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If you got on Twitter this morning, you probably saw the outrage over a passenger on a United Airlines flight being dragged off due to overbooking.
From The Washington Post:
United Airlines says a man wouldn’t give up his spot on an overbooked flight Sunday.
So, according to witnesses and videos of the incident, he was pulled screaming from his seat by security, knocked against an arm rest and dragged down the aisle and back to the terminal at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport.
So United overbooked, no one wanted to leave in exchange for a flight voucher, so they chose a passenger at random. Said dude wasn’t having it, and security dragged his ass off after roughing him up.
AKA, this dude is the luckiest motherfucker on the god damn planet.
Why, tell me sweet baby Jesus, why did this not happen to me in any of the times I’ve flown. I’ve been on at least 50-60 flights in my life and never once has a gift come down from the gods of airline officials fucking me up and dragging me off the plane. Embarrassing and cruel? Yes. Best thing that ever happened to him? Also yes.
@United overbook #flight3411 and decided to force random passengers off the plane. Here's how they did it: pic.twitter.com/QfefM8X2cW
— Jayse D. Anspach (@JayseDavid) April 10, 2017
This #blessed dude may have lost the fight but he won the war. United is going to be paying this lucky SOB a settlement until the day he dies. In the video you can see him being dragged down the aisle motionless and shocked, likely because he just realized he became a multi-millionaire in the span of five minutes. Retirement is as easy as sitting in seat 17B.
Next time I hop on a flight, whether it be family vacation or the wedding & bachelor parties I have to attend this summer, I’m begging the airline staff: please beat the fuck out of me and drag me off that plane. If you overbook, walk right over to me and bust my lip then lift me out of there like a rag doll, so I can then do what this dude is doing and head to a lawyer’s office and file my retirement papers.
Some people have all the luck. .
[via The Washington Post]
Listen to the Touching Base guys break down this entire fiasco and more on this week’s episode which you can find on iTunes and SoundCloud.
Respond
Kyle Bandujo
The artist formerly known as Crash Davis. My kid doesn't think I'm funny.
@kylebandujo
@bandujokyle
kyle.bandit
Praying to be beaten and dragged off a plane in order to pay off student loans and ensure financial security. #PGP
I’m flying United out of O’Hare on Saturday…ah, what could have been.
I just want to point out it would be super awkward to be the standby United crewmember taking that seat
I’ve had to do it before, and it is. Nothing like taking a seat from a cute college girl because you need to work a flight from Columbia to Charlotte.
I would not want to be an employee of United’s PR team this morning.
I have nightmares that I may be in this situation some day.
Name checks out.
I got a job board email this morning saying that United was looking for a Public Relations Manager.
I hope this guy angry tweeted @United requesting vouchers.
The question is do you go free (coach) flights for life or a cool $1 mil?
I don’t think you could fly enough “free coach” to come close to 1 million
Currently reading “Negotiating For Dummies”. Will get back to you with an answer in the near future.
So?
Results are in, consulted with a friend.. Let’s call him Curt. (cough Schilling). After a heated debate, we’ve come to the consensus: Although money can’t buy happiness, this time, it will buy you back your freedom. Imagine: every time you board a flight, attendants whisper, point and stare. Word gets out. “That’s the guy..” Cameras roll as you can practically feel the asinine Snapchat dog filters over your face. Each and every flight you’re known as “that guy” having to relive the time when you flew too close to the sun. The William Hung of the air. Your childish antics have tarnished your name. This ain’t no Rosa Parks son. Move your feet and give up your seat.
Take the money ya idiot.
I’ve never wanted the fuck beaten out of me more in my life right now.
Missed opportunity to strut off the plane with the double birds flying high over his head.
If I was a lawyer on that plane I’d be kicking my chops.
Licking. Son of a bitch.
Jimmy Mcgill is that you?!
I would’ve slipped my card into his pocket as the slid his motionless body down the center aisle
Should of just kept raising the price of the voucher they were offering until someone took it. United is comprised of a bunch of morons.
This guy won’t get a dime from United. 1. It was law enforcement, not United employees, who forced him off the plane. 2. United’s Contract of Carriage covers situations like this, and though it’s a shitty situation, when the captain tells you to get off the plane, you gotta get off, end of story.
Still a PR nightmare for United.
Their policy denies boarding, not removal from one’s seat. Seeing as he has already boarded the plane, they forcibly removed, not denied.
Their policy also states that United can prioritize any other passenger over anyone else (even already boarded). In this case, it was United crew members who needed the 4 seats, so they were prioritized over the passenger. Not against their terms.
I’m not at all on United’s side here. Airlines should be regulated more heavily to stop overbooking and be made to pay harsher penalties when they do (like in Europe). But this is the policy, and paying passengers are bumped from their flights every day. But when most people are told to get off the plane, especially by the police, they comply.
I would argue we don’t need more regulation. I think we should just let the market work with this one. United is taking a huge PR hit, their stock will plummet and they’ll lose out on customers, then they’ll change their policy so it doesn’t ever happen again. This guy will get a huge settlement, and customers will be better served when other companies take advantage of United’s fiasco and provide better service.
I am usually anti-regulation, but let’s face it, which domestic airline doesn’t suck donkey balls? Suggesting the market will fix this is like saying syphilis will chase gonoreah out of the market.
Virgin/Alaska, I’ve never had a bad flight, and at 6’4″, my legs aren’t shot afterwards, which is a nice change. Also live TV is awesome as h*ck
Never understood why soo many american’s shit themselves when they hear the word Regulation, It’s always there for people’s
benefit, granted the odd time in can be cumbersome..
Couldn’t agree more. Regulations help the consumer not the other way around.
No, he’ll get a settlement. It would be worse for United to actually go to court because now you’re talking about every media station covering the situation for quite some time.
Even if he did sue, this would never see a courtroom and he will only end up paying his legal fees. He, just like United, will hope this story has the life of #Leggingsgate and we’re all talking about something else next week.
If a lawsuit is filed, $5 says it get settled out of court.
The whole leggings thing was based off of a dresscode that people who take advantage of the employee/family of employee standby are required to follow in order to participate in the program.
To say that it’s equal to “United had cops come in and clock a guy for refusing to give up his seat then dragged his body off the plane” is disingenuous at best.
This is a classic case of intentional infliction of emotional distress. Might as well start counting he money now. You’d have to be J-bone’s bonehead of the week to turn this one down.
No he wont. It’s called a contingency fee basis. Stick to what you know.
What are you talking about? The term is called LIABILITY! This passenger was seated on the plane. The airline is ABSOLUTELY liable for any injury that happens on their property or equipment. Their lawyers can try to litigate down the airline’s level of liability but they will pay. Oh they will pay. They can shove their policy up their ass. This passenger is not an employee of the airline and is not subject to company policy. God damn I hate stupid people that try to sound smart.
I hope this guy gets a great settlement from United because they handled this about as poorly as possible. But, I also hope this guy gets hit with like a $25k fine from the FAA or something for disturbing the peace on a plane for acting like a little bitch.
dude lost a lot of cool points with that blood-curdling scream of his. take your beating like a man.