United passenger forcibly removed from overbooked flight..
Discussion
Motorrad said:
unrepentant said:
Motorrad said:
unrepentant said:
What utter b
kss.
Well as someone who lived in the US and was threatened with a firearm (I have no doubt the guy would have used it if I hadn't complied) after the most minor of infractions I beg to differ.kss.edit to add
I'll expand on this a little bit.
When you go to Grosvenor Square to get your Visa you're made to feel like a criminal- sit there, wait here, stand behind the line, invasive questioning etc etc. I was just amazed I didn't have to strip, squat and cough.
Arrived in the US and needed to get a SSN. This involved a trip to a Federal facility that was, again, like a cross between a military induction centre and one flew over the cuckoo's nest.
I won't even get into the joy that was the DPS for a (sic) license.
You're talking utter b
ks.ks'.Being fair, the vast majority of my interactions with authority figures were very friendly. Americans love Scots and love to tell you so. It probably helps that I'm not a criminal and don't get up to the sort of stuff that gets you on the wrong side of Joe from Family Guy or the Gunnery Sergeant from Full Metal Jacket.
I can testify you can fall foul of Police and Immigration Officers and, although I never feared for my life, when they kick off there is an underlying threat of violence and jail miles out of proportion for how little a victim steps out of line. I've been threatened with jail because a Deputy in Utah asked me if I knew how fast I was riding a mountain bike down a hill and I pointed to my handlebars and said "no speedo". FFS how do you end up in Jail for that.
My Canadian Cousins and friends from St Catherine's Ontario are wary of US border guards. More or less the same story. Something very minor, suddenly has the authority figure kicking off and taking umbrage at his attitude has consequences that are difficult to comprehend.
Anyone dare to say this Borderguard is reasonable?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDYMw1p8s9M
Tannedbaldhead said:
I can testify you can fall foul of Police and Immigration Officers and, although I never feared for my life, when they kick off there is an underlying threat of violence and jail miles out of proportion for how little a victim steps out of line.
I had an interesting and unedifying interaction with border security, at Chicago as it happens, in my youth.First interaction was with the surly, barely mono-sylabic, fat cow on passport control. She had a pile of arrival cards on her desk and I asked if that was where I needed to place mine. The response was barely a grunt, so I asked again and still failed to get an actual word. I put my car with the rest.
A short walk later, some officious, snipy t
t of a border official stopped me and asked for 'a card', I said "I don't have one", he said, condescendingly and pointedly, "sir, you [i]do[i/]". I asked him to describe this card and then, when it dawned on me, I pointed down the way to the piles of said cards by each passport officer and said, I handed mine in there. He told me I was not supposed to. I told him I'd asked the passport officer.Having been made to walk back and rummage through my card - now buried - I returned to the t
t and, as he checked my passport and arrivals card, casually mentioned what and unpleasant place the US was to clear border control. If he could have shot me, I'm sure he would have, he was incandescent with rage and literally threw my passport at me and told me to get out of his sight. I decided, on balance, not to enter into further discussion and make my exit.My worst US Customs experience is a very odd one.
I was in the military (RAF) and in early 2002, just after we finished the Air War in Afghanistan operating along side the USAF, about 25 of us flew on a military aircraft (E-3D) from the UK to Nelliis AFB for a big military exercise with the USAF (Red Flag).
Upon landing we had to line up side by side on the dispersal (the bit of concrete we parked on) with our bags infront of us in 30+ degree heat for over 2 hours while while US customs had their dogs walk over everything sniffing, the agents opened our bags and swabbed items while not being allowed to get a drink.
After they were done the just walked away leaving the Captain to ask someone what the purpose of all that was, which garnered the jaw dropping reply of "It's Anti-Terrorism checks Sir", to a bunch of military who had just come back from Anti-Terrorism Ops
My best experience was walking through an Airport in Boston and as I was daydreaming a little, I misheard what the Customs guy said when he asked for my Passport (I though he was asking about anything to declare) so I said " No Thanks" and tried to walk through his gate while he looked perplexed. After about 10 seconds of silence while the gate remained closed, which was starting to become uncomfortable, he said in a stern voice "I'll ask again Sir, can I have your passport?" which was followed by my best bumbling "Hugh Grant as a Brit Abroard" style apology as I tried to explain my mistake while the Customs guys had a good old chuckle at me.
I was in the military (RAF) and in early 2002, just after we finished the Air War in Afghanistan operating along side the USAF, about 25 of us flew on a military aircraft (E-3D) from the UK to Nelliis AFB for a big military exercise with the USAF (Red Flag).
Upon landing we had to line up side by side on the dispersal (the bit of concrete we parked on) with our bags infront of us in 30+ degree heat for over 2 hours while while US customs had their dogs walk over everything sniffing, the agents opened our bags and swabbed items while not being allowed to get a drink.
After they were done the just walked away leaving the Captain to ask someone what the purpose of all that was, which garnered the jaw dropping reply of "It's Anti-Terrorism checks Sir", to a bunch of military who had just come back from Anti-Terrorism Ops
My best experience was walking through an Airport in Boston and as I was daydreaming a little, I misheard what the Customs guy said when he asked for my Passport (I though he was asking about anything to declare) so I said " No Thanks" and tried to walk through his gate while he looked perplexed. After about 10 seconds of silence while the gate remained closed, which was starting to become uncomfortable, he said in a stern voice "I'll ask again Sir, can I have your passport?" which was followed by my best bumbling "Hugh Grant as a Brit Abroard" style apology as I tried to explain my mistake while the Customs guys had a good old chuckle at me.
carreauchompeur said:
Sounds similarly pleasant to my last exit from Colombia when I was stood at the counter waiting for him to finish his procedures whereupon he snapped PASAPORTE! at me and quite literally threw it at me.
His colleagues later nicked $100 from my bag.
Lovely place!
That sounds bizarre. I have flown in and out of Colombia many times and never found it anything but professional and efficient. What airport was this?His colleagues later nicked $100 from my bag.
Lovely place!
Cartagena. Was indeed odd as I didn't have any similar problems/attitude on any crossings or internal flights...
I tended to think that checked luggage was safe now although I'm fairly sure it was a customs search rather than a rogue handler who removed my very well concealed $100 emergency money in the rucksac,.,
I tended to think that checked luggage was safe now although I'm fairly sure it was a customs search rather than a rogue handler who removed my very well concealed $100 emergency money in the rucksac,.,
DocJock said:
Because they have worked out that if only 290 turn up out of 300 then they can sell 310 tickets and normally get away with trousering the extra 10 ticket prices.
And if they get it wrong and more than 300 people turn up for the flight OR they decide after you were sitting on the plane they want one of their mates to go instead of you, they (and by "they" I mean a glorified waitress) reserve the right to have the local police give you a good shoeing for not doing exactly as they say. "It's federal law" ;-)Now a lot more people know their rights if they get bumped off due to over booking and will hold out for more money , in cash. I bet all the other airlines hate United for this!
Some of the most unpleasant people I have come across were US immigration agents - swaggering, overweight, arrogant, humourless jobsworth types.
No attempt to assist people who asked which line to be in, shouting at people who had stopped to get their bearings or sort out children and baggage.
Singling one out I will never go near Miami airport again unless I am dragged there in chains. Long waits, no air con, lined up like criminals, definitely not the way to welcome tourists to your country.
Amusingly my young daughter was approached by a sniffer dog and the handler barked out " STEP AWAY FROM THE AGENT " in the manner of a drill Sergeant. No lasting trauma though, for the next three weeks this phrase was repeated each time we met a dog.
I believe that these Homeland Security people were hurriedly recruited after 9/11 so the bottom of the barrel may have been scraped.
Previous to 9/11 we often remarked how lax the security was in US airports, the prevailing attitude amongst people we talked to was that no terrorist would dare try anything in the good old USA, sadly they were very mistaken.
No attempt to assist people who asked which line to be in, shouting at people who had stopped to get their bearings or sort out children and baggage.
Singling one out I will never go near Miami airport again unless I am dragged there in chains. Long waits, no air con, lined up like criminals, definitely not the way to welcome tourists to your country.
Amusingly my young daughter was approached by a sniffer dog and the handler barked out " STEP AWAY FROM THE AGENT " in the manner of a drill Sergeant. No lasting trauma though, for the next three weeks this phrase was repeated each time we met a dog.
I believe that these Homeland Security people were hurriedly recruited after 9/11 so the bottom of the barrel may have been scraped.
Previous to 9/11 we often remarked how lax the security was in US airports, the prevailing attitude amongst people we talked to was that no terrorist would dare try anything in the good old USA, sadly they were very mistaken.
kev b said:
I believe that these Homeland Security people were hurriedly recruited after 9/11 so the bottom of the barrel may have been scraped.
I don't think it was much better before - used to fly into LAX quite a lot in the 90's and it was often horrendous.I think it's long been fairly bad, at least in terms of wait times, for foreigners coming into LHR though.
No idea about the background, and I doubt it is as presented, but it seems United Airlines keep getting excellent PR for their onboard customer service
American Airlines flight attendant 'hits mum with her baby buggy as she holds her twins' then challenges passenger to a fight
American Airlines flight attendant 'hits mum with her baby buggy as she holds her twins' then challenges passenger to a fight
wsurfa said:
No idea about the background, and I doubt it is as presented, but it seems United Airlines keep getting excellent PR for their onboard customer service
American Airlines flight attendant 'hits mum with her baby buggy as she holds her twins' then challenges passenger to a fight
That's American Airlines...American Airlines flight attendant 'hits mum with her baby buggy as she holds her twins' then challenges passenger to a fight
ZX10R NIN said:
It may have been explained in the previous pages but why do the airlines over book the flights anyway if you have sold 300 seats & then only 290 turn up what difference does it make because the 10 seats are now empty?
Some airlines often get businesses travelers and people on flexible tickets that change them at the last minute leaving seats the airline can't sell so they overbook to cover any potential loss. Same thing happens in some hotels. Gassing Station | News, Politics & Economics | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff