Again, the airline has nothing to do with this...why do you keep doing this...

Do you think it's possible she killed herself? Depressed with suicidal tendencies and didn't take her medication that day, then dealing with the stress of the airport (which can make even a mentally healthy person feel nutso)... not a good combination. Bad situation all around.

Call me a cynic, but I just don't believe these witnesses. All their accounts just don't jibe together. Conflicting accounts of the story.

All she wanted was a PEPSI!

I was reading a Slate explainer on this. They suspected she was trying to do a Hodini move to bring the handcuffs over her head by dislocating her shoulder, then twisting the arm over. But was unable to dislocate the shoulder and complete the manever and ended up with left arm under the chin and twisted up with nowhere to move.

$42000 per month for rehab? seriously? that's more than a lot of people make in a year!

@Hanke:

You'd damn well better believe that the airline has something to do with this, starting with the fact that they and everyone else in this country rolled over and accepted these stupid restrictions after 9/11.

What happened to "Give me liberty, or give me death"? When did we start shouting "Give me liberty, unless you can provide me with more safety in exchange"?

@RvLeshrac: So behaving like an ass in public was okay before 9/11? I agree with Hanke. This could just have easily been an Alaskan Airlines passenger, or Southwest, or Delta. Knowing which airline she missed her flight on doesn't advance the story at all.

9/11 is not a panacea. It doesn't explain consistently poor service from airline, airport, and security personnel, which predates 9/11 by years.

"A witness speaking to WCBS says Gotbaum was screaming, 'You're hurting me! The handcuffs are too tight on me!'"

As the child of a former police officer, and someone who has been in the back of a squad car (not his father's, unfortunately), I can tell you that handcuffs are going to be tight, and the more you resist them and tense up, the tighter they are going to be. When the reporters add these comments, it comes across as police brutality, not the fact that handcuffs are pieces of metal intent on keeping you from resisting, not fuzzy silk mittens with built-in hand lotion. Watch COPS any given night, everyone complains about the same thing.

"Less than an hour later, Carol Anne Gotbaum was dead, apparently strangled by the 16-inch chain used to hook her handcuffs to the bench."

16-inch chain? Sounds like an excellent opportunity for someone to either kill themselves, or pretend to do it to get attention, only to get a little carried away and wind up on the Consumerist.

@RvLeshrac: finally some sanity...
@LEITERFLUID : I remember air travel being much more painless prior 9/11

Also however she behaved, she didn't deserve to die this way IMO.

Part of the article [wcbstv.com] :
"She was screaming, 'You're hurting me! The handcuffs are too tight on me!'" the woman said.

The Phoenix medical examiner is attempting to learn whether she strangled herself with her handcuffs, as police say. Autopsy results have yet to be released, but critics of the police are already crying foul.

"One has to wonder whether there was not some over-reaction, some excessive force and entirely inappropriate response to the problem here," said Donna Lieberman, executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union.

After the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks security was intensified at airports around the country. The question in this case is whether all that new security did more harm than good.

"They come there with weapons. They come there with an orientation towards force -- that's what police officers do," John Jay College Professor Eugene O'Donnell said. "And they should be reserved, absolutely reserved, for situations where they are needed and where there really is a genuine breach of the peace, not the kinds of scenes that are repeated all over the country every day in airports."

You're heading to a 42,000 a month rehab and you're drunk?

@mandarin: Dude, RTFA. She got drunk after her trip to rehab was held up because she was too late to be allowed on her flight to get there. I am not an addict, but I imagine the decision to head to rehab is a hard one, so anything that gets in the way would play some serious head games. I guess she felt it was all hopeless once they denied her boarding, and got a drink to cope (which, hello, why she needed rehab to begin with-- to learn to cope without alcohol).

I think no matter what (whether accidental death or suicide), it all comes down to her being left handcufffed while unsupervised in a cell, which is totally against all police procedure for exactly this reason.

@RvLeshrac: So you want passangers that are acting completely nuts onto a flight you are on.

@formergr: Read again, she was drunk before she missed it. She got drunk because her friend who was presumably supposed to be there for support never showed.

This doesnt belong on Consumerist. A sad and tragic incident, some one struggling with illness and alcohol. Please keep this site on track and on topic.

@RvLeshrac: Um, really dude, this isn't about liberty or the airline agreeing to any "restrictions". She was late for her flight, and they didn't let her board. Airlines have been doing this for ages, and it has nothing to do with 9/11.

@formergr: You might want to edit your comment to mandarin after you RTFA.

According to the link(NYDailyNews) provided by Consumerist:
"Gotbaum was sober on the flight from Manhattan to Phoenix, but a friend who was supposed to meet her at the terminal for the last leg to Tucson failed to show, sources said.

She had lunch solo at the terminal, got drunk and didn't hear her connecting flight being called for Tucson, airline workers said.

She was jittery as she went through security and was pulled aside to be patted down, a witness said. Gotbaum said, "I have to get my flight. I'm late for my flight," the witness said.

She arrived at the gate just eight minutes before the plane was supposed to leave and was turned away."

I RTFA and the order of events were:
Lunch...Drunk...Flight called but not heard...Late for boarding...Turned away.

Clearly (according to NYDailyNews) she got drunk BEFORE trying to board her flight.

@Hanke: Who knows. If US Airways delayed the flight to let her board, it's US Airways' fault for being late, and the other passengers can email bomb the US Airways executives for another late flight complaint. But US Airways denied her boarding for being late, and as we have already seen, some people are blaming US Airways for her death. Consumerist Catch-22.

This is unreal, one post seems to only want to defend the airline, another insisting the police are not to blame. Another oh she was just drunk and how much the hospital costs. The insensitivity here is baffling, a women is dead. And yes someone is responsible. A person does not need to check themselves into a hospital because everything is fine in their lives. The women was sick. It may not be the kind of illness you approve of, but an illness none the less. A physical, emotional and mental illness. Why the family allowed her to travel alone is insane to begin with. And the airline agent that spoke with her husband obviously got the message that the women was ill and had "not taken her medication today... "

But it does not take a professional to see that the women obviously needed to be restrained and provided immediate medical attention, not chained and dumped in a cell all alone. I suspect that the Phoenix police department must get better training in how to deal with mentally disturbed individuals than they exhibited in this case.

@humphrmi:
@smarty:
@sonichghog:
@Leiterfluid:

That's funny. I remember a trip to Vegas during the 90s where we were allowed to board a connecting flight in Dallas-Ft. Worth just one minute before the door closed. (And YOU try getting from [literally] one end of KDFW to the other in 30 minutes to connect, before I hear any comments about 'showing up early')

I don't understand how her boarding before the aircraft closed the door or pulled away from the terminal has anything to do with the plane being or not being on time. Hell, it was probably late before she showed up. Does it take ten minutes to walk across the gangplank and find your seat?

And people acting 'crazy' on flights can include many things. Do we not allow anyone with Down's on a flight? How about people with Parkinson's? Alzheimer's? Jews are stereotyped as being neurotic, so no jews on planes. And no one who has even the slightest fear of flying! Forget the Air Marshalls, too, since they're trained to be a little high-strung. No more wacky flight attendants - all flight attendants must be stoics. They should probably be eunuchs, as well, since that'll keep the sexual tension out of the air.

While we're at it, no one taking any medication should be allowed on the plane - they can't legally require you to list your medications, so we don't want to put the other passengers at undue risk if you're someone who takes antidepressants or antipsychotics - what happens if you miss a dose on the plane?! No smokers or drinkers on the plane! No alcohol! You're liable to wig out and bust a window so you can smoke!

As a matter of fact, everyone should just be required to board the aircraft completely nude. Then they can strap us to tables and stack us up like dominoes. Then no one will ever be able to harm anyone else on a plane, or even ANNOY anyone else on a plane.

Hopefully, that would be due to everyone avoiding flight like it was the plague.

@RvLeshrac: They didn't deny her boarding because she was acting 'crazy', in fact I'm pretty sure most of the articles so far have been pretty clear that she didn't have any behavior problem until they denied her boarding, simply because she was late.

Your anecdotal evidence of not being denied boarding aside, the policy has been in place with most airlines for decades.

The airline did what they were supposed to do... follow policy, and call the police at the first sign of trouble. It was after the police took control of the situation that things went terribly wrong.

@RvLeshrac: Oh thats nice, All Jews are crazy(rolleyes)

Here, let me make it easy for you.

A person being a jew does not make them crazy
A person with DS is retarded, not crazy
A person with parkensins is not crazy
A person with Alzheimers is not crazy

A person that is drunk, and acting historical, ok a bit crazy.

Come on, I thought you view type of view on jews stopped sometime in the 1940s....

"She got her cell phone, broke it on a couple of customers and she threw it on the floor, hit them," the woman said.

"It will be okay. She just needs to take her medication. ... She hasn't taken it today,"

Sounds sane to me.......

No one has commented on this no show 'friend'... If a negligent-manslaughter charge is brought against the TSA, one should definitely be brought against the 'friend' too, who didn't show up to provide this woman with the emotional support she clearly needed during what should have been a major, positive, life change.

It's a tragedy. It's an accident. The TSA probably won't lock handcuffed people up anymore.. or if they do, they'll keep constant watch on them, instead of checking on them every 15 minutes.

@sonichghog: You're obviously not familiar with hyperbole are you?

I bet the autopsy found the police at fault. Instead of admitting their mistake, they're trying to cover it up with "inconclusive." Anytime the government says "inconclusive" or anything short of "we fucked up, and those responsible were fired, and we're sorry" they're trying to cover up THEIR screwup.

Since when is being an ass in public a capitol offense? Terrorist bombers aren't going to be loud and obnoxious in airports, so we shouldn't be restraining people who have legitimate reasons to be upset. Where is the understanding and compassion in all this? If people are dying, then someone needs to be held accountable.

@IRSistherootofallevil: SO, what you are saying is the COPS must always be guilty? Cause if anytime they say anything other then "We fucked up" they are coverring things up that means they will never be not guilty.

Maybe inconclusive means just that. They cant conclude what caused the chain to wrap around her neck from the autopsy. They do this because if they cant PROVE she did it to herself then the parents and the hippy brigade quoted in the article will insist its a cover up, just like you did. My guess is she had bruising, and marks on her neck. Exactly what you would see in either a police brutality case OR a woman going into a fit of rage.

But I guess that fits most of the people and posters on here, Government bad, corporations evil, everyone is out to get you, stick it to the man.

Another rich snob woman bites the dust. Oh well.

So I did some quick research, the flight from NYC to Tucson, on UsAirWays would leave JFK and arrive at 12:21 PHX time. The connecting flight is at 2:58pm (as stated in the article, she missed that flight).

I can understand that a friend was supposed to meet her at the airport which is potentially why no family member accompanied her.

We know the rest so far, she got drunk, got out of control, got restrained, got dead.

There are two autopsies performed today, one by county medical examiner and one by an "independent" doctor hired by her family. They've also hired a high profile attorney with a history of cases against the jurisdiction in question.

So, what will we all learn from this? Nothing, because this will be "celebrity" vs. the system and as we've seen so many times before, it will be a dog and pony show.

So, in 2.5 hours you can do a pretty good job of getting yourself hammered, but you have to be at an airport bar to do so. So I wonder, why no comments from the bar she was drinking at? Yea, no answer needed there.

No comment on whether she was purchasing alcohol on the flight from JFK or did she fly first class with complimentary "beverage service" all the way.

In retrospect, as I've read, the family is upset that they allowed her to travel alone. They should be. If you can afford rehab like that you should be able to afford a plane ticket to Tucson, if she was THAT MESSED UP why would you rely upon her getting there without incident?

I'd have to agree that all indications at this point show the police mishandling her in regards to leaving someone in her mental state unguarded but it's true that all facts are not yet out. Of course, who knows what the facts are or if we'll know.

My final plea to consumerist... I agree, first, this is not a consumerism issue. Second, just call her by name and not the USAirways passenger, I realize that it helps build some kind of continuity but anyone who cares probably knows her name by now.

Apparently NYC has no good rehab centers... that's a shame really for a city of that size.

I have worked the gates. I have had screaming passengers telling what an asshole I am for allowing the flight to leave without them on it. I have been assaulted, spit upon, told how they will sue me and the airline into the stone age (true story). But in the end there is one simple fact, traveling by commercial aircraft does not allow the person to be a nut. IN ANY CIRCUMSTANCE.

If you act like a nut then you will be told to calm down. If you fail to chill out then the cops will be called.

This woman didn;t deserve to die, even if it was her own fault, but come on, if the family can afford 42K a month (hell, even a year) for rehab then they can afford to send a chaperon with this woman. And someone who is in need of anti-depressants and is a known alcoholic requires a chaperon to travel across the country. Period.

At this point if anyone is to blame, I an looking squarely at the husband who was so buy to allow his wife to travel unescorted. Personal responsibility starts at home, not in the holding cell.

So now there needs to be 24/7 observation of all inmates? Since when?

Also, what a great plan. Force the unstable lady to leave the secure terminal in order to meet some "friend." Who dreamed that one up? Just what she needed - another complication.

Finally, for $42K, I would think that the facility could spring for someone to pick up clients in Phoenix. It's not that long a drive to Tucson. But no, let's give them one last great chance to binge before they get there.

@rainmkr: LOL! I wish more people understood why your comment rocked.

@Trojan69: The drive to Tucson is about an hour and a half on the I-10, that makes anywhere on I95 look preferable. The flight down is 18 min and believe me, no one makes the drive voluntarily.

I'm not sure if I can trust the government with their track record of lying. No, I definitely can't trust them. And most government workers, especially politicians, are incompetent, overpaid schmucks, who probably couldn't hold a job in the private sector. I'm not saying that the private sector's perfect, but they have more accountability than the government. Let's name some examples of gov't incompetence...basically all the elected schmucks, DHS, TSA, FDA, CPSC, the list goes on.

So therefore, they have the burden of proof. I wonder why you people accept this kind of incompetence. If a private corporation were this incompetent and unable to turn a profit year after year, the entire management would have been fired year after year. This level of unaccountability is unacceptable. If the government isn't hiding anything, prove it. Don't hide under antiterrorism or patriotism or whatever other catch phrase they hide under.

It's people like ArtDonovansLoveChild that allow government to get so big that it starts becoming totalitarian. Government has power. It's got guns. Therefore, as a good citizen, you must ALWAYS question its motives, intentions and actions. When government has to answer to the people, liberty and freedom flourish. When you trust them, they turn into the Bush regime. Thus, YOU MUST ALWAYS DISTRUST GOVERNMENT. ALWAYS. THEIR MOTIVES ARE ALWAYS QUESTIONABLE, AND THEIR COMPETENCY AS WELL AS LEGITIMACY IS ALWAYS QUESTIONABLE. You saw what happened when the people fear the government. You also saw what happens when the people don't take crap sitting down. CEO's have to answer to their investors, why shouldn't government have to answer to its people? Are you asking me to completely trust them? Because I don't completely trust anyone. And distrust is what keeps you safe. Safe from people that want to do you harm, and safe from people who want to take your rights away, domestic OR foreign.

There's a reason the bill of rights exists: and that's because the government can't be trusted to not abuse its power, and therefore, the founding fathers were smart enough to legally forbid it.

And government has proven over and over again that it needs to be COMPLETELY micromanaged; therefore, its our job to micromanage government, since they proved over and over again that they can't function competently without it.

Man, think of it this way, the guy saved 42 Grand. An optimist i am!

@HungryGrrl:

I agree -- the ones at fault are her family who didn't bother to see their clearly unstable family member safely to rehab. They can spend that much on the rehab, but can't take the day of work to escort her there?

@Trojan69: You said, "So now there needs to be 24/7 observation of all inmates? Since when?" I don't think anyone is saying that. What I'm saying (and others), is you don't leave anyone (regardless of their mental state) unobserved in a cell with restraints on.

If they're behind bars (especially if they are alone in a cell)-- no need to be cuffed, too. That's sort of the point of a cell.

@IRSistherootofallevil:

I'm happy to micromanage gov't, and this manager says once she starts throwing shit at other passengers, she needs to be restrained.

A witness speaking to WCBS says Gotbaum was screaming, 'You're hurting me! The handcuffs are too tight on me!'"

Really, people say that all the time. Ever watch Cops? People, especially those that are drunk, seem to always scream about how the police are hurting them and the handcuffs are too tight. Handcuffs are SUPPOSED to be tight. They are not going to be comfortable.

@formergr:
For the record, it is absolutely not true that what happened was against police procedure.
It's just not true. I am getting a little weary of people coming on here and pretending that they are experts on what is or is not standard police procedure.
So please, stop polluting this site with fabrications.
[www.1010wins.com]
"Hill said officers followed established policy while detaining Gotbaum. Police also said their procedures for arresting someone at the airport haven't changed since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks."
Nothing has changed in the way the police handle detainees. This was by the book.
Let's try, just a little bit, to get our facts straight instead of pretending we all know what we are talking about, making ridiculous claims about security changes since 9/11, and claiming to know procedure when you clearly do not.
This is a tragedy, but not one that can so easily be attributed to police misconduct, no matter how active your imaginations are....
Thank you!