While we see all kinds of people acting inappropriately at airports, it’s not usually the pilots…
Continue reading: United Airlines Pilot Charged In Axe Attack At Denver Airport Parking Lot
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man I get worried everyday for a second as to why you are awake this late or early before realizing you're in Europe lolzies
Wait this hottie is 62?!? Can’t really zoom in but tbh he looks so much younger. Would definitely not kick out of bed regardless his age and rage (alleged)
I've been an employee locked in my own company's parking lot. I understand where this pilot is coming from. He should be acquitted of all charges. $700 in damages? What a joke. I think this pilot should find the parking equipment maker's CEO and shove the axe up the CEO's rectum.
Totally unacceptable behaviour from someone in charge of a full Crew, and a million dollar asset like a 757/767
Reaching the breaking point beacause your stuck in a queue… come on get a grip man :-/
He must not be satisfied of the new pilot contracts at United, and opted out
Considering how much effort it takes for him to chop down a parking gate, I'd surely not hire him to chop firewood.....
The pilot’s actions are indeed wrong and he should face the course of justice as due under law. But these cheaply and poorly administered parking lots that create nuisance backups are also an issue that needs addressing. Parking owners/operators are so eager to run up the revenue and their own profits from these operations that they go crazy cheap on customers and are sometimes even designed to drive people crazy and ramp up the pressure on people to pay the parking owners/operators more than is legally due.
Should've just taken a gun, can't carry dangerous things like an axe around, what was he thinking.
A gun would've been a lot more effective and he could just say he's defending his rights against the parking lot.
When people in the US ask why do other countries bash America so much, this is why.
There is literally nobody who parks in this sort of lot who hasn't wanted to do this at some point.
The only thing that stops me is my silly failure to keep an axe in my car.
Is pretty common in Washington Dulles. The parking equipment doesn’t operate properly and you’re stuck in your car at 2 AM. Trying to exit the parking garage. There’s no one there. there’s nothing you can do. It’s a total travesty. I totally sympathize with the pilot.
How stupid, he just lost his job. He probably had over 30 years and he just lost it all in a split second. Since he now has a criminal record, he’s ineligible to work for the airline
Malfunctioning parking gates are insanely frustrating. This guy's a hero imo. Would love to be flown by him.
Who hasn’t wanted to knock a parking arm off before? Yes, make him pay for the damage he did. But given the worse things that people get off for, leave it at restitution.
And no, he doesn’t need a mental evaluation. We have gotten so soft that if anyone shows even a slightest bit of above average assertiveness, people imply there may be a mental issue. We used to have real men in society who acted like men and some people are now shocked when a real man stands up. Remember, there’s nothing illegal about having an axe in your car.
I hope after an investigation United decides to reward this pilot. He did what many of us has been wanting to do for a while at those ridiculous gates.
What's up with the people that United hires lmao, there's the Asian beater, drunk driver, guitar smasher, and someone who.... brings an axe to an airport?
That said, this site should use Disqus, I want to post pics and gifs here.
yeah... and in those countries they wish they have the freedom to pull this kind of stunts without getting disappeared. Anyone, anything, in a leadership position is always getting bashed so much anyway.
I can relate. BWI express parking lot requires upfront credit card. Went to Belize. Upon return arrived at the express lot at 2am. Card was not accepted (funds available). Sat there for 30 minutes waiting for someone to arrive. Finally forced the gate open and drove through.
Yes, he does need mental evaluation. And this has nothing to do with "real men". He obviously has some issues, and can not be responsisble for flying a plane full of people.
Those airport employees struggling with him over the axe are effin' stupid. He attacked an inanimate object not a person. Their struggle could have easily turned deadly. What morons. Leave it to the cops. Now, if he was attacking people then I agree you step in. But they were escalating an already tense incident with their idiotic actions.
I'm guessing he was probably a few months from retirement and ready to walk away with a 6 figure pension. So he was already in DGAF mode.
Hell, I'd have probably helped him. "Here, why don't you take a break and let me take some hacks at this piece of shit..." Automation with no backup, human or otherwise, causes this sort of aggression because of lazy/cheap companies.
Somebody only wrestled it away from him because they wanted some shots at the gate too
The reading comprehension from many of these commenters is atrocious. Sure, parking gates sometimes malfunction, but there is no indication that was the case here. In fact, there is a statement in the post about delays being caused regularly by people/cars that are not properly credentialed. Additionally, the video shows the gates working properly.
This is not an overreaction to a justified frustration. It was a violent act of self-importance.
The blame is squarely on the Airport which contracted to and tolerates this fly-by-night parking outfit which has crappy, unreliable equipment with no parking attendant. I’m with the pilot, he doesn’t need a mental evaluation, I’d be happy to fly with him.
This clown is an unhinged asshole who has no business flying an airplane. The reast of you peasants supporting his illegal behavior can stick to flipping burgers
Seriously? "Real men" have grown the fk up and dont have to have temper tantrums. There is nothing "manly" about acting like a toddler. Nothing.
Seems like Americans condone this as it’s normal in the US for someone to vent frustration with an axe. He doesn’t deserve piloting an aircraft as he’s unbalanced and should be assessed by a psychiatrist and fired for gross misconduct.
Looking at how this trump legal case is building with grand jury members being threatened, government officials their friends, family and neighbours being attacked by right wing nut jobs, the US is in a downward spiral. There’s absolutely nothing great about the country.
Seriously, Icarus, you’re going to tie this event to the MAGA crowd? The guy took out a parking gate, a fate it so richly deserved. He didn’t threaten any people.
I think the pilot is also a MAGA Republican. Just look at the way he is using the axe. You can immediately tell.
I’m CMO of an ad agency. The reason burgers come to your mind is the work of my team to instill top of mind awareness for my fast food clients.
It's worth noting DEN recently transitioned their employee parking to a new system, away from card to a toll lane style pass mounted to your windshield, wouldn't surprise me if the transition hasn't been smooth.
Yes as since 2016 Americans are more unhinged that they already were and it’s condoned by a vast proportion of the population. No sane person carries a large axe in their car. However in the US usually the weapon of choice is a gun. There were cars driving by. What if he started attacking them?
At work, I park in a garage that’s shared with tourists and cruise ship passengers. Pay at the exit gate and it’s super simple. Stick your paper parking card in the slot, it tells you the amount on the screen, stick your credit card in and the gate opens. It’s amazing how many people will fumble around with this for 10 minutes, totally confused like they’ve never ever used a parking payment machine in their lives, resulting in huge lines of cars trying to exit. Drives me absolutely insane. So I kinda see where this guy is coming from.
If you think getting out an axe and hacking away is a reasonable response to being frustrated it sounds like you might need a mental evaluation yourself.
“Real men” behave like adults and take minor albeit irritating inconveniences in their stride; they don’t throw violent tantrums like toddlers.
You know who melts down when they’re inconvenienced? Soft minded, entitled people and the mentally unstable. Which are you? Perhaps you’re both?
Assertiveness and angry petulance are not the same.
The apologists for the pilot lack reason and maturity. He's not some hero, and it would be on him for not understanding how to use a cashier less exit gate...which is most common these days.
I question whether he has the temperament for his job and responsibility for his passengers and fellow crew.
Is he going to act out in some unhinged way if he doesn't get the ATC clearances he wants, etc?
As a long-term flight crew member and fellow Denver employee parking “peasant,” I’d like to shed some light on the parking lot issues facing us lately. First of all, we do not now nor have we ever had a garage. This particular parking lot is a new spot designated to Employees as they took our normal location for passenger parking overflow and shoved us in a corner of hell that is far from the terminal, unguarded, dark and dangerous. You can see Amazon trailers in the background. That’s how the airport treats its employees. Until recently, there were no credentials to get into this parking lot as the airport acted prematurely in making the switch to this location without installing employee badge readers. Hundreds of cars - yes hundreds - have been stolen from this lot due to airport leadership failure. It’s dangerous. The buses taking employees to the terminal were scattered in frequency and sometimes drove right by waiting employees without stopping, leaving us to wonder when we might be able to get to work. You can imagine, in an industry which is very dependent on time-based performance, that this would be frustrating to say the least. The airport dropped the ball- not the employees. They then decided to utilize a new system where we have express toll type tags and express toll itself linked to our badges and parking which was a disaster at first. This parking lot- It was only and finally equipped with parking pass scanners in the last couple of weeks. The parking lot opened months ago and this is the first time security controlled gates have operated. Who knows who was in line to get out or if the gates were even functioning properly. What I do know is that the airport could have and should have sent someone from security over to open them manually ASAP. Do I condone the use of an axe? No. Our pilot friend should probably remove it from his car and his life in general. However, before you add your angry comments and use names such as “peasants” and descriptions such as “unhinged,” you should (a.) learn to spell (it is rest and not “reast”) and (b.) walk a mile in someone’s shoes. No one should have to straddle a fence but use the gate once in awhile and you may learn empathy at least.
I would think that impulse control would be a key trait for a pilot of a large aircraft....
@K Helldoge
So you string together, in an arbitrary manner, one person's violent act WITH 'peasants' (a term properly confined to medieval historical studies) WITH fast food outlet employees. That's quite a random, illogical and utterly nonsensical proposition. I dare say your bluff at social superiority strongly hints at insecurity regarding your own socio-economic background. Were your parents too poor to pay for a private school and good university? I've encountered your ilk many times; you're quite easy to spot, actually. Your insecurity and craving for acceptance are dead giveaways. Just saying...
Americans and their outdated technology.
Never had to wait for parking gate to open here in China or Singapore. I’m guessing in other advanced countries as well.
1. It wouldn’t let people who has no business to park there to even enter. It won’t try to trap you to pay fine or getting your car towed.
2. On exit, it would charge to the plate or IU machine or simply pay by phone without needing to try to figure out to insert your card or insert and pull.
USA is the #1 most advanced country by GDP, per-capita GDP, and GDP adjusted for PPP. Sorry buddy, China cannot be considered advanced when their work culture is 9-9-6 (9am to 9pm, six days a week) and they still can't compete. The culture is a soulless grind and they never heard of working smarter, not harder.
In China you only have to worry about fake rice, poison in your lead laced tea leaves, your obsession with what Americans do yet you try your hardest to emulate every aspect of your life like Americans, pilots who are woefully under trained( I used to work in aviation safety) , a mass mentality of "oh who cares about the rules if nobody sees it" (I should know I'm Chinese and this is like a mantra I hear constantly)
Please stop with this obsession of wanting the world to pay attention to you and saying oh yeah us too we can do that too see see see look at me, please like me. Its PATHETIC. I suggest China spend more time worrying about real estate, evergrande bankruptcy and a govt pretending all Chinese citizens have actual free will.
This conversation is like watching two children try to outdo each other with crazy made up play weapons
“My mega sword slashed through your ultra shield”
“Well my super laser pierced your mega sword”
"Axe Attack" ? Seems like a sensationalist headline. Not sure if he should be faulted for using an axe to break a malfunctioning parking gate that had several cars stranded. For all I know that gate is probably often times broken
Sorry that you guys have to go thru this. DEN parking lots are VERY dangerous and there are literally break ins everyday in the long term, paid parking lots. Hope it all gets sorted out, seems DEN management puts crew and employees last.
I’m shocked we haven’t seen a statement from the pilots union yet stating their “unconditional support” for this guy.
You failed to mention I said Singapore. It’s ppp per capita it’s actually much higher than america. You just picked and choose your data?
China 996 showed that the internet service products are far more superior than americans. Hell X wanted to copy Chinese apps. Elon said it himself. Hell american congressman also said it.
Also, I’m sure you’ve never even worked in any high paying and high performing company. Check any hospital, tech, fintech, IB, consulting or esquire. They worked harder than any other industries in the US. While not 996, they worked well over 40 hours. Just because they don’t call it 996 it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist in the states. Think please.
Also, just so you know, people working 996 in tech companies in China get OT and actually majority prefer it and I can assure you they make a lot more than you since you are lazy and doesn’t grind.
Why is grind culture any bad?
China is not only working hard but working harder AND smarter.
I am not even Chinese. But I can see which country is in the uphill which is in outrageous decline. All it takes is some eyes and open mind that comes along with it.
Oops wait. I’ll stop typing. I need to get out of my way. The luxury store I’m in is being robbed where these people will not get prosecuted while in China people are lining up to enter and buy these goods with their hard earned money.
"give him the benefit of the doubt in some way, he was taking out his aggression on an object, and not on a person" huh? This is NOT normal behavior. Not only did he pull out an axe and repeatedly chop away at the gate, he went on to get in a physical struggle with an airport employee (the axe is a weapon at that point), then he runs off into some field? There is no benefit of the doubt here. Once there was a PHYSICAL struggle that benefit of a doubt was gone. The guy is unstable and should be pushed into retirement. In no way should this person ever be allowed on a commercial flight deck again. The complete lack of appropriate judgement demonstrated here shows he has no business being in charge of a plane and having people's lives in his hands. I'm not saying he needs to go to jail or anything. Heck he can do a program or whatever and avoid a criminal conviction. What I am saying is that his days has a commercial pilot should be at an end.
Well there is an additional physical struggle over the axe involving airport employees as well so there is that. Still the headline is misleading for sure. I don't think this should be characterized as an "axe attack", because most people will be lead to believe that an axe was used on other people based on that headline. If some neighbor illegally chops down a tree on the property of a person next door the papers don't rush to report it as an "axe attack".
Exactly. While there may be issues with that parking lot the bigger issue is the tremendous lack of judgement demonstrated by this pilot and how that shows he may not be fit to be flying a commercial airliner.
Sometimes it takes something like this to alert the nitwit powers-that-be that there's a problem. Maybe he did us all a favor.
If no one has experienced frustration when something does not function right or immediately when you needed to do something else afterwards, better don't express your opinion. He was extremely tired perhaps, after a long flight that even us, as passengers experience.
Aaaaaand you just added another reason for me to never fly United.
The miserable and rude FAs and the blatant "F. U." customer service just weren't enough, huh?
Judging by your name, you are in your 60s. That is not the mindset of someone in their 60s. It's childish and immature. There's proper ways to address issues at work and this isn't one of them. If United won't stand behind its employees and make sure the lot is suitable, perhaps you should not work for such a garbage heap of a company. And don't place blame on the airport. United has every ability to let them know this isn't suitable and force changes. It's a vicious cycle - your employer is terrible, so you're miserable, and customers can feel it.
After you used Amazon shipping containers and trailers in the distance as "proof" that the parking lot is dangerous, I couldn't take anything else in your comment seriously. I laughed so hard for about 30 seconds. That's the most scared, white, boomer Karen thing I've heard in a while.
You may have some valid points later on, but they're now overshadowed by your hilarious fear of cargo areas.
Just retire already and move to The Villages in Florida. You sound like a perfect fit for a place like that. You'll feel safe.
I have to say, I can empathize with the pilot’s frustration… but can we talk about the airport employee? What person in their right mind rushes toward a person swinging a axe to protect a parking arm!?!? I think we could have a talk with him about common sense…