JetBlue Pilots beat up cab driver

[momalley81]

http://cbs4.com/local/cabbie.killer.cab.2.829074.html

Jet Blue Pilots Charged In Broward Cabbie Attack

Click Here to read the arrest report

MIAMI (CBS4) ― Ft. Lauderdale police have arrested a pair of Jet Blue pilots in connection with an attack on a Miami cab driver last August.

William Hart Smith and Brad Leopard, both pilots and flight instructors for the New Your-based airline, have been charged with felony battery and theft in connection with the assault on cabbie Juan Martin.

Police said the incident happened August 12th, when Martin picked up a fare around 3 a.m. at the Solid Gold club on Oakland Park Boulevard in Oakland Park. Martin told CBS4 Reporter Peter D'Oench when they the got in his cab, Smith, Leopard and a third man asked to be taken to a Subway shop.

When they arrived, instead of paying the $9 fare the police report states the men objected to the price and argued with the driver. The arrest form said the men left the cab and started to walk away. Martin said when he got out of the car to go after them and demand his fare, Smith and Leopard turned violent.

"You're stupid," Martin said the men screamed at him him. "You don't know what you're doing. Who do you think we are? Tourists?"

"I went to defend myself. Then they hit me in the mouth," said Martin. "They were a little drunk, they were crazy guys. They hit me in the head."

Then it turned savage, Martin said.

"They kicked me in the head, both of them. They kicked me in the head….15 to 20 times."

Martin suffered a concussion and a broken right ankle.

Police say the third man did not take part in the attack and has not been charged.

A surveillance camera at the Subway caught the men as they were walking away. Martin's daughter persuaded the sub shop's managers to let her videotape the tape which she gave to police and urged them to continue their investigation.

According to the police report, a witness saw the attack and verified the cabbie's charges.

The two men told police they share a Ft. Lauderdale condo. Both are listed in FAA records as commercial pilots and flight instructors.

Bryan Baldwin, a spokesperson for Jet Blue, confirmed both men fly for the low-price carrier, but would not say if the men would continue to fly for the airline.

"Jet Blue will continue to monitor this case and see if appropriate action is warranted," Baldwin saidhttp://www.mgandassociates.com/

 

[relief tube]

When they arrived, instead of paying the $9 fare the police report states the men objected to the price and argued with the driver.

proof the 190 rates need to go up. i heard the fight escalated when both pilots learned the cabbie made more than them...

whoops, shoulda kept my a$$hole comments to myself.

 

[NEDude]

We should start a new reality TV show - Pilots Gone Wild.

Beating up cabbies.

Sex in the woods inside the airport perimiter.

Mooning people.

Spreading genital herpes to flight attendants.

The list goes on and on...

BTW - Failure to pay a cab fare is a crime.

 

[Cpt Oveur]

any idea what their seniority numbers are?

 

[waterski]

Senior

 

[motch]

It will be VERY interesting to see what the company (if anything) does to them..

On a side note,


Moons Over Tennessee
Two airline pilots were arrested after an incident Friday on Alcoa Highway during which one of the men pulled his shorts down and mooned northbound traffic, according to an Alcoa police report.

Officers responded to a call of an intoxicated subject at El Sazon Mexicano Restaurant, 2650 Alcoa Highway, Alcoa. Officers received information en route that one of the men became irate with the restaurant�s manager after employees refused to serve him more alcoholic drinks, according to the report.

The subject also allegedly attempted to start a physical confrontation with management employees.

While approaching the general area, an officer observed Jeffrey Leon Saltis, 43, Pittsburgh, Pa., pulling his shorts down and mooning northbound traffic. Officers also noticed another male subject later identified as Michael Cody Etzel, 25, Richmond, Va., walking with a female in front of Applebee�s.

The female was attempting to take pictures of the male subject showing his buttocks to the public, according to the report.

Saltis told officers he was a pilot with United Express, according to the report.

Bill Mishk, a spokesperson for Trans States Airlines, which is affiliated with United Express, said the company can confirm they received notification that two employees were detained by local authorities Friday.

Mishk, however, could not for reasons of confidentiality identity these employees, he said.

The employees were pilots, and they were moved immediately from flight status, said Mishk. Trans States Airlines is currently investigating the matter, he said.

Saltis was charged with public intoxication and indecent exposure.

Etzel was charged with public intoxication.

Both men were free on bonds pending a 1:30 p.m. Oct. 6 hearing in Blount County General Sessions Court.

For more details, check www.thedailytimes.com and read the Sunday edition of The Daily Times.

Since I know of many ex Waterskiers at JB, thought you might also be interested in this.
Scary how many guys are throwing away their career. Hopefully they can get help for their alcohol/anger problem.

Motch

 

[AKAAB]

Senior

Not senior enough for me to recognize their names...

Interestingly, the cabbie's last name was Mutlu!

 

[najet]

Flown with both of these guys - two of the most easygoing, non-confrontational guys I've ever met....

There will be more to this story....

 

[coogebeachhotel]

A$$holes

 

[Fubijaakr]

Flown with both of these guys - two of the most easygoing, non-confrontational guys I've ever met....

Then again, you probably didn't ask them for $9 for a ride to Subway. :smash:

 

[Occam's Razor]

Any word on whether they cleaned up the cab afterward?

 

[COpilot]

Flown with both of these guys - two of the most easygoing, non-confrontational guys I've ever met....

There will be more to this story....

Yeah, that even the most easy going, non confrontational guys; can become such total a$$hols as to embarrass themselves and company.

The best thing they could do is like that of the pro athlete, or politician; come clean, pay the bill do the time, say I'm sorry (I'll go to rehab).

 

[johnsonrod]

The driver wouldn't let them clean the cab after the ride. They were pi$$ed and turned on him. Habits are hard to break sometimes...

 

[General Lee]

You know, maybe they were actually TSA agents? They look the same now. That should be the defense for the video from the Subway----Rogue TSA agents are going around busting heads! Well, I can't really blame those Jetblue pilots, though. Initially having a crashpad in Yonkers or Ozone Park (before they were FLL based) probably taught them a lot about fighting and ditching cabbies. They were a "product of their own environment...."


Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[crj567]

You know, maybe they were actually TSA agents? They look the same now. That should be the defense for the video from the Subway----Rogue TSA agents are going around busting heads! Well, I can't really blame those Jetblue pilots, though. Initially having a crashpad in Yonkers or Ozone Park (before they were FLL based) probably taught them a lot about fighting and ditching cabbies. They were a "product of their own environment...."


Bye Bye--General Lee

Perhaps you are a "product of your own environment,"
Gen. I guess your Mom was perhaps a Skilsocket and dear 'ol dad was a Makita.....

-Oh well, I guess you will always be popular at the finer tool shows.

 

[General Lee]

Perhaps you are a "product of your own environment,"
Gen. I guess your Mom was perhaps a Skilsocket and dear 'ol dad was a Makita.....

-Oh well, I guess you will always be popular at the finer tool shows.

Ooooh SNAP. Noooo you din-int!! Talk to the hand!


Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[crj567]

Ooooh SNAP. Noooo you din-int!! Talk to the hand!


Bye Bye--General Lee

I'll let your Mom's hand do the talking, sir! Skilsockets are great for such things!

-Ca-Chow!
-Three snaps in a Z-Formation!!

 

[wmuflyguy]

proof the 190 rates need to go up. i heard the fight escalated when both pilots learned the cabbie made more than them...

whoops, shoulda kept my a$$hole comments to myself.

Probably blew all their bills at the Gentleman's Club

"Solid Gold Club" Sounds high class!

 

[Whiskerbizkit]

I know one of them and flew with them on quite a few trips. Like said before, easy going non-confrontational. Hope there is more to this story.

 

[Deli Guy]

Hey, I am really glad to see we stand together as pilots. Its great that we can stand up for a cabbie as opposed to our own. It speaks well for our national cause of trying to save "our profession" when we throw a couple guys under the bus right off the bat. Geez, are we our own worst enemies? Why don't we wait for actual facts rather than listening to the always correct press that always seems to get aviation stories right?

 

[clickclickboom]

This sounds crazy but in June I was in South Beach with some friends after a 5 star dinner we came to the conclusion that the solid gold was the place we needed to be.

BOTH ways to and from the beacon the cabbies took advantage of us to no end. Especially the return to the hotel. I mentioned to him that he was jacking us off and he became irate to the point that we were concerned for our safety. We ended up calling the police as the cabbie refused to stop the car or let us out. We were told a $60-70 fare he tried to add an additional $40.

Officer told us that there was a recurring problem with this and then found a few issues with his cab and wrote him a ticket.

I am sure the double breasted shuttle commanders would love to throw these guys under the bus and follow up with some rj capacity to clog jfk but lets not take a media report as fact

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

Hey, I am really glad to see we stand together as pilots. Its great that we can stand up for a cabbie as opposed to our own. It speaks well for our national cause of trying to save "our profession" when we throw a couple guys under the bus right off the bat. Geez, are we our own worst enemies? Why don't we wait for actual facts rather than listening to the always correct press that always seems to get aviation stories right?

Well..... the thing of it is... you see.....



Most professionals should be smart enough not to get themselves in the situation on the first place... but we are all human.. and mistakes happen.

Why are they jetblue pilots? Where they on duty and/or in uniform? On a layover? Why are they labeled pilots?

I just hope they get fair process.... I know that can be hard at a union free house....

It is just too tempting to fire the guys and make it go away....

 

[Charlie Brown]

I heard they got pi$$ed when, during the course of the ride, it came out in conversation that the cabbie liked to post on FI under the name "Tanker Clown".

BTW- That clean the cab comment was pretty dam funny......

 

[BigMeat]

I wouldnt be too hard on those guys. They were probably under too much stress due to contract negotiations....

 

[realmanofgenius]

real man of genius...Mr. Predisposed to violence, mild mannered discount airline pilot guy....

that uniform makes people glance and boy it sure feels good...you're out on the road and nothing like some T & A to get the ol juices of testosterone going. Never mind you paid 50 dollars for lap dance, but 9 bucs for a cabe ride? "I'll smash you".. so you get a footlong for five bucs... "I'm really hungry man."
How about a can o woop ass with that sandwich?

mr predisposed to violence, mild mannered discount airline pilot guy.

 

[Bluejob]

You know, maybe they were actually TSA agents? They look the same now. That should be the defense for the video from the Subway----Rogue TSA agents are going around busting heads! Well, I can't really blame those Jetblue pilots, though. Initially having a crashpad in Yonkers or Ozone Park (before they were FLL based) probably taught them a lot about fighting and ditching cabbies. They were a "product of their own environment...."


Bye Bye--General Lee

Yeah, guess they got tired of that Delta uniform they wore for the last seven years.

 

[Soverytired]

Flown with both of these guys - two of the most easygoing, non-confrontational guys I've ever met....

There will be more to this story....

Not everyone is a "happy drunk".

You're right about there being more to the story, I'm sure. Nevertheless, no matter how much a cabbie is screaming at you, physical violence is not a legal option.

If they got caught on tape, they're screwed, and deservedly so.

 

[stb]

I know one of them and flew with them on quite a few trips. Like said before, easy going non-confrontational. Hope there is more to this story.

Cabbie pepper sprayed them before punched were thrown......

http://cbs4.com/local/cabbie.killer.cab.2.829074.html

Plus if you beat the crap out of someone in the Subway parking lot, would you walk into Subway and order and eat the sub?

There is way more to the story..

 

[coogebeachhotel]

I know one of them and flew with them on quite a few trips. Like said before, easy going non-confrontational. Hope there is more to this story.

He who is known as an early riser can sleep till noon

 

[Colonel Savage]

Ooooh SNAP...

That's "Snap On" to you, tool box...