|
1 March 2007
Air rage remedies
In the company of whacked-out passengers
By Terry Riley
 In 1996 Gerard Finneran, a Connecticut businessman, got himself all
liquored-up in the first-class compartment of a United Airlines flight
from Buenos Aires to New York. During the flight he became so belligerent
about not getting another glass of wine that he dropped his pants and…
well, let’s just say that at that moment Mr. Finneran became the poster
boy for disruptive passenger behavior and spawned a new term now used all
too often in conjunction with air travel: air rage.
Since Mr. Finneran’s offensive behavior, in-flight crew members (and
passengers, too) have been spit on, slapped, punched, beaned with liquor
bottles, had hot coffee poured on them and otherwise been set upon by
out-of-control passengers.
As a result of the outrageous and illegal behavior of these numskulls,
governments have increased punishments slapped on passengers who do not
comply with crew member instructions, and airlines have trained their
flight crews in aggression control techniques. Yet, incidents of air rage
continue to occur on a near daily basis.
As airlines and governments wrestle with these passengers and what to do
about them, what can you do, as a well-behaved passenger, to protect
yourself from some confrontational whacko who is spiraling out of control?
My company has been one of the firms that has consulted with airlines on
this matter—see that ad below?—so let me share
with you some survival techniques that you won't find printed on your
boarding pass and are unlikely to hear as part of a flight attendant's
pre-flight briefing.
Be alert during the boarding process.
Many passengers who turn into big problems in the air, show signs that
foretell their impending behavior while they are still on the ground.
While you're waiting to board, measure the temperament and behavior of
your fellow passengers. Drunken behavior, for instance, is a clear and
dangerous signal. Not many drunks become trouble, but many troublemakers
are drunk.
Make it your business.
You've got more time and more reason to size up your fellow passengers
than do airline customer service agents who won't be on the plane with
you. Act on your suspicions. Report potential problem passengers to
airport security. (Airline ground agents may not be of much assistance
here because they have little clout and can make there problems go away by
boarding them.)
Choose an aisle seat.
If your seatmate goes bonkers, you don't want to be trapped between him
and the side of the airplane.
Don't ignore commotion in the cabin.
When trapped in an aluminum tube miles above the earth, another person's
nasty behavior can become your problem in a big hurry. Like it or not,
your safety is tied to all the other flyers on board—the good, the bad,
and the ones I usually get seated next to. When you see tempers start to
flare, be prepared to take some action.
Distance yourself from a misbehaving passenger.
You expose yourself to danger when you are near a nut case. What’s more,
the presence of bystanders (or “bysitters”) can embolden an already
tanked-up, whack job. The action called for in this case is to distance
yourself from a potentially explosive situation. Don't make a big deal
about leaving, but do leave.
Remain calm.
Cooperate with and support the crew member who is calling the shots. Her
number one job is to get the aircraft on the ground safely. Keep in mind
that dealing with a disruptive passenger is not about honesty. It’s about
control. You may hear a crewmember make all kinds of promises you know she
can't keep. The important thing is that the troublemaker believes what he
hears: "Yes, when we land you will be awarded free, lifetime, first-class
upgrades." Assure him that he will.
Offer assistance.
When bad turns to worse, flight attendants may need your assistance to
physically subdue a violent passenger. If you can help, do. If you can’t,
get out of the way so that other passengers can. Remember, you're all in
this together.
Most disruptive passengers are brought under control without endangering
other passengers. Nevertheless, if things should go badly on a flight, now
you know what to do.
This article originally
appeared in Executive Travel magazine
© 2007 Applied Psychology
Related Err Travel columns
Travel Rage Institute is founded - Calm down, mellow out, feel better
... and from Travel Fox:
Fox University
begins instruction - Institution offers degrees to travelers
|
|
