Continental Express FA kicks mother and child off Houston flight.

[El-Rushbo]

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/13664685/detail.html

POSTED: 4:51 pm EDT July 11, 2007
UPDATED: 8:21 pm EDT July 11, 2007

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. -- A Gwinnett County mother says she wants answers and action after she and her baby were kicked off a plane.
Kate Penland said she was glad to board the plane in Houston after an 11-hour delay to visit her father in Oklahoma. But she said a rude and aggressive flight attendant caused her to get to Oklahoma a day late.
Penland thinks her 19-month-old son, Garren, has a bubbly personality. But Penland said when they were aboard a Continental Express plane, a flight attendant became annoyed by Garren’s personality when he kept saying three words.
“As we started taxiing, he started saying ‘Bye, bye plane,’ said Penland. “At the end of her speech, she leaned over the gentleman beside me and said, ‘It’s not funny anymore. You need to shut your baby up.’
In disbelief, Penland asked the woman if she was kidding. It was then, Penland said, the flight attendant went too far.
“She then said, ‘You know, it’s called baby Benadryl. And I said, 'Well, I'm not going to drug my child so you have a pleasant flight.'
Penland said when the other passengers began speaking up on her behalf, the flight attendant got angrier and soon announced they were turning around and that Penland and Garren were going to be taken off the plane.
“I was crying, I was upset and I was thinking, ‘What am I going to do? I don’t have anything with me, I don’t have anymore diapers for the baby, no juice, no milk,” said Penland.
The young mother said she later learned the flight attendant told the pilot that she had threatened her. Penland said that never happened.
Express Jet Airlines released a statement that said, "We received Ms. Penland’s letter expressing her concerns and intend to investigate its contents."
A fellow passenger told Channel 2's Rachel Kim none of the other passengers had problems with Garren and that Penland never threatened the flight attendant.
Penland is considering legal action.

 

[John Pennekamp]

Typically, when this sort of thing happens, the passengers side of the story is very different from the crewmember's. The passengers tend to say they did nothing and the "rude FA" was to blame. This has been the case every time I've kicked someone off my plane. The passenger always tries to lie their way out of it.

We may never know what really happened in this incident unless we were there. No point debating it.

 

[El-Rushbo]

The article clearly states that the other passengers were not upset and the passengers have verified that the mother made no threats to the FA.

My vote goes to the mother and child unless there is additional evidence to support the FA's side.

 

[John Pennekamp]

The article clearly states that the other passengers were not upset and the passengers have verified that the mother made no threats to the FA.

My vote goes to the mother and child unless there is additional evidence to support the FA's side.

Just because the other pax took her side, doesn't mean it happened that way.

As a captain, I take my FA's side. Let them sort out the details later.

 

[Captain Overs]

Why is this on the major boards. Shouldn't it be in the Regional?

 

[27 driver]

Just because the other pax took her side, doesn't mean it happened that way.

As a captain, I take my FA's side. Let them sort out the details later.

I tend to agree with you JP and will stand behind my crew, but you were locked up front and really have no idea what happened. If there are many other passengers stating that the FA was out of bounds then that was probably the case. I am a flight crew member and have seen it many times dealing with some of these old hags that think the passengers are a nuisance rather than the reason they have a job. If that FA did kick her off for no reason there will be repercussions for her and the airline.

 

[Blucher]

I find it most interesting that a woman from Gwinnett, GA was flying "Continental Express." To me, that speaks volumes.

-Blucher

 

[Tejas-Jet]

Typically, when this sort of thing happens, the passengers side of the story is very different from the crewmember's. The passengers tend to say they did nothing and the "rude FA" was to blame. This has been the case every time I've kicked someone off my plane. The passenger always tries to lie their way out of it.

We may never know what really happened in this incident unless we were there. No point debating it.

Really??? In my experience, I have seen no shortage of passengers who are more than willing to be witnesses when someone was taken off the airplane doe to weird/bad/obnoxious behavior....in this case, it's just the opposite.

In my years working for a legacy carrier, I had seen F/A's treat passengers like they were the "enemy". With that kind of attitude, I'm not surprised at the recent Bankruptcies. It's pretty obvious that this F/A feels the same way.

Lets not forget, these passengers have choices on where they spend their money.

 

[Amish RakeFight]

The young trailer park mom strikes again...

 

[Deuce130]

The young trailer park mom strikes again...

You obviously didn't watch the video. She's young, definitely, but she lives in a nice house, nice yard, well done up, cute kid, well cared for. Somehow I don't think she's what you have in mind. Looks to me like another case of mean ol' battleaxe FA striking again. And another reason the pax carriers are getting slammed on a daily basis. Captain should have asked what was going on before kicking anyone off. You can back your crew whenever you want, but you should at least make sure they're in the right first. I side with the mom on this one.

 

[Secret Squirrel]

So deuce what would you do. Interview the lady and when she denies it let her stay on the flight? With the same FA? Even though your FA said the lady threatened her? Maybe the witnesses were all traveling together with the lady. I would have to side with my flight crew. There was some sort of disturbance and at this point I would say the lady has to go or your FA has to. The last thing I want is to allow the lady to stay on board and have some sort of confrontation erupt and have to divert.

You can not judge a person by their home or how they dress. Some of the biggest dirtbags drive BMW's and live in the best neighborhoods.

 

[pianoman]

I think the lady was probably in the right. Had I been up front, though, I would have done what this captain did. Believe the FA, and then if something happens down the road it's her fault for lying to you and not yours.

 

[NEDude]

I can't speak specifically for ExpressJet, but given the quality of flight attendants at most regional airlines these days, I would tend to side with the passenger. Most regional FAs are pretty bad in my experience.

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

Let's resurrect the same issue on Airtran... where is that thread??

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

I think the lady was probably in the right. Had I been up front, though, I would have done what this captain did. Believe the FA, and then if something happens down the road it's her fault for lying to you and not yours.

Then you show the FA that she can do a poor job and get away with it, she might even take it to the next level...knowing she has carte blanc..... exercise some leadership man!!! It is better to be respected than liked...

 

[Stifler's Mom]

Some of the biggest dirtbags drive BMW's and live in the best neighborhoods.

So you've been to Peachtree City too?

 

[~~~^~~~]

These FA's have a very tough job, particularly on something as small as an E145 where there is no room to decompress. Some are bound to snap with all the difficulties of the position.

As a Captain I would hesitate before considering a Mom and an two year old a "threat" and try to calm the situation down. But, if the flight attendant can not work with the problem passengers the airplane can operate without the two year old & Mom. It can't operate without the Flight Attendant. At some point pragmatism makes sense for the other 48 people on the airplane.

 

[Hagar17]

Incidents like this are why I've never liked the single flight attendant crews that you usually see on the RJs;

one petite female in the back with 50 pax.....

 

[~~~^~~~]

one petite female in the back with 50 pax.....

Obviously you have never flown my airline. Most of them over heat the trim motor whenever they do a walk through.

It is the guys with 45 pieces of "flair" that you have to worry about getting beat up.

 

[clickclickboom]

I have had numerous situations where our 20 something single flight attendants and felch fest male fa's have bitched moaned and complained a whole flight about the " Rude mother in seat 5A with her 3 kids trashing the plane on a transcon"

Let me start by saying that I will give the benefit of the doubt to any parent traveling with small children as it can be a borderline nightmare on a perfect day..

They have no concept of the energy that can go into caring for children 24/7..

I would have consulted the other Fa's or spoken with the woman myself before i kicked a mother and a kid off a plane