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Unruly passenger incidents rising again, FAA data shows:
FAA figures released Tuesday show more disruptions on commercial flights in the past week than any week in the past two and a half months.
The FAA says there were 128 new incidents reported by flight crews, bringing this year's total to 4,626 incidents. The new number is the highest weekly figure since the FAA started releasing weekly data on July 20.
About 72% of issues in the past week were over the federal transportation mask mandate, figures show.
[...] The agency has proposed more than $1 million in fines against unruly airline passengers this year.
One $45,000 fine announced in August was against a passenger accused of throwing his luggage at another passenger and, while lying on the aisle floor, "grabbing a flight attendant by the ankles and putting his head up her skirt."
Another passenger would not wear his face mask, the FAA, said, and "acted as though his hand was a gun and made a 'pew, pew' noise as if he was shooting a fellow passenger."
[...] Pekoske said 110 TSA officers have been assaulted this year.
Lots Of Talk About A Crackdown On America’s Air Rage Epidemic—But Not Enough Action:
Among the most egregious incidents: Last December, a Delta Air Lines passenger tried to open the cockpit door mid-flight and struck a flight attendant in the face before being restrained by crew members and a fellow passenger. On an Alaska Airlines flight in March, a Colorado man who refused to wear a face mask swatted at a flight attendant, then stood up and urinated in his seat area. In May, a Southwest Airlines passenger punched out a flight attendant’s teeth after being told to keep her seat belt fastened.
[...] The threat of four- and five-figure fines has not tamped down unruly behavior on planes. “Civil penalties alone are failing to deter criminal activity by airline passengers,” [...]
[...] The airline industry, meanwhile, says this is a job for the Department of Justice. “We believe that the United States Government is well equipped to prosecute unruly and disruptive onboard behavior,” [...]
What, if anything, should be done, or could improve the situation?
(Score: 5, Interesting) by HiThere on Friday October 08 2021, @12:32AM (12 children)
It's not clear that would work, though it should be tried. The problem is that quick retribution is more effective at changing behavior than severe retribution which is delayed.
So...stop the plane at the next available airport and remove them from the plane, with a fine and banning from flights as the immediate follow on (not delayed). Some of that could be done by the airline without waiting for court action. Just how long the ban should last I'm not sure, I lean towards at least 2 years, but the fact of the ban, and it's quick imposition is more important than the duration. (Of course, this invites abuse on the part of the airlines, so photographic evidence should be required and audio highly desirable. Inside an airplane that shouldn't be difficult.)
Javascript is what you use to allow unknown third parties to run software you have no idea about on your computer.
(Score: 2) by krishnoid on Friday October 08 2021, @02:18AM
If you s/stop the plane at the next available airport and//; then you can also s/with a fine and banning .*//; . Probably wouldn't even need to worry with maintaining a ban list.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Phoenix666 on Friday October 08 2021, @03:51AM (10 children)
That sounds like an excellent plan if alienating huge swathes of your customer base and going out of business is your goal.
Travel volumes have collapsed thanks to the coronavirus. Airlines are hurting badly. As if that's not enough, mismanaging their remaining flights is killing off more business; I have multiple reports of peoples' flights being delayed, rescheduled, or cancelled, for days. So declaring war on those silly enough to continue to fly is guaranteed to destroy what remains.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 2) by HiThere on Friday October 08 2021, @01:32PM
True, there's more than one component to the situation.
Javascript is what you use to allow unknown third parties to run software you have no idea about on your computer.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 08 2021, @02:32PM (2 children)
As someone who still has to fly, people like this are currently alienating most other passengers who just want to get from A to B. Getting these s**ts off the plane will make life much better for most of us who still have to fly.
Ban them on the spot, and let them figure out a different way to get whereever they are going when they get dropped off at the next airport. They can rent a car and drive, and then the poor babies (boo-hoo-hoo) won't have to wear a mask. Make these whining, entitled "victims" pay for all the crap they put everyone else through. Press criminal charges.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by DeathMonkey on Friday October 08 2021, @06:13PM (1 child)
I just love how the masks=the devil people are the same people who will freak the fuck out if their precious eyes are ever exposed to 50% of human nipples.
(Score: 2) by DeathMonkey on Friday October 08 2021, @06:16PM
Banning a woman from feeding her baby in public: FREEDOM!!
Requiring people to not endanger their fellow travelers: SLAVERY!!
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Nuke on Friday October 08 2021, @04:23PM (2 children)
Kicking louts off the plane would alienate "huge swathes" of passengers?? The only people alienated would be the louts.
I would say that not kicking them off is alienating the majority. From what I hear I prefer not to fly, and I'd be inclined to get off at the next airport myself if one of those louts is allowed to remain on board.
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Friday October 08 2021, @06:45PM (1 child)
Except, you are only one delay from being a lout yourself.
People are losing it for a reason.
Maybe the answer is to have flights take off on time, and to treat passengers with dignity. I know, crazy talk, right?
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 08 2021, @06:55PM
_-*Translation as follows*-_
"People are annoyed by the shittiness of airlines, please excuse their assaults upon employees and the endangerment of other passengers because we must care about their hurt little feelings. Please agree that white people are entitled to be criminal pricks in pursuit of their creature comforts."
*** end translation ***
(Score: 5, Interesting) by edIII on Friday October 08 2021, @08:56PM (2 children)
I don't fly already because of the TSA and the naked-porno-scanners becoming more forced. It certainly doesn't help that the odds of coming across some selfish ignorant anti-mask fucker is pretty good. Waiting until you hit ground only allows them to breathe pathogens into the common air for how long? These people need to understand they need to wear the mask 100% of the time, and if they don't follow instructions put them on the no-fly list until COVID is complete over.
Now if I knew the planes wouldn't even lift off without compliance, and that being caught without a mask meant being on the no-fly list, I just might actually feel comfortable flying.
That's why travel volumes have collapsed. Not because flight crews are mistreating people, but because it is DANGEROUS. I have clients/family/friends that have asked multiple times for me to come out and help them, even offering to pay for the flights, and my answer is an absolutely firm no.
It's not just planes either. It's anywhere people normally congregated. Who's responsible for this? The venue operators? Employees? NO. It's the people that refuse to wear a piece of cloth on their faces to help fight a pandemic that is killing people and causing rationing of care in hospitals.
I would rather have what remains destroyed, then get COVID on a flight because of some anti-masking mother fuckers. Fuck them. Fuck them with a saguaro cactus sideways. They are the reason I can't fly and won't see my family for at least another few years.
Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 09 2021, @03:59AM (1 child)
You are willingly getting into a metal tube packed like sardines with your fellow humans and you think the little piece of loose-fitting paper is going to protect you from breathing in the virus. No, you are relying on either your natural immune system or else a vaccination. The little paper is not doing shit. But, you can't be a man and accept that you badly want to travel and are willing to risk getting sick, so you tell yourself it's not really a risk if everyone wears the little paper. WISHFUL THINKING. Be honest with yourself and stop being a coward about it.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by edIII on Saturday October 09 2021, @10:08PM
Ahh, yes the testosterone filled idiots speak. It's always about being a man right? That's some ignorant bravado bullshit completely bereft of any sophisticated intelligence and reason.
It's not a little paper, and scientifically it makes a big fucking difference. Instead of your be-a-man argument, I'm going to respond with six layers of N99.9 (not N99.5) material with an active exhaust system using Ultraviolet-C light. Science mother fucker!
You lack any sophisticated understanding and rely on your "balls" and false courage. It's LESS or a risk of everyone is wearing the "piece of paper". That's just science and reason. If all of exhales from everybody passes through at least a N99.5 filter, then the number of pathogens put into the common area is vastly lower then without it. If that common area has vastly lower pathogens in it, then again, the odds of inhaling a pathogen through the same said material is vastly lower. Being overly simplistic it's like having a 1/5 chance of winning something versus the chances found in any common state lottery. It's probably orders or magnitude less risk.
So your manliness wants me to accept vastly higher risk because you're an asshole? No fuck you! :)
Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.