[bluewhistler@hotmail.com]

I was harassed, interrogated, and racially profiled by a USAir flight attendant on Flight number 3211 on January 19, 2008 from Washington, DC (DCA) to Charlotte, NC (CLT) for being Asian American. Before she came over to talk to me, it was announced the flight was full. She asked whether a vacant seat had a person sitting next to me. I told her someone was sitting there. I thought someone was sitting there because a man had placed luggage in the overhead compartment above my head and I assumed he was sitting next to me. My girlfriend was sitting across from the aisle and saw the flight attendants rolling their eyes as they were interrogating me. When my girlfriend (Kristen Colletti) asked if it was a passenger's responsibility to determine whether the flight was full or not, the flight attendant replied loudly,"That is not the point! Because of him, there is now someone stuck at Dulles airport." She told me she was going to file a report against me because I said the seat was empty. She came back to my seat more than once and continued to badger me. It was very embarrassing and traumatic for myself, my girlfriend and her 6 year old daughter. Being an Asian American, I believe her acts were racially motivated, accusatory and derogatory. She essentially was blaming me for not doing her own job. My girlfriend asked one of the flight attendants for her name and the name of her supervisor. She refused. Throughout the flight her id, which was attached to a lanyard, was in her pocket. She did not want us knowing her name.
At the end of the flight when all passengers deplaned, 2 security officers and other USAirways personnel came on the plane to speak with us. When my girlfriend asked if it was a passenger's responsibility to know if the flight was full, one USAirways employee stated that it was not a passenger's responsibility. When my girlfriend told them that the experience was traumatic for all of us, the security officer replies callously, "I'm sure you will get over it."
The officer asked us if my girlfriend, my daughter and I should be detained. I was literally shocked. The manager at USAirways stated that we stayed on the plane on our own free will. I am extremely upset and felt violated of my rights as a human being and a customer and passenger above a USAirways flight. I am extremely concerned at the USAirways flight crews ability to determine who is supposed to be on the flight and has to ask passengers to verify who is on the flight. This poses a high security risk. My contact info: bluewhistler@hotmail.com and phone number is 703-794-7387. I have also reported this to my congressman/representative in Virgina, MSNBC, Washington Post, Department of Transportation, Transportation Security Agency, Homeland Security, Virgina Representatives and Senators, and the White House.
Stanley Hao