Quadriplegic man forced off flight by police after pilot said it was unsafe to fly with him on board

[KamaAina]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2005979/Quadriplegic-man-forced-flight-pilot-said-unsafe-fly-board.html

A quadriplegic man was humiliatingly escorted off a flight by police after the pilot refused to fly with him on board, it has been claimed.

John Morris and his family had just boarded a Frontier Airlines flight in Dallas on Sunday to return home to Fort Collins when he was forced off the plane.

The 24-year-old Colorado State University student said issue was taken to him using an airline belt extension to secure his chest and legs to the seat, with the pilot deeming the standard practice unsafe....

'It was completely inappropriate of this captain to escalate ... the situation to the level that he did by calling the police,' he said. 'It really tells me that this captain did not know how to utilise all the resources available to him.'

[Jim Beard]

1. Was the captian thing about safety of lawsuit

I would be willing to bet there is schooling about unsafe procedures that could lead to a lawsuit against the airline if the special needs person was injured.

[dissentient]

2. Weird story

"But on Sunday afternoon a farcical series of events led to the innocent passenger, who has used a wheelchair since being paralysed in a snowboard accident five years ago, being escorted off the plane by police.

Eventually airport police were called and three officers boarded the plane.

Despite reluctance from the officers, the pilot said: 'He cannot fly. I want him off this plane,' according to Mrs Morris.

[joeybee12]

3. Frontier is having a grand old time with the disabled...here's another...

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/local-news/quadriplegic-injured-while-being-helped-onto-frontier-airlines-flight-to-denver

[dissentient]

4. The only possible reason I can think of to explain the captain's actions, is maybe they were given

a warning about terrorists planting devices in wheelchairs? When I say "they", I mean warned by the airlines industry internal security or some official organization, like Homeland security... I know it sounds like a wild idea, but why else would the captain be so adamant?

But now that I think about it more, do the airlines even allow wheelchairs on board? If they don't, then scratch that idea.

[Initech]

5. Devices in wheelchairs? Who are they? Walter White? *spoilers*

Unless you are Walter White and Hector Salamanca trying to take out Gus Fring, no has a bomb strapped to a wheelchair!!!

[dissentient]

6. I was thinking it could be hidden in one somehow

I was speculating why the captain was so adamant about this, it is a very strange story and behavior by the captain.

If I'm wrong, then so be it.

[Initech]

9. Breaking Bad might be the only time this has been successfully attempted.

Other than that I don't think I would worry about that happening. I think this was just a case of the TSA fucking with passengers again.

[KamaAina]

7. Scratch that

a power wheelchair, such as a quadriplegic would use, is shipped as cargo -- and frequently broken!

[dissentient]

10. I see, ok, then I was wrong about that.

thanks for the correction.

[alphafemale]

8. But people don't actually bring thier own wheelchairs on a flight do they?

I thought those were stowed as baggage and people come on board in a wheelchair that will fit down the aisle and then they get in a seat.

I don't think there are actually people flying in wheel chairs.

With turbulence that would not be safe for anyone.

[Initech]

11. Yeah most of the time wheelchairs get checked in as baggage.

And then disabled passengers use the airport owned ones while they board the plane.

[dissentient]

12. Yea, I was wrong. I haven't flown in a very long time, so I wasn't sure.

[RKP5637]

14. Neither have I and I'm so glad. I used to fly endless miles with my job around the world, but

that was before the airlines became so damn creepy. And now I refuse to fly anyplace.

[dissentient]

16. Understood. It's a real ordeal to fly nowadays, from what I've read.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

18. It seems the issue was the kid strapping himself to the plane seat using ....

..... belt extensions. I assume he needs his torso strapped while sitting to avoid slumping.

Apparently the pilot felt that wasn't a proper use of belt extensions. Other passengers offered to use their own belts to relieve the airline of liability.

Airline captains, by nature, are very by the book people. The captain should have left it up to management to ok the situation rather than throw the kid off.

[nichomachus]

13. A lot of airline pilots are right-wing assholes

[RKP5637]

15. Yep, they are, agree!!! n/t

[dickthegrouch]

17. Because they came from right wing a**hole training ground

called the Military

[thucythucy]

19. This may well be illegal.

There's a little something called "The Air Carriers Access Act" that makes it illegal for airlines to exclude people with disabilities from flying, just because of their disability.

Hope this guy can find himself a good lawyer.

[lonestarnot]

20. Tee hee. Law doesn't apply to wingers.

[Omaha Steve]

21. I was thinking ADA

But this really fits the situation.

Why did he call the cops???

OS

[thucythucy]

22. The Air Carriers Access Act

was passed in 1988, in response to just this sort of situation. One of the main groups lobbying for it was the Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA). The ADA was passed two years later. Those were the days! "The golden age" of disability rights legislation--1970 to 1990.

When the ADA was written, airlines were specifically excluded because they were already covered by the ACAA. Just like education wasn't covered in the ADA because it had already been addressed by the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 (since renamed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) and Section 504 of the Rehab. Act of 1973.

Used to be airlines could prevent someone from taking a flight because they looked "unsightly"--and might "disturb" the other passengers. Of course, since the buses and trains were all inaccessible, and since so many disabled people either couldn't drive or couldn't afford a car, it often meant if you had a disability, you couldn't travel, period.

It'll be interesting to see how this case unfolds.

[Jesus Malverde]

23. The abuse of the "interfering with a flight crew" law is another legacy of the reaction to 9/11.

Flight crews are routinely using this to get away with abusing passengers and a lack of service.

I have noticed international airlines much more accommodating and sympathetic to the plight of the disabled. American crews see the disabled as more work.

[NaturalHigh]

25. I'd say a lawsuit is in order.

At best, this is sheer stupidity by the pilot. At worst, it's willful discrimination. I'm betting on the former, but that doesn't excuse what happened here.

[Initech]

26. One step ahead of ya:

Mrs Morris, who is now planning legal action, added: 'It really broke my heart, because I know what John goes through on a day to day basis, not being able to do things that he certainly would like to, just wanting the opportunity to travel.'

[NaturalHigh]

27. Good to know, and well justified in my opinion.

My bet is that the airline settles and apologizes.