US Fights Disabled

From: Mail Online:

"Passengers revolt on US Airways flight: Travelers refuse to fly after crew kick BLIND MAN and his guide dog off plane"

Passengers on a U.S. Airways flight stood up in defense of a blind man who they believe was wrongly kicked off the plane. The stand-off came after Albert Rizzi's guide dog Doxy became 'out of control' according to crew on the flight from Philadelphia to MacArthur Airport on Long Island.

Travelers claim that Mr Rizzi was mistreated by a flight attendant on the Wednesday evening flight.

Passengers refused to travel after the crew told Mr Rizzi to get off the plane and were taken to Long Island by bus instead. The flight attendant would not allow the plane to take off because the guide dog was not fully under the plane's seat. The animal had become restless because the plane had been waiting on the tarmac for 90 minutes.   Mr Rizzi told ABC: 'The lady comes back and gets very insistent, and I said, ''Look, I don't understand what you want me to do.'' 'I said, ''He's as best as he can, he's where he needs to be.'' And I hear nobody else moving, and as I'm walking to the front, I'm like wait a second, why am I the only one getting off?' Mr Rizzi later posted on his Facebook account: 'I cannot believe this. I was removed from the plane that I was supposed to be on to go home from Philadelphia because my dog couldn't sit in a spot for an hour and a half on the tarmac such a joke. 'So now I am in Philadelphia trying to figure out what I'm going to do to get home. I have never been so annoyed flying US Airways all year and this is the way the stewardess treatment!' Mr Rizzi described the passengers who stood by him as 'remarkable'.  Miriam Woods Baxter commented: 'My brother-in-law was on the plane with you. He is disgusted with the way you were treated. I'm sorry you were treated this way.' Passengers stood up for the disabled passenger which led to the captain asking all of those onboard to leave the plane. Travelers who took the bus arrived on Long Island around 2.30am while others spent the night in Philadelphia.  U.S. Airways claimed that Mr Rizzie was verbally abusive but that an investigation into the incident would take place. Last week, the airline was forced to deny that crew members had used racial slurs against actor Brandon T. Jackson, who was kicked off a flight at a Phoenix layover because of unruly behavior. Mr Jackson, best known for his role as Alpa Chino in the movie Tropic Thunder, had been drinking on the New York City to Phoenix flight on Monday night and became upset when flight attendants stopped serving him alcohol.  He sent out 21 tweets about the experience and claimed a flight attendant 'called me the N-word'.

^ I have to side with Mr. Rizzi and the other passengers on this one. What really surprising me is not that the flight attendants or the captain acted like "Gods in the air" as they have been allowed for over a decade to be air dictators. What really surprised me is that the other passengers stood up for Mr. Rizzi and that shows true human compassion. Most people would simply remain quiet so the plane could take off, but these passengers stood up for what is right and were all forced off and made to take a bus and that is why I firmly believe the flight attendants and pilot of US Airways are wrong in this case. US Airways (as will other airlines) will always side with their employees regardless of proof otherwise, but I hope the Federal Government gets involved as it is discrimination against the disabled. I really hope this starts a trend where all passengers stand-up to the airlines (on the ground and in the air) - non violently and make them start treating passengers as people and not cattle. ^

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2507177/US-Airways-passengers-revolt-crew-kick-blind-man-off.html