Unruly Passengers

These days it seems that patience is running a little thin. The government is mandating this or that, finances may be wonky, and everyone has a form of COVID fatigue. In some cases, this has spilled over into everyday life resulting frankly, bad behavior whether it’s at work, in a store and even on-board an aircraft. This can be dangerous, especially on airplanes.

Everyone that’s flown has heard this during the safety briefing, “It’s against federal regulations to interfere with or fail to follow a crew member’s instructions….” The FAA has required that airlines include or something similar for decades. Spoiler alert – flight attendants are not on airplanes solely to serve drinks and pass out credit card applications. They’re primarily there to direct passengers to safety in the unlikely event of an emergency. The FAA has even established a minimum ratio of passengers to crew members to ensure everyone can evacuate within a specified and relatively short period of time. For example, during an emergency evacuation, a flight attendant will open exits and tell you which way to go. They’ll also tell passengers to leave baggage behind as it slows the process and could get jammed in the exit. If passengers ignore the flight attendants, chaos ensues and lives may be at risk.

Back to today – when a passenger is unwilling to follow basic instructions such as wear a mask or becomes combative,they should be removed from the flight to help ensure the safety of everyone on the flight. It’s important to remember that the flight crew didn’t write the rules, but their lives and those of their passengers depend on everyone’s compliance. There is a time and place to voice disagreement but making a defiant statement on an aircraft will not score you points with fellow passengers. The flight will be delayed while you and your luggage are removed and the police gather statements and your information for the inevitable fine of up to $37,000, lifetime ban and possible arrest. We want everyone to arrive at their destination healthy and a little courtesy and compliance will make everyone’s travels safer and more pleasant.