A Delta Air Lines passenger managed to delay an entire flight from Miami to Atlanta after refusing crew instructions to end a phone call before takeoff, forcing the aircraft back to the gate and eventually prompting every passenger to deplane.
Entitled Delta First Class Passenger Thinks Cell Phones Rules Don’t Apply To Her, Learns The Hard Way
The incident occurred Monday onboard Delta Flight 1323 from Miami (MIA) to Atlanta (ATL). According to Delta, crew members repeatedly instructed the first class passenger in seat 1B to hang up while the aircraft was taxiing. The passenger refused, became disruptive, and the aircraft returned to the gate, where the passenger, identified of Shannon Marie Harris of Georgia, was removed.
The flight ultimately departed about an hour late.
Video from onboard shows frustrated passengers reaching the end of their patience. One passenger directly confronted her upon the plane’s return to the gate:
Kudos to the guy for speaking up…it is right to publicly shame selfish and entitled people like Ms. 1B.
Follow Crew Instructions Or Get Off The Plane
The cell phone issue is not about safety, at least directly. There’s no evidence that using a cell phone messed with any important aircraft safety system. But it’s a more fundamental issue: a passenger who refuses to follow crew safety instructions on the ground might be a terror to others in the air.
When the crew tells you to hang up, you hang up. If you cannot hang up, dont’t step on the flight in the first place. It is beyond selfish to hold an entire planeload of people hostage because your call matters more than everyone else’s schedule.
Maybe the airplane mode rule is overbroad and enforcement is certainly uneven. But once a crewmember gives a lawful instruction, the debate is over onboard…
Why Everyone Had To Deplane
Some passengers were understandably annoyed that everyone had to get off the aircraft instead of simply removing the disruptive passenger. But in the post David Dao era, that’s just standard protocol.
No airline wants a viral video of security dragging a passenger out of a seat while other travelers film from five different angles. If the passenger refuses to leave voluntarily, the cleaner operational move is often to deplane everyone, isolate the problem, and then board again.
It is frustrating and inefficient, but the predictable result of one person deciding the rules do not apply to her…
CONCLUSION
This Delta passenger turned a simple instruction into an hour-long delay for everyone else. Was the underlying phone rule worth returning to the gate over? Yes, because it revealed a compliance issue that could have turned much more dangerous in the air. Refusing crew instructions is always going to end badly…
Hang up the phone, put it in airplane mode, and stop making your personal drama everyone else’s problem! I hope Delta sends her a huge bill.
Despite all these examples, it’s very concerning that some people still make similar mistakes…
Indeed, jerks are going to be jerks.
It wasn’t a mistake, though, it was deliberate act of defiance. Most of us grow out of that by our fourth birthday, but this adult toddler seems to be suffering from some kind of arrested development.
There’s something else wrong with her… it’s not just being a jerk. People who display these sociopathic tendencies are often capable of much worse… just like how kids who abuse animals are huge red flags for future anti-social/criminal behavior.
In a country where the convict in charge starts an illegal war, why should someone switch off their phone just because the crew want them too? She’s only following Criminal Trump’s example of how to behave.
Yup.
I can fix her
If you are ever on a plane where you have to deplane because of a problem passenger, when the cops should be able to just come on, pull them out of their seat, and get them out so you can be on your way, thank that quack Dr. Feelgood and the twits who think his tantrum was justified.
Only until much harsher penalties/punishments are levied for these disrespectful and disruptive behaviors will “self important/self entitled” People change. Me? I think, depending on the infraction, suspension of flying privileges or a total ban on flying would be justified in addition to reimbursement to the carrier for the added expense incurred due to their behavior. FFS, YOU AREN’T ALL THAT. . You’re supposedly an Adult. Conduct yourself like one.
Times have changed, in many ways. Initial days of cell phone usage on planes potentially interfered and it was strictly enforced. I was a passenger on BA and saw a flight Attendant, clearly new, uncertain how to make a nearby passenger obey the announcement. He just kept talking and turning away from her, totally ignoring her requests. I got up, went over and simply grabbed it out of his hand. Turning it off, I walked to the front and gave it to the purser. On return to my seat I simply said “The Captain says you can have it when we land. I probably wouldn’t try that now as a passenger.
LOL, that was very bold of you! Good job.
This pretty clearly illustrates why it’s an incredibly bad idea to permit phone calls during flights. If you have entitled jerks like this acting so awfully while on the ground, what makes you think they’ll suddenly act responsibly when told to tone down mid-flight? I foresee calls on planes being a colossal problem to control if permitted.
What do you want to bet the phone call had no “substance.” I do wonder about such folks. Way to often, I see things like this and ask: “what did they expect the outcome would be”? The idiot Mr. Dao is a fine example.
Exactly! Did she think the crew would just back down and let her continue? When will people realize if they cause trouble on a commercial flight, they will ALWAYS lose. End of story
so many questions. was she still on the call when they got back to the gate?
what if each aircraft was equipped with a mobile signal disruptor? There was a time when my son was not listening and would not shut down his computer and go to bed. went on for almost an hour. (he was 12-13 maybe?) I just shut down the internet. boom. problem solved. he knew the rules, he was warned multiple times. given more than a fair chance to do the right thing, but refused to just dump out of the game because he was on a run. sorry. school night. bed time. not listening. suffer.