[ElbielyS]

I was taking a flight from Houston, Texas to Lafayette, Louisiana on Monday December 15 . I was seated in A12 on flight # CO9507Y. This is an emergency exit. I travel extensively throughout the year and have sat in the Emergency Exit seating many times. I have read the instructions regarding the responsibilities on many other major airlines also and feel quite confident I can perform the tasks if required. The flight attendance came to my seat and asked with a very loud voice “Mame, do you feel comfortable seated beside the emergency exit?” I answered: Yes, sir. Then he asked me if my English is ok? I answered Yes. Then he asked if I would pick up the emergency exit procedure booklet and read it. I reached for it, even though I already read the booklet, and before I had it in my hand, he raised his voice to me saying “Mame, I don’t feel comfortable with you in this seat, can you move to another seat.” I moved as he asked.
After I sat in my new seat, I asked was there a problem. He stated still using a raised voice, “When I asked you to read the Instructions booklet you where looking for it!!” I replied,”What do you mean? You asked me to read it, so I was reaching for it to take out of the seat so I can read it.” He replied, ”Yes, but the way your hand was reaching for it says that you don’t look like you know what are you doing!!” At this point I stopped talking and said with a very calm voice” Sir, what’s your name?”He wasn’t wearing a name tag that I saw. The flight attendant raised his voice to me saying that if I want to push this subject he would call the security agent to remove me off the flight. I replied, “Sir, I know the rules and I don’t feel comfortable with you yelling at me this way so can you call the security agent, I think I need to speak to them.” He then stated in an angry tone”You don’t make decisions I do!”, then he walked away.
I am from an Arabic origin living and working here in the United States over 8 years. I feel that your flight attendant treated me differently and rudely than if I was an American traveling in the same seat. The attendant had no cause to raise his voice to me, switch me from a seat that I was assigned, or continue embarrassing me in front of other travelers. The people seated around me all commented that I should report this incident to the airline. Many of which also stated they would be more than happy to give a statement regarding this treatment if contacted. I understand this is the holiday season and everyone may be working at a higher stress level than usual but there is a line that shouldn’t be crossed with dealing with people. I feel that this flight attendant was unnecessarily rude and harboring cultural prejudices.
I was dissatisfied with my flight that was canceled and caused me to be put on standby over a 2 hours later, then wait another 3 hours due to the pilot not being available. I wasn’t happy that my flight was diverted to Baton Rouge and had to wait there for almost another hour in a closed airport due to weather either. These things weren’t as bad as the treatment I received from your employee.

[abutterfinger25]

If you truely feel that the fligth attendant's interaction with your was racially or ethnically motivated, then file a complaint with the DOT.

http://airconsumer.ost.dot.gov/problems.htm

[msc39nj]

Let's help get Continental to the top of the customer complaint list with the DOT, where we all know they belong. Don't submit false complaints. It's not necessary. The way this airline operates, there are too many legitimate complaints. Here is a great article about the right places to complain, and, unlike Continental's web-site, offers an email address to send complaints, and links to a web form: http://www.usatoday.com/travel/colum...woodyard_x.htm

email: [email protected]
form: http://airconsumer.ost.dot.gov/escomplaint/es.cfm

[abutterfinger25]

Originally Posted by msc39nj

Let's help get Continental to the top of the customer complaint list with the DOT, where we all know they belong. Don't submit false complaints. It's not necessary. The way this airline operates, there are too many legitimate complaints. Here is a great article about the right places to complain, and, unlike Continental's web-site, offers an email address to send complaints, and links to a web form: http://www.usatoday.com/travel/colum...woodyard_x.htm

email: [email protected]
form: http://airconsumer.ost.dot.gov/escomplaint/es.cfm

The e-mail address is no longer supported, please utilize the website.

[Silent Bob]

I don't think it was an race that motivated your removal from the exit row seat, it might have been an age issue. Going gray myself I get approached a lot of times when I sit in th exit seat and I explain no I'm in good health. Honestly I have witnessed folks asking agents if they can sit in the exit row seat because they have bad legs or knees, and when they tell them no they cannot sit there, then it's a fight. But it definitely doesn't sound like a race issue.

[jimworcs]

I am a bit mystified how you can be certain it was not a race issue and think it was an age issue. I can find no clue in the narrative which even hints at the age of the person who made the original post, and nothing in the dialogue reported which suggests age was an issue. However, at the minimum, you could at least hypothesise that race was an issue...

[Silent Bob]

If you read that complaint sans "I'm from an arabic origin" you wouldn't be able to tell its about race. It would seem the person is making it about race, when it could have been other reasons why the FA said she felt "uncomfortable" and age is almost always the reason why they actually do take people out of those seats. (2nd being if they don't speak any english at all, which I've also seen).

[wkharris2001]

“A federal regulation requires that all passengers seated in an exit seat must meet the following criteria. They must be capable of understanding and speaking English, locating and operating an exit, and directing others to it. They must be able to lift 31-52 pounds and willing, if called upon, to accomplish these tasks and do so quickly. Children under 15 years of age, people who require a seatbelt extension, and people who have conditions that might cause them harm if called upon to open an exit, may not sit in an exit seat.”

being able to respond quickly in an emergency is very important when sitting in an exit row. if the passenger fumbles around looking for a card that's right there in the seat back in front of you, are they going to fumble around with opening the door? I wouldn't feel comfortable with that person sitting in an exit row either.

[jimworcs]

I think you may be missing the point...

There is no evidence in the narrative given that age was a factor, and if the author wrote their own posting then command of the english language doesn't appear to be a problem. I am not saying race was the issue, I am simply saying that it is a possibility... what evidence do you have for saying it isn't?

The dialogue between the passenger and the FA up to the seat change was fine. The FA was asking the passenger if she could speak english, felt capable of handing the emergency procedures..etc.. There is no problem, although the passenger experience of that was that the FA was speaking in a raised voice, which she clearly felt was unnecessary. However, the what happened next was totally inappropriate..

Sir, what’s your name?”He wasn’t wearing a name tag that I saw. The flight attendant raised his voice to me saying that if I want to push this subject he would call the security agent to remove me off the flight. I replied, “Sir, I know the rules and I don’t feel comfortable with you yelling at me this way so can you call the security agent, I think I need to speak to them.” He then stated in an angry tone”You don’t make decisions I do!”, then he walked away.

You seem to have ignored this outrageous behaviour. A professional response to this request would have been,

"My name is XXXX. I am sorry to have moved you, but I did this for safety reasons. However, if you feel you have been treated unfairly you can write to the company or I can have you speak to the purser".

Instead, he went into airlinenazi mode and made threats to the passenger. This suggests that the FA was far from professional and was not acting reasonably and so on that basis, I would not rule out the idea that there was a race issue here.

Recently, a pilot on a US Airways flight in Ca asked for some passengers wearing a turban to be removed from the flight. The passenger was fully screened and didn't do anything suspicious except wear a turban. That is pure ignorance, so lets not pretend that the airlinenazi's are immune from such stupidity.

[Silent Bob]

Actually jim there is evidence that would imply that age MIGHT (which i stated in my first comment, MIGHT be an issue). But from my standpoint, it would appear that race isn't an issue and there's nothing in the complaint to suggest it, other than the person stating they are of arabic origin. Again, if you take away the arabic portion, it would just be a complaint against an unruly FA. Second Yes I get that the person commands english quite well, as the complaint is written in perfect english. So, TO ME, if it doesn't appear to be race, nor is it the command of english, then usually its age that causes the FA to ask the person to get out of their seat and even seniors do infact argue with the FAs when they are asked to leave the seat, as I have witnessed this with my own eyes. Now could this FA done this more politely, yes and i don't argue that. I am merely stating a reason as to why this person might have been asked to get up in the first place. If Elbiely is not a senior, then my apologies, I wasn't making assumptions, just adding insight to the situation.

[RobandAshley]

i like how all of the airline employees are saying that your old or that something is wrong with you because you were looking for a booklet that was probably behind a few other booklets in the back of the seat. And then theyre completly avoiding the fact that the FA was extremely rude to you. There is no way to justify that person's behavior.

[Sibabarada]

Originally Posted by RobandAshley

i like how all of the airline employees are saying that your old or that something is wrong with you because you were looking for a booklet that was probably behind a few other booklets in the back of the seat. And then theyre completly avoiding the fact that the FA was extremely rude to you. There is no way to justify that person's behavior.

Absolutely !! There is no way to justify that person's behavior...