Drunk SWA pilot - Jay Leno

[skiandsurf]

More details of this story will come out. But it sounds like he was trying to avoid getting busted from the current info that is out.

Here is the deal. If you are getting on your plane and someone challenges your soberness here is what I would do. First call the company and explain what is happening. Second, get a breathalyzer on the spot! Third, call your union rep and explain the situation. If you are not trying to hide anything then you have nothing to fear. As a bonus, you can watch the passengers 'chew up' the person that caused the delay in the first place.

I disagree with your first point. Lesson learned from this SWA pilot, remove yourself from the situation and call in sick. Let everyone else do their job, while you crawl back into bad with your cold medication.

 

[DH2WN]

If the guy was being accused of being drunk...when he actually wasn't.....I would be defending him with the same zeal, no matter what airline he flew for.

If he wasn't drunk or hadn't been drinking then why did he run to the bathroom to call in sick.

come on...

 

[embpic1]

I disagree with your first point. Lesson learned from this SWA pilot, remove yourself from the situation and call in sick. Let everyone else do their job, while you crawl back into bad with your cold medication.

That's fine if you disagree.

My point with calling the company was to have a reserve crew member come asap to cover your trip. You know if you are being wrongly accused of drinking before flying. I would want a breathalyzer right now to clear up any doubt of my sobriety. It will save your a$$ in the ensuing inquiry.

Why play games with calling in sick. You know darn well that the pax that ratted you out will be calling your airline and maybe notifying the press. No matter what happens you will be investigated. You have one shot to clear your name right off the bat.

Now if you are not sure you will pass a breathalyzer then go ahead and play the 'sick' game. You would think with the all the past issues of 'pilots under the influence' that you would know better than to risk your career.

 

[RDG]

The only person who saw this pilot that is trained specifically to identify intoxicated people was the police officer who twice said the pilot did not appear to be intoxicated.

Most of you are just judgemental dolts.

 

[Linedriver]

The only person who saw this pilot that is trained specifically to identify intoxicated people was the police officer who twice said the pilot did not appear to be intoxicated.

Most of you are just judgemental dolts.

Ok, I'll ask. What's a 'dolt'?

 

[Captzaahlie]

Ok, I'll ask. What's a 'dolt'?

Don't be a dolt man...

Older sophisticated people like to use that word instead of "AZZWIPE"..


http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dolt&redirect=no


"i aint saying, i'm just saying" as someone says here all the time. Just trying to help...

 

[Linedriver]

Older sophisticated people like to use that word instead of "AZZWIPE"..


http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dolt&redirect=no

Sweet! I can't wait to use this new word on someone in a sentence! I will have to wait until just the right time.

 

[skiandsurf]

That's fine if you disagree.

My point with calling the company was to have a reserve crew member come asap to cover your trip. You know if you are being wrongly accused of drinking before flying. I would want a breathalyzer right now to clear up any doubt of my sobriety. It will save your a$$ in the ensuing inquiry.

Why play games with calling in sick. You know darn well that the pax that ratted you out will be calling your airline and maybe notifying the press. No matter what happens you will be investigated. You have one shot to clear your name right off the bat.

Now if you are not sure you will pass a breathalyzer then go ahead and play the 'sick' game. You would think with the all the past issues of 'pilots under the influence' that you would know better than to risk your career.

A couple of reasons to walk away and call in sick.

Maybe this guy has had a couple of pax make comments about being drunk, and hes fed up with it and making a statement. And maybe he had 1 beer 8 hrs earlier, and doesnt want to chance a breathalyzer. Maybe he had a dinner that was cooked in alcohol (beer batter, or steak marinated in wine), and doesnt want to chance that he may fail a breathalyzer.

And maybe he was hammered, and figured a sick call was better than losing a career.

I am NOT saying come to work drunk. I am saying, if anyone questions you....DO NOT ARGUE with them. CALL IN SICK and remove yourself from the airport.

We do not know what happened. What we do know is this pilot never got onboard a plane once accused.

 

[Monster Buck]

Call in sick and remove yourself even if you know you are not drunk? uh no! If I wasn't drunk and knew it and someone did this, the correct response to the pax is"shove it up your azz and don't get on my flight"! Like someone else said let others do their job. It isn't your job to prove your innocent. If you are! Let the cops or the company take action if they want. Then when they are wrong you sue them to high heaven. .......But if you are not innocent you start to see a million other ways to get out of there! Run, call in sick.... Hey maybe the guy was scared because he was innocent. The only way to know is to ask him. Since we can't do that we will never know the whole story. Hopefully he wasn't drunk. I hate the negative press as a pilot, but as a husband and a father the last thing I want is a drunk pilot flying my family.

 

[Scope out RJ's]

Hell yes I am sensitive. One of our pilots has, by all accounts, been accused of something he didn't do and humiliated for it. Moreover, nothing will happen to those that brought these allegations and fabricated a story to make it appear more palatable for the papers.

Or perhaps one of your own has given a black eye to an industry already battered by events just like this! Way to go "dude," you get the 1st ****************************** bag award for the new year!

 

[Whine Lover]

"Here is the deal. If you are getting on your plane and someone challenges your soberness here is what I would do. First call the company and explain what is happening. Second, get a breathalyzer on the spot! Third, call your union rep and explain the situation. If you are not trying to hide anything then you have nothing to fear. As a bonus, you can watch the passengers 'chew up' the person that caused the delay in the first place."

ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.

You either let it go completely or you defend yourself immediately as illustrated above.

Calling in sick and changing out of uniform in a bathroom stall is a tacit admission of your guilt.

THAT is why his name is all over the media.

Actions speak louder than words.

YKMKR

 

[Sy-bill]

We all know there are holes in this story. The truth is somewhere in between. This story is a bad mark on all of this but especially the SWA guys. Just like it was for the AWA guys, NWA guys, United guys and so on.

Trying to determine where the line is for you have been drinking if it is on the airplane, security or the jetway is just foolish. The only answer is not to drink on overnights and if you must, two drinks should be a maximum. If you get stupid and have more, call in sick before you open the hotel room door on your way to the van. In my opinion after that its too late.

 

[Linedriver]

We all know there are holes in this story. The truth is somewhere in between. This story is a bad mark on all of this but especially the SWA guys. Just like it was for the AWA guys, NWA guys, United guys and so on.

Trying to determine where the line is for you have been drinking if it is on the airplane, security or the jetway is just foolish. The only answer is not to drink on overnights and if you must, two drinks should be a maximum. If you get stupid and have more, call in sick before you open the hotel room door on your way to the van. In my opinion after that its too late.

I totally agree. When I am out overnight I try to limit my drinks to one and never more than two. My right to have a drink is outweighed by the fact that any vagueness could be argued against me and I know my airline would let me go in a heart beat to maintain their reputation. Union or not, you're on the radar.

 

[Tejas-Jet]

If he wasn't drunk or hadn't been drinking then why did he run to the bathroom to call in sick.

come on...

First of all...he didn't run to the bathroom. Second of all, the accuser was making an azz of himself, yelling loudly that the pilot was drunk.

When the Police Officer who wrote the report looked for the accuser to get a statement...he found him....in the airport bar.

And, that Police Officer wrote in his report that the Pilot did not exhibit any signs of intoxication. No tests were administered.

Station Sups agreed with the Police Officer's assessment....that the Pilot didn't exhibit signs.

If he was drunk...then why didn't they administer any tests?

Come on...

 

[Whine Lover]

Ladies, Ladies!

Now let's just calm down here.

1 or 2 beers on an overnight? Now we're just getting hysterical and talking silly talk.

Wow. I wanna' fly with you cowboys. NOT.

Look, We had a 12 hour rule at XYZ Airlines per the GOM.

If you wanted to have 3 or 4 (or even 10 for that matter ) beers on an 14-18 hour layover, and you stopped drinking 12 hours before your Showtime you would be MORE than fine ( 0.00 BAC ) the next day.

Geez. Let's lighten up Mary and Francis.



YKMKR