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If we are talking about getting some control of lobbying and taking the money out of politics. I am 100% with you.
I would accept a moderate Republican if they were honestly fighting tooth and nail to get the lobbying out of DC , every state every town.
The biggest problem we really have is allowed PACs to pick candidates, lobbyists and corps to write bills, industries and markets that lobby to self regulate.
perhaps if all us internet buttheads put all our energy into breaking the system of lobbying and money we could get our country back on track without the extremism and the them vs us...
I can just hear it now:
Pilot comes out: "Ladies and Gentlemen, before we fly to Louisville I want to let you know my ex lives in Louisville and I get despondent whenever I fly there. Couple that with Trump administration win last fall and the media sowing social discord at every chance I don't know if I can continue on living..."
After an onslaught of passengers grab bags and disembark he changes tone
Pilot: "No worry folks, United Corporate didn't want to offer anything for volunteers to give up seats to enable us to get a flight crew to Louisville, so the whole thing was just a ruse, disregard everything I just rambled about and sit back and enjoy the 50 minute flight to Louisville"
How long before United "Rebrands" itself? Continental was above average in my experience from travels before the merger and Continental users were worried the service would decline - this is ridiculous. Technically is was not overbooked United just wanted to get its employees to where needed.
In situations like these you up the ante to get volunteers NOT forcible removal via passenger roulette. I accepted a voluntary request to be bumped in Denver about 10 years ago. They put me on next flight (about 5 hour wait and gave voucher for one domestic round trip flight within the calendar year.
This guy essentially just won the lottery as I gather any legal counsel will extract at least $5-$8 million - and keep more than half for themselves.
I just hope this doesn't embolden other passengers to think they can hit the jackpot by being an idiot in flight or on tarmac in boarding. You never know how the general public will "process" this incident.
If I was corporate partner of their Airlines "ALLIANCE" I may consider another partner.
Anyone else wondering what Neil Gorsuch would rule in this matter should it go to Supreme Court? Nothing against him personally, but this is a case where the reasonable man type thinking would be paramount.
Corporation plans poorly (for crew) Corporation makes mistake (fails to up offer / find alternative for their crew) corporation engages law enforcement to forcibly remove paying seated passenger who had not done anything disruptive until they decided to play roulette on "re-accommodate" process. Inquiring minds want to know.
Last edited by ciceropolo; 04-11-2017 at 10:14 AM..
Reason: additional
United was 100% in the wrong. They overbooked the plane; they need to deal with the consequences of their actions, even if it was a staff problem in Lousiville. Why on earth do they think it's OK to force any paying passenger off the plane who was sitting quietly (which was what the doctor was originally doing)? The passengers paid for their tickets. It's United's fault, not theirs. Why should United be allowed to take ANY unwilling passenger off the plane due to their mistake?
I don't even see what's particularly "libertarian" about the stance. If a government agency acted like this, the outrage (justified, BTW) would be palpable, but all of a sudden, because United is a corporation, it's all good? WTF?
This is so true. Why do some people accept being mistreated by corporations but have a meltdown if they think government mistreated them?
United was 100% in the wrong. They overbooked the plane; they need to deal with the consequences of their actions, even if it was a staff problem in Lousiville. Why on earth do they think it's OK to force any paying passenger off the plane who was sitting quietly (which was what the doctor was originally doing)? The passengers paid for their tickets. It's United's fault, not theirs. Why should United be allowed to take ANY unwilling passenger off the plane due to their mistake?
It wasn't actually overbooked. They just needed to cram 4 employees on a flight that was full and this mean they had to get rid of 4 paying customers. They should have kept right on offering money until 4 people left.
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In situations like these you up the ante to get volunteers NOT forcible removal via passenger roulette. I accepted a voluntary request to be bumped in Denver about 10 years ago. They put me on next flight (about 5 hour wait and gave voucher for one domestic round trip flight within the calendar year.
They could try this "if you refuse to leave, you can stay, but will be permanently banned from future United flights, if you leave now you will get $1300"
Because we have one government (ie no competition) and they actually make the rules. Airlines on the other hand don't get to make the rules (in theory, minus lobbyists and our crony capitalistic system) and have other competing businesses that we can move to if we dont like how we are treated.
Being more of a libertarian I value choice, and in your scenario of government vs capitalism, there is no choice in the government side of the equation, which is exactly why its important to limit their powers to the very clear cut, enforceable and necessary laws required for a functioning society.
The passenger that was forcefully removed from the aircraft did not have "choice."
Some percent (5%, 10% or whatever x%) of the LE should not be in LE at all. They have physique and strength and what not but don't have common sense. They act like robots i.e. programmed to do things a certain way with all people irrespective of the offending person's age or physique or nature. Might as well replace them with robots.
Also, United airlines need to hire some quality people starting from the top right down to the bottom and while they are at that also try to understand human behavior and feelings. If no passenger volunteered, was there nobody who realized that what they are offering is pennies compared to what passengers would have to give up? Why did they not offer $5,000 or $10,000?
I have full sympathy for the passenger who was off-boarded. I hope he gets compensated by the courts not only for the injuries but for all future loss of patients to his practice because of this video. If he would have given up silently like others, issues like these would never come to the forefront and airlines would be free to offload passenger to suit their employee and business needs or poor-planning.
My wife and I was denied boarding once because the airlines had to accommodate others who missed the connecting flight the previous night (only one flight every 24 hours with a 18 hours non-stop duration). My wife was 4 months pregnant and we were made to stand for 3 hours at the check-in while we were pleading to let us on the aircraft. And this is for a flight booked 3 months in advance.
I had an airline cancel a flight and automatically rebook my party on separate flights. The problem being that they booked my minor aged children to fly an earlier flight to DC than they booked me.
The passenger that was forcefully removed from the aircraft did not have "choice."
Choice #1+ - take one of the first several choices he was given to take a vouchers
Choice #2 - rent a car and drive it
They might not be ideal choices, but they are still choices. In my scenario I was pointing out that with the Federal government, you obey their laws because they make them, you don't have alternatives in that scenario unless you consider moving out of the country a "choice"
This is a common practice and its just Plain Wrong! You pay for something you expect to receive it- put another dam plane in the sky- if you have a lot of passengers- if it did not happen all the time-- there be NO laws relating to protect customers, but as I posted the rules--- there are-
And its all BS-- if you had to be on that flight- you all would cause a ruckus too -I will never believe otherwise.
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