diuretic that makes one ‘go’ more often). As I was sitting in row six, I walked to the front lavatory. The flight attendant, named Lora Lee Minton, abruptly stopped me and essentially shouted at me, “Go back! This bath room is occupied, and you cannot stand here.”
Shocked and dumbfounded at this unfriendly behavior, I went back and sat in my seat. Two minutes later, I saw the lavatory door opening and I got up and walked towards the bath room again. The same flight attendant (Lora Lee Minton) screamed at me, “I told you not to go to that bathroom,” and started pushing me into my seat. I was totally confused at this erratic behavior, and told her that I had been taking medicine and I had to go to the toilet. I even tried to walk past Ms.Minton as I was very uncomfortable.
“I told you not to go,” she pushed me into my seat! I was lost. I flew many times but had never experienced a rude and unfriendly behavior like this. Confused and not knowing what to do, I went back and sat in my seat. I saw the pilot came out of the lavatory, walked into the cockpit and closed the door behind him. Later I could use the bathroom.
The sequence of events that followed were more frightening and beyond the scope of any one’s imagination. As the plane landed in Las Vegas , I was escorted by two police officers and was handed over to the FBI. The FBI interrogated me at length and for the first time, I was told that the flight attendant, Ms.Lora Lee Minton, reported that I was causing ‘disturbance’ during the flight. I was also told that when the pilot is out of the cockpit, no one is supposed get up from their seat, till the pilot goes back to his seat. This apparently is a federal law being enforced since 9/11 and no one ever told me, nor was it announced during the flight.
That night I was taken through federal centers for further investigation. I was hand-cuffed, finger printed and was ‘processed’ as a common criminal. I was told repeatedly that my background was checked and I had no criminal record. Even after checking my back ground and even after confirming it by calling my family members (Our two children that live in St Louis and Houston, Texas ) and my professional partner (urologist from Poplar Bluff, Missouri ), I still had to go through the harassment. I was dragged through Federal court buildings that night with hand and ankle cuffs, left in cells for hours before I was interrogated and was threatened repeatedly with abusive language: ‘Shut up,’ ‘I am going to kick your ass,’ to name a few. Finally I was taken to a federal detention center in Las Vegas and was ushered into a large jail cell! I spent the night in jail with 43 prisoners – most of them drug dealers and picked up at street fights!
The next day I went through processing in a federal court building and presented in front of a Federal Judge. The public defender told me that my ‘case’ was decided and I would be released if I pleaded guilty and paid a fine of $2,500. He also told me that I could refuse to plead guilty, contest the judgment and even could win, but could be taking a long time, cost more and might result in multiple trips to Las Vegas.
Exhausted, depressed and completely deflated, I agreed to what ever the public defender suggested and got out after 24 hours of ‘living hell’.
I endured the most horrifying and traumatic 24-hours of my life for a crime I sincerely believe I did not commit. A simple statement by the flight attendant (Lora Lee Minton) in normal tone of voice that I was not supposed to wait in front of the toilet when it was occupied by the pilot, would have saved the ghastly ordeal.
I was told repeatedly by the prison guards, some of the FBI officials (not all of them were rude), the prison inmates who heard my story that the reason I was targeted was because of my skin color (brown) and ethnic background (South Asian, Indian).
When I returned home, I did not feel like lying flat and take the abuse, more so the incident involved not only me but an entire race and ethnic group. I sent my story to local, state and national news papers including all the major Indian news publications. The response was overwhelming: the news papers were very receptive; I received numerous e-mails, letters, phone-calls, sympathy and supportive cards; every one wanted me to ‘fight-it-out’ and ‘not to keep quite and do nothing.’
I did send my story to ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) of Missouri and Nevada , yet I haven’t heard from them yet, though I was told that my experience had merit. I contacted attorneys locally as well as in St Louis and was told that they were looking for proper attorneys that specialize in civil liberties cases; I was told by some that I should not have pleaded guilty and should find eye-witnesses that would testify in my favor.
During 30 years of my stay in America , I never felt so threatened nor my rights so violated as I did that fateful night. ‘You are not guilty until proven otherwise’, the anthem we are made to believe all the time was turned out to be not true; I was guilty until prove my self innocent. I was treated like a guilty person and was never given a chance even to tell my side of the story. Even after the incidence, I am finding it difficult to prove my innocence. I want Southwest Air Lines to realize their mistake and drop charges against me. I did contact Southwest airlines and was informed that they were standing by their stewardess and the issue had no racial profile or bias.
(Thanks to Ashish!)
(Photo: Cubbie_n_Vegas)
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Also, I hate to be “that guy”, but the instant taking of a plea and imposition of a fine sounds a bit fishy. Sentencing in Federal Court (at least for felonies) takes _forever_. The Department of Probation interviews the defendant, looks into their family life, etc before writing a report to the Court. Then the defense writes their own report and the prosecution can right one too. This can literally take months. I worked as a Federal Defender for a summer and did quite a bit of writing for pre-sentencing reports (great practice for writing complete bullshit).
It is possible that he plead to a misdemeanor, and I am not privy to sentencing procedures for Federal Misdemeanors. I know in New York, the maximum fine for misdemeanors is $1,000. That said, I just found a case with the fine for a Federal Misdemeanor (DUI) was $5,000, so my suspicion may be misplaced.
Let’s put cameras in all airplane cabins with audio.
The end of airline personnel abusing passengers – and passengers abusing airline personnel.
There will be less bogus reporting like this and when there is an incident, you can just say “let’s go to the videotape.”
Dr. Madduri sounds quite sincere and I believe him.
@twophrasebark: Agreed. I also believe cops should have to wear cameras and mics at all times when on duty. Stops them from being able to lie.
@silver-bolt: Sounds great. Better for them and better for us.
I also had this happen to me on an American flight. I needed to use a bathroom out of dire medical need. I was made to walk about 30 rows to the back of the plane because I wasn’t a “first class” passenger.
Even after explaining my medical need, the only response I got was “GO TO THE BACK OF THE PLANE. GO TO THE BACK OF THE PLANE” being yelled in my face.
I guess I’m lucky I’m wasn’t arrested for not wanting to pee myself.
@twophrasebark:
I wish they’d put in multiple bathrooms for coach.
In the airline’s defense, when I’ve flown American they have been very clear that due to federal aviation law, only first class customers can use the bathroom up front. Everyone else, must go to the back. I assume it’s mostly to keep people from wandering into the front of the plane in the event of a hijacker. Of course, what would stop the hijacker from buying a first class ticket in the first place? After all, he probably only needs a 1 way ticket….
My sympathies to Dr. Madduri. I’m sure he understands after being here so long that our legal system is not SUPPOSED to operate with an atmosphere of suspicion and bullying, but unfortunately it often does.
This is unacceptable on the part of both Southwest and all authorities who were involved. Whether technically legal or not, their actions were irrational and against the spirit of laws meant to protect people from real danger.
We are told to look past color because it is racist not to. And yet even as the average citizen feels and acts as if racism is a horrible crime, our government, the police, and others with power, continue to act and be racist with impunity. They should be held to the same standards as the average American, even higher.
The police should have listened to his story at the airport. He then should have been released after a quick background check showed he had no history and other passengers questioned affirmed his story. The flight attendent should have been sighted for filing a false report. End of story. But those with power tend to abuse that power if they are not people of honor and integrity (Lora Lee Monton, prime example).
This isn’t an isolated event, there have been several stories in the media about flight attendents abusing their power and causing mental, physical, and emotional abuse on innocent passengers on their flights. If flight attendents are going to have the power to “punish” passengers on their flights, on a whim, because of the new homeland security guidelines. They should have to have background checks and training and be licensed before they are given this authority. Unfortunately, the leaders making these guidelines are just as badly qualified as the people that they allow to use this unseemly power. Racial profiling is wrong for everyone to use and those caught using it should be the ones arrested and punished, not the innocent person they have chosen as their victim.
Reason 217 not to fly Southwest!
The best part of his letter is this: ‘You are not guilty until proven otherwise’. Clearly, this is the very first time this person has been at the wrong place at the wrong time, or had a misunderstanding with the law. I assure you, in my experience, peace officers assume the exact opposite.
Flying in the post-9/11 world seems like a weird Russian Roulette, which rapidly turns into a Kafka-esque ordeal if you randomly lose. For example, when my sister died of cancer, I bought a plane ticket for the next flight as soon as I could. Spin the chamber! Pull the trigger! And…? Oh no, apparently buying a ticket on short notice is “suspicious”! Off to security I go for grueling questioning and searching…
I think one of the biggest problems is that police and FBI are so willing to arrest and charge based entirely on what an airplane waitress says.
@angryhippo:
Wow.
Well said, sir.
@angryhippo
The proper term is SkyWaitress (unless the FA is a straight male…so like I said, it’s always SkyWaitress!)
@RedwoodFlyer:
I’ve always been a fan of the British term “trolley dolly” to describe stewardesses.
I had a similar (though less legally entwining) incident on a Jet Blue flight just a few weeks ago. At one point, I got up to go to the bathroom, and went to the back of the aircraft because there was someone in the front. I found both were occupied, so I looked back up front and found the other unoccupied (light outside the door).
I started to walk up and found the attendant standing in the way, so I pointed to the bathroom, and she goes “You need to sit down. I’m going to need you to sit down RIGHT NOW!”
I should mention here that I’m a 6’4″ white male.
She sounded stressed and annoyed. Naturally, I did, not wanting to piss off a woman who could have me arrested, regardless of what I did or didn’t do (see OP).
After a moment or two, the pilot did exit the bathroom, and they went back and forth, and finally, after all was said and done, she stood out of the way again, and I finally got up and went to the bathroom without so much as eye contact with that woman.
Still, the OP makes the best point. IF this is a rule and they don’t want shit, JUST SAY SO! It’s not hard. Besides, this kind of incident WOULD make me want to harm a flight attendant.
Want to email Southwest to complain? Good luck! I just checked their contact page and saw this:
Unbelievable. Apaparently email is too much for this airline to master.
My question is…after he was first told to sit down, someone else other than the pilot came out one of the toilets. Why was he there in the first place?
@wongtam: He was probably in the toilet before the pilot left the cockpit.
That flight attendant better hope that this doctor isn’t a grudge holder. If he knows her name, he can find out all he needs to find where she lives.
@Gokuhouse: What? I’m not sure I understand. I don’t think revenge is something that usually makes it on our “to do” list.
Is it my imagination, or is the $100 coupon being sent out to all of the passengers to apologise for his behavior? It refers to a “the bizarre behaviour of the individual”, not “the unprofessional behavior of one of our employees” or anything else which would suggest it referred to the stewardess.
I can’t flipping believe it.
Pee in the aisle…
All I hear is a cash register ringing: intentional infliction of emotional distress. I hope he gets a good lawyer.
@Daemonstar: `In almost every penal code system, “Ignorance of Law” or “Mistake of Fact” are not an affirmative defense to prosecution` …..maybe they should be.
There’s no excuse for government anymore. Stop stealing from me.
Just gives me another reason to not fly united
In my linguistic anthro class, we were shown a video contrasting a typical white vs Indian interaction. Just how you say things is perceived differently (you’d have to see the video to truly understand what I’m talking about). What seems normal for an Indian (it was normal to me, I’m South Asian American) is taken as slighly belligerant by Caucasians. I don’t care how long he was in this country, I don’t think he changed the way he speaks. What seemed normal to him was probably seen as anger/threatening by the flight attendant. So I can see why the flight attendant did what she did.
However, still not excuseable. He’s an older gentleman, and he stated that he’s taking medication that makes him have to pee. That will make anyone anxious to use the restroom. To top it off, her excuse of don’t stand in the aisle was moot after the door was opened and the potty was free. If she had said honestly from the start that he would have to remain seated for the time being because of security issues, but he would be able to go shortly, then that should be OK. Don’t they have standard scripts on how to evade being completely honest, but still convey what needs to be done? For goodness sakes, they’re trained on how the pilots like their coffee, why aren’t they told how to deal with customers who need to pee at the same time pilots need to?
Unfortunately, he shouldn’t have pleaded guilty. That seriously harms his case, since he technically didn’t plead out of duress. I hope it doesn’t count too much against him, and I hope he makes them pay, and that the stewardess (not flight attendant, but stewardess) is fired.
What is it about a little bit of (temporary) power that makes certain people go batshit crazy? All the lady had to do was say that he shouldn’t be out of his seat when the pilot was out of the cockpit in a polite manner. Instead, she got nasty and belligerent. People wonder why I’m sliding ever closer to misanthropy…
Just read something which is in stark contrast to what was reported here…apparently, the letter/voucher was supposed to be for every pax EXCEPT the water balloon, but they accidentally sent it to him as well, but they referred to the disruptive individual as a she, so the Dr thought it meant the FA…
[www.airliners.net]
By the way, an interesting article on WN’s proactive cust. relations department:
[www.nytimes.com]
“Southwest has since told Dr. Madduri, “We don’t want this experience to affect your feelings about flying with us in the future,” and they’ve offered him a $100 voucher.”
I seriously laughed out loud when I read this. He spends a night in jail, pays a $2500 fine, gets treated horribly, and this is their response? It comes across as a slap in the face rather than a sincere attempt to make amends.
If the story that the passenger wrote is completely true …
I am thinking maybe Laura Lee didnt get some the night before the flight and she took it out on this poor man. Talk about being bitter and twisted! There are MANY ways of keeping passengers out of the galley area. Telling them that they would be informed when lavatory is empty is one of them. In extreme cases WARNING THEM that they COULD be reported to the authorities upon landing is the other. There are million ways to defuse any situation and FA’s are taught those tactics in their training. She gives a bad name to thousands of Flight Attendants who have sense of diplomacy, delicacy and gentle ways of handling and enforcing federal laws. Yes, sometimes they have to be tough but unless a passenger is clearly aggressive, abusive or non-compliant, there is no reason for such extreme measures. She sounds very rough on the edges and someone that would be better suited for a jail warden or a customs officer position rather than that of a Flight Attendant.
Shame on you Laura Lee. I wonder how can you live with yourself for putting this poor man through such hell … all for nothing.
I understand why they want people away from the front of the plane when the pilot opens the bulletproof door to come out and use the bathroom – because that is the only window of opportunity for someone to bully their way into the controls of the plane and hijack, while that door is opening and closing. But the way it was handled by the flight attendant was terrible.
Or was she told to guard the aisle aggressively when the pilot came out to pee? Certainly she could have asked nicely instead of yelling the first time. But maybe she was ordered not to say the pilot was in the bathroom – maybe they don’t want to advertise that the window of opportunity to break into the cockpit was open. Any flight attendants here that can weigh in on this? I’m just speculating, but maybe she was just doing her job, albeit very rudely.
The poor man though! What a horrible experience to go through.
and with that guilty plea, give a big Hello to the “No Fly List”. Sad – I usually only have praise for Southwest. I hope this was an isolated incident caused by one bitter flight attendant during her special time of the month.
I personally am shocked by this. I don’t think there ever has been a law like that, it’s just either (a) racist bastards or (b) over-reactive people who freak out over anything not white.
It’s sad that the legal system in our country doesn’t allow you to defend yourself without ponying up a lot of cash. Like witch hunts, the incentive is on pleading guilty.
After reading a lot about this, I don’t think this is as cut and dry as most people seem to think it is. Most of the articles about the incident are just repeats of other articles, but there are some which tell a slightly different side…notably, this one: [www.airliners.net]
According to the article, the doctor gets up to go to the bathroom and is told that he can’t use it while the pilot is out of the flight deck. This is completely reasonable and there are FAA regulations cited in these comments to back it up. Add to that the FAA regulation at 91.3 which gives broad discretion to the way the pilot runs his plane and I don’t see how that can be an issue. I don’t think that anybody would disagree that the pilot’s safety is at utmost importance when he’s piloting a plane.
Anyway, according to the article, the doctor goes back to his seat until the pilot leaves the lavatory. It’s difficult to say, but according to the attached article, the doctor was approaching the cockpit while the captain was out and while the captain was ostensibly returning to the flight deck. Obviously, to get in the flight deck, he’d have to unsecure and open the door. Again, when this is going on, passengers should absolutely not be approaching the cockpit.
According to the flight attendant, it was at that time that the doctor tried to push past her. She pushed him back.
According to the article, the doctor plead to misdemeanor assault. I assume that what that means is that when he tried to push past the attendant, he committed the assault. Note, he didn’t plead to standing in the aisle while the captain was pooping or any other nonsense that other people have spouted on this board.
Also, note the other articles where it is described that the other passengers applauded the flight crew’s behavior.
Based on that, I can’t see where SWA was in the wrong here.
But, after 24 hours of detention, doesn’t the state have to bring you before a judge and have a hearing for Bail? And if they are offering $2500 and time servered as a sentence, how much could bail reasonably be?
The guy made a mistake pleaing, and his public defender may or may not have explained this all to him, but he should have. If he didn’t, then there’s probably room to have the plea withdrawn.
@LewCincinnatus: If he didn’t plea, the judge would have had a bail hearing. On the other hand, the doctor’s account of what happened is so vague and sketchy (and he readily admits that he didn’t know what he was doing) that he might have already had the bail hearing and didn’t realize it.
There is nothing in the story to make anyone believe that it’s the PD’s fault. The PD MUST convey offers to the accused. It’s the choice of the accused to take that offer. And there’s nothing in the article to suggest what the bail would be and whether it would be higher or lower than $2500. Even if he was released on no bail pending his trial, the doctor STILL might have taken the plea just to get out of there. It’s not the PD’s fault if that was the doctor’s position.
I doubt he’ll hear anything from the ACLU (Anti-Christian Liberation Unit) b/c his case won’t advance their cause of destabilization of the American society or undermining Christian beliefs.
[www.acluvamerica.com]
@ELC: If that’s what you think the ACLU is about, you are sorely mistaken. In fact, here’s a whole page of cases where the ACLU defended Christians when the government tried to impede on their religious freedom: [www.aclu.org]
Get your facts straight about the intent of the ACLU. Don’t just make stuff up to suit your agenda.
[www.aclu.org]
Petty dictators in pretty pants suits.
There’s some pretty shoddy crap that I read about on this site, but that might take the cake for the worst customer treatment I’ve ever heard of. It’s obvious that the stewardess was made uncomfortable with his ethnicity (read: a bigot), and that caused her to not only yell at him, but get physical by shoving him around. Then he’s arrested, his background checked, treated like a criminal the entire way, then bullied into pleading guilty… that’s just disgusting. It seems that there were a whole slew of people here that dropped the ball on this one. I’d probably go after the agents/officers who interrogated him too. Correct me if I’m wrong, but making threats to get a confession in an interrogation is illegal. WTH is wrong here? Have we become so paranoid and insecure as a country that we have to run around treating our own citizens like this?
I read through every comment on here and just had to set things straight.
Everyone keeps talking about not knowing about breaking a law about standing in the aisle while the flight crew uses the lavatory, which is not the only reason why the man was arrested at LAS. He was arrested for not following a crew member’s instructions, which, as stated at the beginning of every flight “it is federal law to follow all lighted placards and crew member instructions.” She told him to go back to his seat, and he, in his own words, tried to push past her, which yes, can be seen as a threat to the aircraft, no matter who the person may be.
There are THREE lavatories on a Southwest Airlines 737. While he could have been directed to the rear of the aircraft, I’m sure his persistence in not following the crew’s instructions didn’t make them decide to be as helpful as possible.
The claims of racism are absolutely absurd and extremely over-hyped by the doctor. Who cares that he moved from India almost 40 years ago? This wasn’t why the flight attendant was doing her job. On every flight I have been on where the flight crew needs to use the lavatory, the flight attendants always block the front of the aircraft from the first row on, the Captain or FO leaves the cockpit, and the front remains blocked off until he is back inside and the flight deck door is secured. On most flights (United, Continental, Northwest) they block the aisle with a serving cart, but WN doesn’t use them so the crew must stand there to block the way. It doesn’t even matter if the flight crew was using the lavatory or not, NO ONE can stand in the front of the aircraft while the forward lavatory is in use.
I’m probably the last person to stand up and defend the outrageous security procedures of the US Government, but when I see airline crew members doing their job properly, I will not stand back and watch person after person bash this poor woman for doing what any flight attendant in the country would do. It doesn’t matter what may or may not happen, these are FAA regulations and the flight crew is required to follow them.
“until he” or she
Otherwise, thank you. Excellent rebuttal.
I can’t possibly read all these posts – but I can only say (or repeat anyone else who’s said this) : Welcome to the new ‘rights’ and ‘freedoms’ under the Patriot Act”
If federal law requires that no passenger leave his or her seat when the pilot is out of the cockpit, then the pilot REALLY needs to go on the intercom and say, “Ladies and gentlemen, I’m going to be going to the bathroom for a minute or two so please remain in your seats until I’m down.”
@Jesse in Japan: That’s exactly what the flight attendant said.
You pinhead, as a minority, I hate it when the racecard is thrown out when there is nothing in this situation that denotes race was an issue. Calling people bigots when their actions aren’t bigoted demeans people who truly suffer from bigotry. I’ve had people treat me badly, some because I’m a minority that’s bigotry. Others because they just didn’t like me. They didn’t like my race, they didn’t like me. That’s a personal choice but NOT bigotry. Read the last post. I’ve been on a plane where they made the announcement about not coming to the front b/c of the pilot. He made a mistake but b/c the crew member did their job does NOT make them a bigot.
Crews are required to keep passengers from approaching the flight deck while the door is open. Period. The F/A told the Doctor several times that he can’t come forward, but he decided that he was above listening to A: a woman, B: a flight Attendant or both. Instead of going back to his seat calmly, he had to be restrained after nearly knocking the F/A down to try to get past her to the open flight deck door, a threatening and stupid thing to do. The F/A should have been commended, which I believe, she was, by her airline. Doctor: accept your responsiblity in this. Tell the whole story.
Screw him for being stupid. Cudo’s to her for doing what the FAA requires.
I just canceled a flight I had on Southwest after reading this story on another site. I refuse to give money to this Airline if this is how they treat the people who keep them in Business.
All of these airlines and the TSA need to be put in their place. Amtrack is looking more and more attractive.
If you think a flight attendant on any other airline will let you approach the front repeatedly after telling you not to, and then not have you arrested after you try to push past her to get to the lav, enjoy driving.
I’ve flown a lot of times … Southwest and other airlines … but I have never, ever heard an instruction that passengers cannot get up if the pilot is in the lav. It’s a new one on me. As for it being a “federal law” the airline is only just now enforcing, I call “BS” on that. Airlines frequently claim that a policy they came up with themselves … even an ad hoc one like this, something no one had ever been told before … is a “federal law.” This is, in fact, usually a lie, and everyone knows it.
Would be nice if they stopped using that lie to quell people, but they won’t.
As a pilot, I am acutely aware of what happened on Sept 11. I work for an airline that lost two planes that day. The new rules are mentioned at the beginning of every flight regarding the front lavs and forming lines. We don’t broadcast when the pilots are using the lav, as there is no reason to draw attention to it.
I am not justifying the FA’s behavior per se. She should have offered the alternative and suggested he use a lav in the back. But when we are outside the cockpit, we are trained, and sometimes armed, to stop ANY possible attempt to breach the cockpit. We do not, will not, will never let 9/11 happen again to any extent possible. I have no patience for anyone that violates these rules. I can’t. There are people on board who are trained to watch for suspicious behavior. It is far better that he was yelled at, then physically restrained on board.
If I see anyone approaching the front of the aircraft when they shouldn’t be, and they do not respond to the flight attendants request to sit down or use an alternate lav, I am fully ready to take any action necessary. I am not alone. You can complain about it all day, but this is our lives. The reality of what happened is never far from our minds. We lost friends that day. FAs are trained to keep the area clear when pilots are in the lav without drawing unneeded attention to it. I am sorry this situation happened, but nothing about it sounds racially motivated. He tried to walk past her. At this point, he is considered a threat to the security of the cockpit. Guess what a bad guy is going to do? Exactly what this guy did. Respect that the flight crew is trying to keep your asses from going into a building ever again. It may seem over the top, and there may have been a better way to handle it, but he admits to pushing past her. Regardless of your knowledge of the actual law regarding the lavs, every passenger is told repeatedly to obey the flight attendants. She said sit down. Sit the fuck down.
Also, everyone is taking the Doctors letter as gospel. It is his side of the story. We don’t ever hear the FAs nor the airlines. A judge did. Do you honestly believe there is no other side?
For some reason, more than any other industry I can think of, the general public think they know more about a pilot or flight attendants job than any other. I don’t know if it is the post 9/11 world, the media, or the accessibility. If I sat behind your desk at work and criticized every move you made, every call you took, every game of minesweeper you played, how long would you last?
There is more going on in that aircraft than the public understands. By the comments here, many grok this and draw logical conclusions. But many others want to blame someone because traveling is a hassle these days. Taking it out on the flight crew is an easy target.
I wish we could explain a lot of what we do, but we are often restricted for many reasons. I wish people recognized the difficultly of our jobs and how many times a day we save your life. Just yesterday, three of my friends experienced in flight emergencies and landed their planes without incident due to their training and skill. Flying is as safe as it is because we know what we are doing. We have our lives threatened weekly. Not by terrorists, but by passengers. I had a woman tell me she was going to kill my family because our flight was canceled after the inbound aircraft suffered a lightning strike. We landed without incident; however, felt it was unsafe to fly again. But we also know that the bad guys are still out there.
Hear both sides of a story first and think through it before throwing the book at the FA. His/her daily job is something most people can’t and don’t want to understand. Hint: It isn’t slinging drinks all day.