A woman who refused to keep her mask on was thrown off a United Airlines flight to Las Vegas in a controversy that shows the particularly ugly side of flying in 2021.
United Passenger Claims She Is Being Thrown Off Because She Is White, Then Tells Plane She Hates Black People…
I must warn you: the video below is vile. It is not edifying in any way and full of profanity and obscene gestures. Yet I bring it to you to once again chronicle the state of flying in 2021. We need to remember and reflect on what is going on around us.
It is not clear how the controversy started, though it certainly seems to be mask-related. A female passenger is shown during boarding on a United Airlines 737. She is arguing with other passengers about masks. Her own mask is lowered. It appears that she is already in trouble and addresses passengers both in front of her and behind her.
The captain of the flight comes out. She demands to speak to his boss and says she must travel to Las Vegas. Everyone else knows she is not going, but she apparently thinks a harsh and consdescning tone is key to getting what she wants.
The captain makes clear she will not be traveling and she looks around the cabin, which includes many black passengers, pulls down her mask, and asks:
“Why are you kicking me off the plane? ‘Cuz I’m white?”
There’s hooting and hollering in response as a black flight attendant returns to ensure she collects her belongings and departs the aircraft.
As she walks down the aisle, she turns around and yells that she hates black people, then raises her middle finger to the passengers and flight attendant onboard.
I just have to add here that those who are quick to pull the race card are usually racists themselves. Notice in the video how after asserting she is being pulled off the flight because she is white, she expresses her own hate.
Here’s the video:
CONCLUSION
I’m not into conspiracy theories, but whenever I see stuff like this I picture the National People’s Congress sitting around a giant table laughing. I’ve covered poor passenger behavior for years on Live and Let’s Fly, but this is grotesque behavior on so many levels (language, racism, entitlement) that it leaves me shaking my head in utter sadness. This young woman must be banned.
I should note that it is not clear when this incident took place, but it was just posted to Reddit yesterday.
(H/T: C Boarding Group)
I told you in my previous post. Raise your kids in Germany. America has gone nuts. And it started way before Trump. This non sense has been brewing for a long time and it just now came to the surface.
Santastico, while I don’t entirely disagree with you that an opportunity to live elsewhere for a time is a good thing, I should point out that Germany, or most countries in the world for that matter, are not void of their own levels of hate, anger and vitriol. In fact, I often find the blatant racism in Europe to be right on par with the U.S. Quite frankly, I am shocked at some of the things many of my clients say in France about Muslims, in The Netherlands about people of color, and in Germany about the Turkish and Middle Easterners. Unabashedly even.
Further, you will find probably just as many flights in Europe that have idiots like this woman who lose it. Some may go under the radar a bit more here or never make the U.S. blogs. But I would venture to say it’s just as rampant.
I always think back to the time I was mugged in, of all places, Switzerland. When filing the report of my stolen passport, phone, wallet, laptop etc while changing trains from Davos, I mentioned to the officer how ironic it was that the only place I have ever been robbed is in Switzerland. He replied, ‘Well, it doesn’t really count, these are gypsies and black immigrants and not Swiss people. It’s not Switzerland so is not our fault.” I was shocked.
Americans are in many ways our own worst critics. We don’t need to perpetuate the myth though that we are the only villains of hate and angry discourse in the world. We all need to do better – and just leaving this place for that doesn’t lead to some Utopian society that is “better for our children.”
Not talking about hate. There is no snowflake mentality in most European countries. Do you know why? Because their people faced many adversities in life such as wars, plagues, hunger, etc… Thus, Europeans focus on what matters and not on BS. Americans never suffered so they have time to look for BS.
On the contrary, we are a nation of immigrants that have mostly come to this country BECAUSE of suffering. As in Europe, it is in our genes as well. While I will give you a pass on a better level of overall education in Western Europe, we will continue to improve in this country in many facets of life, which is exactly why right wing conservatives are so nervous and becoming desperate, because the values that are gradually emerging involve a better society for everyone, not just white wealthy and upper middle class segments. A more educated society, which will emerge quicker than most predict, is the end of existence for a significant part of the radical GOP base…primarily the Trump supporters the like of who we saw storm the capital. Their numbers will dwindle over the years. A perfect example is Texas and the rise of centrist voters there who are educated and will lean away from this rancor in the coming years. We already saw it in Georgia and Arizona. The tide has shifted. I do believe a great America is rising from these ashes of the past few years with a hope for better opportunity for ALL to be on the horizon.
Yes to all you said BUT the people that suffered in Europe and came here are no longer alive. That suffer was lost through generations and now we have in America a generation that forgot their roots and have been indoctrinated and brainwashed in schools. That did not happen in Europe. They still have tough skin while here we are creating a bunch of snowflakes that get offended by anything and go cry in social media.
Not to sound rude, but isn’t that what you’re doing here? Further, what percentage of the living population in Western Europe has suffered at the hands of war or famine? Most there have lived quite well over the past sixty years. I would also venture to say that a significant percentage of our living population in the U.S. has come directly from a place where they knew what struggles and hardship was: So really, I’m having trouble understanding your one place is better than another theory. We all need to be better.
@Stuart: How many current American students learned about what has happened in Europe in the last 2 centuries? How may Americans really understand what was to live in Europe during wars, hunger, etc…? Very few. I have family in Europe and I visit many countries there very often. I can guarantee you there is no wave of changing schools names, erasing books, destroying statues, etc… History there is preserved so new generations can learn from past mistakes and not repeat it. Now here, let’s forget how we got here, let’s erase Washington and Lincoln from our schools. Do you think anyone in Italy erased Christopher Columbus or destroyed his statues like they did here? No, he is still remembered there because they culture history. Do you think Italians will go dig if Leonardo da Vinci one day is his life did something that today would be bad? Do you think they will erase his history? I am sorry but Americans became snowflakes and are trying to erase where they came from and how they got here and that is not good.
To answer your first question, umm, the majority? Even my 12 year old daughter has studied in Humanities the atrocities of the early 20th century in Europe. As well slavery and war here. And the pillaging of Native American land. As to your second question, I respond with another question…how many Western Europeans today understand what it was like to live in Europe during wars and hunger? 10%? At best?
My ex is Czech and grew up during the Soviet days, she was 13 when the wall fell. Even remembering those times she has no bitterness or says it was so horrid. She recalls not having bananas regularly and that the best part of the opening of Eastern Europe was seeing her first Guns N’ Roses concert. So really, I am failing to understand your comparisons and points. Every culture and society has endured horrible times. You make it sound like Europe is Yemen and everyone there is still living a nightmare of atrocities and so have developed some tough exterior. I mean, my god, kids who lived during the war are now in their 80’s, most are dead. Sure, the subsequent generations hear stories and learn. So do we. My immigrant grandparents told me plenty. America is filled with multi-generational families that have experienced tremendous hardship elsewhere, so for you to imagine we are somehow naive and this creates a snowflake culture is weak at best. If anything, as a less homogenous society here, Americans probably have more tales of what their families escaped to gain a better life from many places that could be considered equally as atrocious as Europe in the 30’s and 40’s. Cambodia for example?
Finally as to your snowflake stuff, and the renaming of schools etc, I agree, some of it is outlandish and absurd. And those particular absurdities will most likely trend away fast as it’s just noise from idiots. But bases named for Confederate military leaders? Absolutely they should vanish. And, despite what you say, it’s Germany that we should have learned that from years ago. Consider them to be the original snowflakes if you must. Tell me one memorial, naming, or shrine to anything related to even the loosest of Nazi associations in Germany? I don’t recall ever seeing the Himmler Elementary School. Or the Goring Air Force Base.
So, please, stop with the American generalizations as if we are some fat slovenly and entitled people who have no clue of the world outside. Are there some? Yes. As there are in every country and every place in the world. Let’s hope for better improvements globally in the future.
Sorry, tl:dr
Well said! Thanks.
Well said … directed at Stuart. (Sorry for the non-specificity above.)
Santastico, you may very well be right but watch one episode of “logo!”, a “kid’s news” show by German state broadcaster ZDF, and it may change your mind. I watched an episode with my child and it was grievance culture 101, pushing the same narratives as MSNBC and CNN albeit in a more pedagogocial tone. Their populist newspapers and private broadcasters aren’t much better, even if their analysis of Merkel has become more accurate, their takes on the US are completely predictable and ignorant of the truth.
A big kudos to the Pilot and FA for trying their best to de-escalate the situation…unfortunately you can only do so much with crazy.
The problem with passenger shaming is that the passenger is acting irrationally and we don’t know if alcohol is involved or if the passenger is mentally ill. If the passenger turns out to be mentally ill or has a medical condition (alcoholism) then passenger shaming is verboten and cancel culture requires us to cancel you, your blog, chisel the nose off of any statues of you, take your children and pets away, confiscate your house for use as a cage-free illegal immigrant shelter and require you to serve time in a reeducation camp attending ADA-sensitivity classes.
Let’s just cancel you shall we? Aloha Dave!
She said she hates black people .. let’s stop making excuses for idiots. She is obviously very coherent and obviously NOT drunk.
What if she’s just another Right wing extremist, what’s your defense for her then?
Looks like this person was sitting in the emergency exit row. If she was drunk or mentally ill, she’d be least likely to assist in an emergency. Just saying.
“Yet I bring it to you to once again chronicle the state of flying in 2021. We need to remember and reflect on what is going on around us.”
Regardless of the specifics of this incident, or the one that will occur tomorrow or Thursday – this is really the concern in my mind. People are losing their ability to function in a civil society because each time they leave their home they are looking for conflict, looking for offense, waiting to be attacked. This is not a left or right condition, it’s the vast majority of Americans (and increasing in other countries as well). They are being trained by non-stop media of all kinds to believe that they are surrounded by enemies, surrounded by people who are trying to take something from them – and as soon as something goes poorly, all the bulls*t they’ve been fed comes rushing back and they react with emotion and outrage, and the prophecy becomes their reality. Hyatt has unwittingly found themselves in the middle of this never ending, bilateral search for outrage and enemies. It is incredibly sad to watch so many people willingly surrender their dignity and self-respect so readily just because they are feeding on a stream of stories promoted by people who make money from stoking outrage (and of course promoting products on social media).
The world has gone bloody crazy!
I better not see anyone portray this as a “repeat of Dr. Dao” like they did with the Eliz Fulop family last November.
Stuart GOP radicals???? really who burned/rioted/looted major lib american cities??? Portland/seattle/LA/chicago/detroit?ETC not GOP get your facts and story straight???
Keep defending those Trump Terrorists dee! Great look for you.
Oh Dee, you just keep coming back for more. Need I remind you that as a centrist in all things I don’t defend looting or violence from any side. As well, that while the little violence there was associated with the BLM protests this past summer it was still not acceptable, despite that it came from pent up frustration over systemic racism and the routine killing of unarmed people of color. Your storming of the capital and the deaths of innocent police officers was in response to what? Complete falsities and lies concocted by a deranged leader who was desperately trying to cling to power despite our democracy. Why you come back here time after time to be reminded of this is beyond me. You must be really into public embarrassment. Even most Republican politicians try to avoid that comparison now.
Stuart, “little violence?” Some $2 billion in property insurance claims? And that surely understates the true amount of damage, much of it in minority neighborhoods. Routine killing of unarmed black people? Why do you continue to trot out these lies of systemic racism?
https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-myth-of-systemic-police-racism-11591119883
‘The police fatally shot nine unarmed blacks and 19 unarmed whites in 2019, according to a Washington Post database, down from 38 and 32, respectively, in 2015. The Post defines “unarmed” broadly to include such cases as a suspect in Newark, N.J., who had a loaded handgun in his car during a police chase. In 2018 there were 7,407 black homicide victims. Assuming a comparable number of victims last year, those nine unarmed black victims of police shootings represent 0.1% of all African-Americans killed in 2019. By contrast, a police officer is 18½ times more likely to be killed by a black male than an unarmed black male is to be killed by a police officer.’
I don’t deny that blacks might receive biased treatment from police, but the common trope of police hunting black men on the streets with impunity is so far from reality that it would be laughable if the repercussions of this belief weren’t so dire.
Trump being a deranged narcissist who rallied a bunch of crazy LARPers to the Capitol doesn’t absolve Democrats of condoning the “summer of love” and calling Antifa violence a myth. Also, why were protests against lockdown a threat to public health but protests against racism an immediate priority?
That guy coming out of the bathroom at the end like “What did I miss”?
That is one of the best parts of the video the guy just comes out like okay what going on.
Abhorrent views and behavior yes… banned… that’s ridiculous. Are people seriously suggesting we should ban people based on their backwards ideologies. I think Antifa and neo racist rhetoric is dangerous but I don’t think people should be able to ban them to fly. We need to end this constant virtue signalling attention seeking behavior of cancelling people because of mistakes or thinking we deem unbecoming.
The only thing I’ve liked about being at home for the past year? NOT FLYING.
Yet another person to add to the no-fly list.
She should be subject tp the new fines of tens of thousands of dollars
Why is she going to be added to no fly list? Because of her beliefs? She was obviously in distress, and was taken offf the plane. She was hurt and she wanted to hurt others. But does it mean she will always be disruptive ? I don’t think so. Even if she is a racist, she still should be able to fly provided she is not a threat to public safety. Placement on the list like that has long term terrible consequences and should not be taken lightly. Should be done after careful deliberation and there should be the way to appeal or come off of it. This country used to be tolerant and accepting
If I had said I hated blacks, I would not want to go anywhere public. Are you stupid? That was a racist, disgusting thing she said.
A simple rule to follow for everyone: If you’re going to fly commercially, then shut up and behave. That’s LITERALLY ALL YOU HAVE TO DO! If you wanna be a Dum ash, then rent a plane or a car. Simple.
If United wants to ban this woman from their flights they have every right too. The way she behaved is unacceptable. She could’ve deescalated the situation herself by simply walking away for everyone and going to the front to speak with a pilot or flight attendant. Instead, she chose to stand there and yell causing more of a scene. We don’t know what happened before this video was taken but the way it ended said enough.
I highly doubt United airlines wants a situation similar to this by the same person to occur on another one of their planes and to have their pilots and flight attendants deal with her. Like Tired of Idiots said if you’re flying commercially you only have two rules, shut up and behave. She followed neither of those. If United thinks it’s best to ban her then they should. This lady has other ways to travel and other airlines to use.
That comment was for priscilla
I was actually on the flight. It was from Newark to Las Vegas on Feb 27th.
Wade, thanks for your comment. Any details I missed?