Is it sad when an onboard confrontation is almost a welcome change of pace from the usual news cycle at this point? Some might see an onboard confrontation, but my first thought is “look, they’re on a plane… I’m jealous.”
Anyway, a video of what happened on a Brussels Airlines flight on Friday, March 13, is getting a lot of attention. The person who shared the video on YouTube was on the flight, and provided the following description of the situation:
This happened on a Brussels airline flight this morning. A black man, his wife and family were traveling back from a vacation. The man is complaining about TWO men who were sitting on the sides of his Mother-in-law and elbowing her as she was sitting in the middle seat. The man complained to the supervisor and was told they didn’t have to help him. The female Supervisor proceeded to defend the men who were elbowing the woman when the man said something to the supervisor. She slapped him. The men who jumped on him broke his ribs and the police drug him down the plane’s steel stairs despite the man asking for medical attention prior.
Here’s the video of the incident (note that it has lots of bad language and some violence, so if you’re offended by that, don’t watch):
We obviously don’t know exactly what happened before the video started being filmed. We have the account of only one other passenger, who I assume isn’t connected to the passenger in question.
Based on the video, and the video alone, here are my thoughts (shared in the order in which I notice them in the video):
- These people are not practicing #SocialDistancing
- The way the passenger speaks to the crew (in terms of the language, aggression, and the lack of listening to crew member orders) is completely unacceptable, and best I can tell he even tries to spit at the male flight attendant, and then hit him
- The crew isn’t doing a very good job deescalating the situation; having at least four crew members crowd one person while he is being both physically and verbally abusive towards the crew isn’t going to make the situation better; surely there was a better way to calm him down until law enforcement could arrive
- I don’t understand how the female flight attendant (who I believe is the supervisor) says “if you don’t finish, you will get in trouble,” because were they really not considering getting him in “trouble” prior to that, or was that just a scare technique?
- The guy then yells in the female flight attendant’s face and seems to spit at her at least once (if not twice) and then she slaps him, and then he hits her back
What absolutely disgusting behavior. We obviously don’t know the full story here. The story from another passenger does seem a bit biased (I wouldn’t say this guy was “complaining to the supervisor,” he was verbally assaulting her and spitting at her, and it’s also disingenuous to suggest that the physical violence started with the supervisor, because he had already hit the male flight attendant and spit at him at this point).
This guy was completely in the wrong in how he was acting, while I think the crew did a bad job deescalating the situation. The supervisor seems to almost instinctively slap the guy as he spits at her and gets closer to her, which doesn’t make it any more acceptable, but…
Ultimately I put blame on this situation on the passenger — he was the instigator — but the crew should have done a better job deescalating the situation. That’s especially true in light of coronavirus, with the guy spitting at the crew multiple times.
What do you make of this situation?
Also, I recall an incident on a flight to Atlanta a few years ago. My husband is a tall guy (6'4") and he was trying to be more comfortable in a cramped seat on the plane.
This young man behind him immediately became hostile and started cursing at him, claiming that my husband was intentionally hitting him with the back of the seat. We apologized but you could tell that this person was looking...
Also, I recall an incident on a flight to Atlanta a few years ago. My husband is a tall guy (6'4") and he was trying to be more comfortable in a cramped seat on the plane.
This young man behind him immediately became hostile and started cursing at him, claiming that my husband was intentionally hitting him with the back of the seat. We apologized but you could tell that this person was looking for a fight.
I share this to show that some people simply have issues and they have no place in polite society. Flying is not a right, it's a privilege. If you can't act decent, you should be removed from the aircraft. If you are threatening or violent, the same applies. If you assault or harass crew members or other passengers, you should be banned. The man in the Brussels video was not a victim of racism in this case...he endangered himself and others with his own behavior.
Some people are making excuses for this man's actions. This was not a racial issue. From what I saw in the video, the guy was completely out of control. I am not white, so no accusations of racism from anyone, please.
Now if he was treated rudely by the first flight attendant when he asked for help, I understand his frustration.
It's the FA's job to help passengers. So if the first one...
Some people are making excuses for this man's actions. This was not a racial issue. From what I saw in the video, the guy was completely out of control. I am not white, so no accusations of racism from anyone, please.
Now if he was treated rudely by the first flight attendant when he asked for help, I understand his frustration.
It's the FA's job to help passengers. So if the first one blew him off, I understand being upset by that.
But his reaction was wrong on many levels.
You can't be up in somebody's face with no mask (in a pandemic!) screaming, shouting profanity, acting in a threatening way.
The FA feared for her safety, and we can all see why. This had nothing to do with black or white. It's about two passengers with anger issues who acted in a shameful way. I am a Black woman and I support the lady who was assaulted by him. You can tell that he spit on her while he was screaming at her. No human being deserves that treatment.
Come on, folks...she wipes it off with a look of disgust before things escalated further. This situation was not OK.
This man and his wife both need serious help. The wife seems nasty too, and obviously can't conduct herself with decency either.
To those of you saying that the FA was racist, that isn't what happened. She attempted to calm him down and he continued to become more violent, calling her names while spit flew. After he moved closer, she swatted at him with her hand...then he reacted with more violence and hit her with force.
His anger doesn't justify his actions. People need to learn how to treat others, and how to act in public. Race doesn't exempt anyone from following basic rules of conduct.
If his mother-in-law was uncomfortable, he could have asked another FA to assist him (since the first one blew him off).
But behavior like this is why I don't like to fly anymore, or be in public spaces where anyone acts this way.
I feel bad for the FA and anybody else who had to deal with that.
Tom Smith, about convicts spitting on prison guards, the idea that the guards will be punished for hitting them is only THEORETICAL. What REALLY happens (and not just in the "redneck" states) is that these inmates are pounded into oatmeal by the guards. And if an inmate survives, the LAST thing he wants to even THINK ABOUT is making any kind of complaint... When a convictgets CORRECTIONS STAFF in trouble, his life becomes brutal, nasty,...
Tom Smith, about convicts spitting on prison guards, the idea that the guards will be punished for hitting them is only THEORETICAL. What REALLY happens (and not just in the "redneck" states) is that these inmates are pounded into oatmeal by the guards. And if an inmate survives, the LAST thing he wants to even THINK ABOUT is making any kind of complaint... When a convictgets CORRECTIONS STAFF in trouble, his life becomes brutal, nasty, and short if he isn't immediately transferred
Because of COVI9, if you spit on someone it's considered an act of domestic terrorism.
So the context is. The black guy's mother who you can see in the back of the plane said that she was being harassed by the guys next to her. The black guy called over the white male flight attendant you see in the beginning and told him about it. The flight attendant said that they didnt have to help and the situation escalated and the WHITE FLIGHT ATTENDANT HIT THE BLACK MAN FIRST! That's...
So the context is. The black guy's mother who you can see in the back of the plane said that she was being harassed by the guys next to her. The black guy called over the white male flight attendant you see in the beginning and told him about it. The flight attendant said that they didnt have to help and the situation escalated and the WHITE FLIGHT ATTENDANT HIT THE BLACK MAN FIRST! That's why he is so upset in the video. Then the lady in red comes and instead of diffusing the situation she escalates it and ALSO hits the man. By this time he has been assaulted by TWO flight attendants and hits her back. You know how he was in the wrong? The airline contacted him and asked him to remove the video before it spread.
The way the guy was shouting cannot be accepted. But there is no smoke without fire. We are all neglecting the lecit complaint of the guy. That her mother-in-law was abused. He reported it to the flight attendant and was slapped. It seems we are all saying that that behavior is acceptable. And that poor old woman who was abused is also acceptable. You cannot rob Peter to pay Paul. I my opinion, the 'First'...
The way the guy was shouting cannot be accepted. But there is no smoke without fire. We are all neglecting the lecit complaint of the guy. That her mother-in-law was abused. He reported it to the flight attendant and was slapped. It seems we are all saying that that behavior is acceptable. And that poor old woman who was abused is also acceptable. You cannot rob Peter to pay Paul. I my opinion, the 'First' flight attendant who started the whole mess should be dealt with. If he had addressed the situation well, this would not have degenerated. The video is aftermath of the incident. The Cabin Crew should publish the entire footage in the plane.
@Trent
Yup. This man needed to be hog tied well before that happened.
~ The Honorable Reginald
The man hit a woman! That's all that needs to be said.
@eraj whatever...
Go back to school and ask for a full refund. You haven't even reached the skills of a broken English speaker.
Why did they mention that the man is black? Cause he is an obnoxious man who happens to be black. IF you dont like it well get used to it. The world is not the Mickey Mouse club you envisioned.
And what about the two beta-male flight attendants who let this man attack the female coworker? Any men left in Belgium?
The whole story is a flying circus of stupidity and bad temper. Any...
Why did they mention that the man is black? Cause he is an obnoxious man who happens to be black. IF you dont like it well get used to it. The world is not the Mickey Mouse club you envisioned.
And what about the two beta-male flight attendants who let this man attack the female coworker? Any men left in Belgium?
The whole story is a flying circus of stupidity and bad temper. Any sort of spitting can be considered aggravated assault if you have a communicable disease.
To be fair I must say, that I have found some of the older WHITE Female flight attendant to be the rudest and most self-entitled staff on board. Granted, the spitting and slapping was beyond rationality.
The crazy thing is without even having seen the photo of the author of this article I knew they were white. He literally said the other passenger was bias. To what people being allowed to scream. If a passenger is saying complaining and not saying assaulting it's prob cause they were there and knew there was a justification for the complaint no matter how out of hand it may have gone. While you a white...
The crazy thing is without even having seen the photo of the author of this article I knew they were white. He literally said the other passenger was bias. To what people being allowed to scream. If a passenger is saying complaining and not saying assaulting it's prob cause they were there and knew there was a justification for the complaint no matter how out of hand it may have gone. While you a white male is like yeah prob bias. White people always think of you just follow all the rules everything with be fine. Well my answer to that is Albert Einstein said if you judge a fish but how fast it can climb a tree you will always think it is useless and dumb. Well white people Incase you haven't figured this out everyone else is the fish and you are the monkey. Stop judging people by the systems and rules people have to follow created by white males. And I'm not talking about the progress this group has made in the last 50years
Zero tolarance for that kind of behavior. Especially at 30,000 feet.
This crew needs to be rewarded, they were much too nice and naive to think that this man will understand verbally like a human being and not use his filthy hands.
FLIGHT ATTENDANTS ARE HUMANNNNS!!! I know its shocking, right?! But its true.
Im so sick of this entitled behaviour of people. NO one, I mean NO one deseves to get...
Zero tolarance for that kind of behavior. Especially at 30,000 feet.
This crew needs to be rewarded, they were much too nice and naive to think that this man will understand verbally like a human being and not use his filthy hands.
FLIGHT ATTENDANTS ARE HUMANNNNS!!! I know its shocking, right?! But its true.
Im so sick of this entitled behaviour of people. NO one, I mean NO one deseves to get spit on their faces (dont get me started of the slap which was embarassing to human kind).
Only an animal would do such a thing.
If you have problems or issues----> dont flight. Just dont.
Nobody owes you anything, nobody is your slave. I can't imagine if it was my mom or my sister and someone would have treat her that way at her job.
And his barbarian wife filming it?!??! How about diffusing the situation?
Girl, if he raised a hand on this flight attandant without blinking, let me tell you, you are next. trust me.
Entitled, babarian and disrespectful.
If you dont know how to behave in society dont be part of it.
No one is responsible for your behaviour but YOU, and YOU only.
Before anything else --> this flight attandant is a woman!!
You should not act violence against women. period.
#stopwomenviolance
Brussels Airlines needs to ban this entire family. Zero tolarance policy for that kind of behaviour. No flight attandant needs to be under fear or menace from any passengers.
And dont use the race thing please, its embarassing .. it could easily have been the other way around: a caucasian man and an African-American woman. And my reaction would be the same. We forget that people are people regardlees their ethnicity. This man does not represent anyone but himself and maybe his mother who did not educate him correctly.
The message of "if you're a man of color you can do whatever you want and harm people" is so wrong on so many levels and layers. The media needs to not let this man use the sacrity of African American rights in his favour and excuse of this ugly behaviour. Don't be blind to evil covered with the excuse of racism. Colour does not relate to bad behaviour. Only non educated people do. This scumbag needs to be on the no-fly list. Permanently.
How the writer can even give a slither of blame to the crew is beyond me.
listening to it all, it's irrelevant.... The flight was from Ghana to Belgium. Luckily it was not to the USA. The man will, no doubt receive appropriate jail time. The American jibber jabber about white privilege, racism, and all the other crap doesn't play in Belgium. The passenger hit a FA actively working the flight, and the video show his threatening behavior. If they were on the ground, they crew should have retreated and has...
listening to it all, it's irrelevant.... The flight was from Ghana to Belgium. Luckily it was not to the USA. The man will, no doubt receive appropriate jail time. The American jibber jabber about white privilege, racism, and all the other crap doesn't play in Belgium. The passenger hit a FA actively working the flight, and the video show his threatening behavior. If they were on the ground, they crew should have retreated and has the Police board the flight and deal with this thug.
Don't put the flight attendant as the negative in your title. How about the real culprit "Man spits in the face of 2 flight attendants." She's not the problem here. HE is. And her reaction to slap this out of control crazy man was totally acceptable. There was no calming this man down. She should not be made to be the culprit here. There was really nothing the flight attendants could do but walk away...
Don't put the flight attendant as the negative in your title. How about the real culprit "Man spits in the face of 2 flight attendants." She's not the problem here. HE is. And her reaction to slap this out of control crazy man was totally acceptable. There was no calming this man down. She should not be made to be the culprit here. There was really nothing the flight attendants could do but walk away and call the authorities. Next, ban him and his whole family from flying on Brussels Airline. PS> What culture spits in people's faces? Who does that? Be civilized people.
@Donato
I agree with you 100% about removing the stairs but this man should have been hog tied first.
~ The Honorable Reginald
@Donato I loved your comment about removing the stairs! In my humble opinion, I think the mom-in-law should have sucked it up and dealt with elbows. Heaven knows we all expect to be uncomfortable while smashed in the smaller seats nowadays. That's why 1st/Business Class makes travel so much more fun.
That MAN WILL REGRET HITTING THAT FLIGHT ATTENDENT FORE A LONG TIME . IN A FOREN PRISION CELL .
NO PLACE TO BE . I UNDER STAND THE POLICE DRAGED HIM OFF THE PLANE AND BROCK HIS RIBES . BUT WHEN YOU ARE IN FORINE COUNTREY , YOUR RIGHTS STAY HER IN THE USA . you ARE THERE BY THERE LAWES .ALL THOUGH I CAN KNOT COFIRM HIS RIBES WERE BROCKEN . ANY BODEY...
That MAN WILL REGRET HITTING THAT FLIGHT ATTENDENT FORE A LONG TIME . IN A FOREN PRISION CELL .
NO PLACE TO BE . I UNDER STAND THE POLICE DRAGED HIM OFF THE PLANE AND BROCK HIS RIBES . BUT WHEN YOU ARE IN FORINE COUNTREY , YOUR RIGHTS STAY HER IN THE USA . you ARE THERE BY THERE LAWES .ALL THOUGH I CAN KNOT COFIRM HIS RIBES WERE BROCKEN . ANY BODEY KNOW FORE A FACT . ?????
PS THE FLIGHT ATTENDENT WAS DEFENDING HER SELF .AFTER BEENING SPIT ON . AND IT WAS A SMALL SLAP . BUT HE PUNCHED HER HARD WITH A CLOSED FIST . HE SHOULD HAVE STOOD THERE AND TOOK IT LIKE A MAN . YOU JUST DON'T HIT A WOMAN , PERED NEVER EVER .NO EXCUSE WHAT SO EVER .
While I agree that the FA could have handled in a more professional way to deescalate the situation, it is also important to remember the context in which the happened. The fear and threat of the COVID-19 (that very same day the lockdown of Belgium had just been announced by the Belgian government ) probably made the crew even more anxious in this situation.
While spitting on someones face is definitely a criminal offence...
While I agree that the FA could have handled in a more professional way to deescalate the situation, it is also important to remember the context in which the happened. The fear and threat of the COVID-19 (that very same day the lockdown of Belgium had just been announced by the Belgian government ) probably made the crew even more anxious in this situation.
While spitting on someones face is definitely a criminal offence by Belgian law, doing so in this period is even more concerning.
I hope the man in question will be prosecuted and that the FA is OK and won't get in trouble.
#BlackLivesMatter
NOT!
@Paul
Playing the racial card. Again. If the man was caucasian then your comment probably would have been in total defence of the FA while a person was spitting close at her face while shouting in such a health and scary crisis, the worse that I can recall in recent history. If someone comes to my face and spits while shouting at me I can assure you my reaction would be much worse then hers and trust me, I wouldn't look at the color of anyone's skin.
most comment here are racial, it is so sad we still leave in a world where we can't do without been racist, I am not in support of the guy action, but at same time it is more frustrating when you call on a crew who you think can sort out or in a position to help a situation, but you find out she is even a racist, listen closely she giving out a warning,...
most comment here are racial, it is so sad we still leave in a world where we can't do without been racist, I am not in support of the guy action, but at same time it is more frustrating when you call on a crew who you think can sort out or in a position to help a situation, but you find out she is even a racist, listen closely she giving out a warning, I don't think that is how to calm situation or are they not train for the Job, Hitting a man in the present of his wife and mother inlaw make him feel less of a man and that is why I see he responded and the spit issue was when he was talking not everyone can that he talking or been in that state the man was but on my final observation, the man and the crew where 100% wrong and those other 2 men sitting close to the mother inlaw knew what they where doing, it would have be more easy to change her sitting position if there was no other seat let her go to the edge and deal with one of the men alone......
@Reginald
Well I might agree with you.
@mitch
Punk
@Nicola
Banning him for life isn't enough of a punishment here. He should be put in jail for maybe a few months.
~ The Honorable Reginald
Am I the only one who saw the man spitting a few inches to her face? I hope he gets in trouble enough and that he’s banned for life flying with the same airline. Racism here is a stupid and baseless accusation.
They all need to learn how to de-escalate tense situations.
And spitting is just not allowed. By anyone.
I would have talked to him only if he sat in his seat, meanwhile having someone summon police for his ultimate removal--with or without the companion. But the idea of pepper spraying anyone in an enclosed space is insane. There would be a stampede for the exit, a totally cancelled flight, exit chuts being deployed,...
They all need to learn how to de-escalate tense situations.
And spitting is just not allowed. By anyone.
I would have talked to him only if he sat in his seat, meanwhile having someone summon police for his ultimate removal--with or without the companion. But the idea of pepper spraying anyone in an enclosed space is insane. There would be a stampede for the exit, a totally cancelled flight, exit chuts being deployed, etc. A near riot. So pepper spray--NOT a good idea.
To de-escalate talk quietly to the person, smile but look concerned. Take what the person is saying seriously until help arrives! Pretty basic stuff.
As a harried frequent flyer i wonder what had happened in the hours prior to the man's arrival on the plane. Certainly this guy doesn't go around so tightly wond up all the time. So what happened? Not that excuses anything but it might lead to some really understanding of the situation. And how or why it unfolded as it did. I want to understand/know more about this passanger prior to the altercation. As well as FA training for handling just such situations.
Appalling behavior on everyone's part. Including the airlines for squeezing people into such tiny spaces and such tiny seats! And some wonder why such skirmishes occur. Why indeed!!!
@ Tom Smith
Completely disagree. The crew was trying to de-escalate and did so for quite a while during which the man spit on the male crew member twice. And then continued on his rampage. He then spit on a crew member a 3rd time and that was the end. He had to go down at that point.
Crew members need to obeyed at all times for the safety of the other passengers. Not at all comparable to prison guards.
The man was wrong and should get a permanent ban. Maybe criminal charges. I do understand his anger if his MIL was being harassed/elbowed. And if the crew did say they will not help, they should all be fired. But that does not excuse his actions.
The lead FA should be fired. 100%. You simply cannot hit someone as a crew member, even if you are spit on. Your job is to de-escalate. Reactionary or...
The man was wrong and should get a permanent ban. Maybe criminal charges. I do understand his anger if his MIL was being harassed/elbowed. And if the crew did say they will not help, they should all be fired. But that does not excuse his actions.
The lead FA should be fired. 100%. You simply cannot hit someone as a crew member, even if you are spit on. Your job is to de-escalate. Reactionary or not. (Prison guards are spit on but cannot hit a prisoner. If they do, they can be charged with assault and are most always fired.)
The rest of the crew needs some training on de-escalation.
Frankly I think the crew let him carry on for far too long. The first time he spit on the male crew member's face, he needs to be brought down to the ground. He seems to be a very angry man.
~ The Honorable Reginald
I would definitely say things were not done properly here. It could have been handled better by both sides. Escalation and improper behavior is not the answer. Yet, no matter what isn’t it the law and the policy of every airline anywhere that passengers must adhere to or comply to crew member’s instructions. So, in this perspective the man has to take a step back and calmly communicate with the crew members. The crew actually...
I would definitely say things were not done properly here. It could have been handled better by both sides. Escalation and improper behavior is not the answer. Yet, no matter what isn’t it the law and the policy of every airline anywhere that passengers must adhere to or comply to crew member’s instructions. So, in this perspective the man has to take a step back and calmly communicate with the crew members. The crew actually talked to him in a calm, but firm manner overall.
I approached this backwards; I read the post and the comments prior to watching.
My first reaction was sympathy, I once asked AA cabin crew to have Police meet us because a passenger was harassing and physically attacked my adult daughter, AA crew did nothing.
Watching the video changed the story. This is one example of an out of control man with a massive chip on his shoulder. I understand that he was...
I approached this backwards; I read the post and the comments prior to watching.
My first reaction was sympathy, I once asked AA cabin crew to have Police meet us because a passenger was harassing and physically attacked my adult daughter, AA crew did nothing.
Watching the video changed the story. This is one example of an out of control man with a massive chip on his shoulder. I understand that he was injured and then dragged down the metal steps. Totally wrong way, the steps should have been removed and he should have been dropped to the ground.
The only person taking his side was obviously a companion or spouse and she might have been imagining a payoff from the airline for this jailworthy behavior.
By the way, I witnessed similar behavior in an airport in Milan with a gentleman flying to Africa with too many cabin bags.
This passenger clearly has issues with his temperament ...I feel bit sorry for his partner who is supporting him, who seems to believe his anger is justified. My wife simply tells me to calm down, and that is usually because I tell someone what I think of them and it takes a lot for me to verbalise that....ie, she seems to be an enabler of his angry behaviour, and it is only a matter of time before she feels his wrath directed at her. You reap what you sow.
@TravelinWilly
You're focusing on the wrong thing here and it's making you look a bit foolish. Carry on if you must.
~ The Honorable Reginald
Lucky: please change the title of your post, it is misleading because it sounds like the FA started by slapping the passenger while she was merely reacting to him spitting in her face.
That female FA should have kicked him in the balls when he spat at her. Hope all airlines blacklist this guy so he can row his boat or drive to his destination without anyone come in contact with his craziness.
Reading the captions until this point I know this is going to be fun.
This happened on a Brussels airline flight this morning. A black man, .....
The best intro of what to come next. Carmen Moore is a racist. I don't remember David Dao using the race card until his lawyers said so.
I'm wondering is there a secret agreement for Star Alliance on how to make your airline look bad in the media. And also secret training on how to beat up disobedient passengers?
Rewrite title to: Flight Attendant Slaps Passenger After Being Spat On
Leave the punching details later in the details of the story. Poor journalism gives away all the goods at the headline. Bad business decision because people won’t stop and read the rest of the story. Good journalism keeps reader engaged with juicy bits of info scattered until the end.
Spitting in someone's face is assault!!! I would've done worse than slap him!!!
@Reginald "Quote the whole thing next time, you’ll look more intelligent."
The offender's behavior, screaming and spittling, speaks for itself. Your comment on skin color is a little bit...well, it rhymes with "saysist."
Are you a racist?
You tell us.
@Lucky, I'm a bit confused. As a airline/travel blogger I would think reviewing travel, airlines, hotels etc... is why I've been reading your posts and not for click bait and T.V. type reality show information. This serves no purpose or service to any of us and just makes it seem like your looking for clicks/views. Pretty sad sir!
I don't know the details, but he seems to be wrong.
My only complaint is why you had to write..... A BLACK MAN... in your article. What does his skin color have to do with that? Why not ....A WHITE CREW MEMBER....then? I don't think you meant to be racist, Lucky but this was a racist note.
You will get in trouble = You will get arrested
I hope this man is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Blacklisting on flights is not enough.
@Paulz - Pls share the link to the longer video you referenced? I googled, but cannot locate. Thanks!
Isn’t it quite obvious that his wife is the one recording and most likely the one who posted the one-sided explanation? It would make sense why the explanation was so biased and completely shifted the blame to the flight crew, and why “black man” was used as a descriptor - sounds like she was trying to garner sympathy and make it seem like a black passenger vs. white FA situation despite there having been plenty of other black passengers on the plane.
When the supervisor says "you will get in trouble" I get a strong feeling that it was just a translation mistake, probably connected with fear as well. At this time though spitting in people's faces is not only disgusting but also very bad for the health of the person. In all honesty the man was incredibly hostile and neither he nor his wife was willing to calm down. I believe they made the right decision...
When the supervisor says "you will get in trouble" I get a strong feeling that it was just a translation mistake, probably connected with fear as well. At this time though spitting in people's faces is not only disgusting but also very bad for the health of the person. In all honesty the man was incredibly hostile and neither he nor his wife was willing to calm down. I believe they made the right decision to remove the man from the plane however the way in which they did it can be described as awful.
Ban for life
Change the title of the article.
The FB post states the spitter's ribs were broken in the scuffle. Damn shame
" A black man, his wife and family were traveling back from a vacation. "
Important details.
That's why seat only in the front.
So that way, I don't have to elbow any grandmas next to me.
If the dude was so worried about her, the dude should've switched to her middle seat and jockey elbow position with his seatmates.
Well, people act like animals in plane these days. It is a sad state of affairs.
Why is the onus of de-escalation solely on this flight crew?
If his mother-in-law is being "squished" by two guys, either because of her size or just because those two guys are assholes then... hey, you're obviously a big tough guy. Swap places with her, genius.
If the flight attendants couldn't or wouldn't resolve that issue for you, then fix the problem by getting her out of that situation, get through the flight, and...
Why is the onus of de-escalation solely on this flight crew?
If his mother-in-law is being "squished" by two guys, either because of her size or just because those two guys are assholes then... hey, you're obviously a big tough guy. Swap places with her, genius.
If the flight attendants couldn't or wouldn't resolve that issue for you, then fix the problem by getting her out of that situation, get through the flight, and then go home and whine about racism on Facebook all you want.
More stories like this please! You know things have gotten serious when a story entitled "Flight Attendant Slaps Passenger, Gets Punched" passes for comic relief. But this certainly made me chuckle more than the endless cycle of depressing "Airline X to ground entire fleet/seek $1 trillion bailout" stories that have become our daily bread.
U.S. banks have a system for sharing the names of bad customers so that they don't just close up the accounts at one institution and continue their fraudulent or risky behavior at another bank. The airlines need something similar. If you have engaged in violence or, like the idiot on Jet Blue, knowingly flown while carrying a potentially deadly virus, you should be banned for life from all airlines.
Obviously this would need some...
U.S. banks have a system for sharing the names of bad customers so that they don't just close up the accounts at one institution and continue their fraudulent or risky behavior at another bank. The airlines need something similar. If you have engaged in violence or, like the idiot on Jet Blue, knowingly flown while carrying a potentially deadly virus, you should be banned for life from all airlines.
Obviously this would need some oversight since there are far more banks than there are airlines, but bad actors need to be dealt with and the public at large needs to know they can't act this way on an airplane and get away with it.
Racism? Not at all!
If I was a Brussels airlines CEO I would ban this guy forever on my airline.
@TravelinWilly
"You think the crew should just stand there smiling while this angry black man is getting in their faces and spitting all disgusting germs in their faces?"
Quote the whole thing next time, you'll look more intelligent.
@Reginald "You think the crew should just stand there smiling while this angry black man..."
Thanks for pointing out skin color, that's totally relevant to this post.
What a ridiculous thing to say.
@ Mitch
Extort her white privilege by refusing to be spit on? Can you explain that one?
the only reason that OP emphasized that the family is black, because they are directing attention to the skin color and fault the situation to the crew.
It's a technique that black right advocates use ALL THE TIME. They are the minority and the underprivileged, so they should be tolerated no matter what. THIS HAS TO STOP NOW.
What did you expect from these passengers? I suspect they are used to getting their way by hollering and screaming "RACIST" every time something does not suit them or when they think they can get a refund on their ticket.
Serves the racist FA right, she was trying to exert her white privilege and got what was coming to her.
Yh that women is definitely an expert in Belgian law - it’s her right her.
Outrageous behaviour by passengers, crew were far too patient with them.
@Reginald
Your dog whistle is showing.
@Super VC
Are you nuts? You think the crew should just stand there smiling while this angry black man is getting in their faces and spitting all disgusting germs in their faces? Seriously, are you nuts?
From what I can tell, the crew handled this about as well as possible although we don't know what precipitated the video. The crew was letting this angry black man have his say for an extended period of time....
@Super VC
Are you nuts? You think the crew should just stand there smiling while this angry black man is getting in their faces and spitting all disgusting germs in their faces? Seriously, are you nuts?
From what I can tell, the crew handled this about as well as possible although we don't know what precipitated the video. The crew was letting this angry black man have his say for an extended period of time. Even after he spat in the male flight attendant's face twice, they still let him go on. And then the woman told him "okay now you're done." And he didn't listen. He continued on and spat on her face again.
Enough is enough. He had to go down at that point.
Yeah...this is a misleading title Lucky
At least in the US spitting in someone’s face is assault (in most jurisdictions) Don’t know about everyone else but the second someone spits in my face they probably would get hit. Almost just a reactionary hit which is what she did. Also hilarious the person filming kept referring to her rights. Cause she understands the European Laws so well.
Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown!
Did the man spit on the attendant?! That’s bad... Imagine being on that flight I would be so worried of catching the virus...
There's never a reason to hit a women like that period. I'm a big guy and when a women has slapped me like that (and it's happened a few times) in an argument I'd suck it up...like a man. I don't hit back, learned that from my mom. Low class....
Please, she slapped him like a mother would her out of control teenager screaming obscenities at her and threatening her. She went into full mom mode with the finger pointing and scolding. He slapped her like he probably slaps his wife everyday. No comparison. The fact no one was helping her and no males pulled that guy away or stood between them before it reached the physical contact is the real crime.
And you were worried that you’d run out of content during the crisis.
The female FA should have done much more than slapping the guy. I would say pepper spraying would be easily acceptable in this scenario. Spitting in someone's face, especially an older lady's face, is absolutely unacceptable, even more so in the light of COVID-19. Punching her after she merely defended herself is just as bad. I hope the rest of his escort was as rough as he deserves. Also, this is not a racial issue....
The female FA should have done much more than slapping the guy. I would say pepper spraying would be easily acceptable in this scenario. Spitting in someone's face, especially an older lady's face, is absolutely unacceptable, even more so in the light of COVID-19. Punching her after she merely defended herself is just as bad. I hope the rest of his escort was as rough as he deserves. Also, this is not a racial issue. Had the guy been white, he should have received just as harsh treatment. I hope the lady gets better... I don't want to imagine my mother in that scenario.
The person who posted this video on Facebook emphasized "a black man", not this blog. Looks like someone is trying to play the race card.
The passenger in question was being very confrontational and aggressive towards the flight attendants, even before he spat on the female flight attendant. They absolutely needed to huddle around him as "back up" for one another in case the situation escalated, and sure enough, it did. If nobody else was around him when he slapped her, who knows what else could have happened.
What caused this in the first place ? We don’t know Do we ?
Expectorating could be considered as assault in Europe. Especially now. If he has something and passes it on ...
Is this in the air ? He should have been restrained
They appear to be American. Woman in the background believing American law applies everywhere doesn’t she say -“ it’s my right “ ?
Why mention they were...
What caused this in the first place ? We don’t know Do we ?
Expectorating could be considered as assault in Europe. Especially now. If he has something and passes it on ...
Is this in the air ? He should have been restrained
They appear to be American. Woman in the background believing American law applies everywhere doesn’t she say -“ it’s my right “ ?
Why mention they were “ black “ above. It’s clear they are.
I think the passenger concerned should have calmed down and been requested to move to the back
I imagine the staff are extremely stressed presently given the situation
He should be prosecuted for failing to comply with instructions , assault abusive behaviour
My experience is anecdotal, of course, BUT...
I had a run in with a Brussels FA where she grabbed me as I boarded because she wanted to see my boarding pass after it had been checked three times while boarding.
Needless to say that my responses was far less than polite and her attitude wasn’t remotely customer service oriented.
We ended the conversation with me advising her that any additional, unnecessary contact would result in...
My experience is anecdotal, of course, BUT...
I had a run in with a Brussels FA where she grabbed me as I boarded because she wanted to see my boarding pass after it had been checked three times while boarding.
Needless to say that my responses was far less than polite and her attitude wasn’t remotely customer service oriented.
We ended the conversation with me advising her that any additional, unnecessary contact would result in a physical response.
So yeah, maybe she created the conflict.
You are missing so much more of the story, and there is a much longer video out there that shows the man punching a male FA.
We don't have the full story????? Are you kidding me??? I think we have all we need. He spat on her, she had all the right to do what she did and he then was a coward. Simple. Whatever happened before, it's no excuse.
Lucky, it would be nice if you edited your title. The woman gets verbally abused, then spit on and only THEN slaps this ***hole. You make it sound as if she initiated it, which is definitely not ok. I expect more from you and this blog. Pure clickbait... Sigh.
I hope is doing ok and doesn't get into trouble
Why was the man's skin colour relevant to the OP? A white woman posted a Tik Tok licking THE TOILET SEAT OF AN AEROPLANE LAVATORY, with the hashtag #CoronaVirusChallenge, but that hasn't been reported?
You're right, Lucky. We don't know the full story yet. Maybe the man could've offered that he switch seats with the mother-in-law who he said was always elbowed? His aggression was uncalled for, end of.
He was hysterical, verbally and physically abusive to multiple people and out of control, that slap was clearly in self-defense. I can't blame that poor woman.
As a retired flight attendant who flew internationally for 30 years, I'd have to say that both the passengers involved and the cabin crew behaved very badly. The passengers were obviously WAY out of control, but the flight attendants did an extremely poor job of trying to calm-down this situation. That crew needed to just BACK OFF until the passengers finished their hysterical tirade. Then ONE crew member should have tried to resolve the situation....
As a retired flight attendant who flew internationally for 30 years, I'd have to say that both the passengers involved and the cabin crew behaved very badly. The passengers were obviously WAY out of control, but the flight attendants did an extremely poor job of trying to calm-down this situation. That crew needed to just BACK OFF until the passengers finished their hysterical tirade. Then ONE crew member should have tried to resolve the situation. There never should have been a bunch of stewards standing around smirking while their colleagues were being verbally, and then physically abused. This was a lose-lose event for all those involved.
Trust me, they will be showing this video in Brussels Airlines' flight attendant Recurrent Training courses as a perfect example of how NOT to deal with out-of-control passengers. (That's assuming Brussels Airlines ever takes to the skies again post-virus.)
Hey can you at least not click bait and include the fact that she got spit on her face prior to her losing her temper. Thank you
The supervisor didn't slap him until the guy spit in her face twice. It looked like he did it once accidentally, but the second time definitely looked deliberate.
I don't know what the Belgian law is on the question, but in many US states, spitting on someone is an assault, and she would be entitled to take reasonable steps to defend herself.
Could they have handled the situation better? Absolutely, but I don't have...
The supervisor didn't slap him until the guy spit in her face twice. It looked like he did it once accidentally, but the second time definitely looked deliberate.
I don't know what the Belgian law is on the question, but in many US states, spitting on someone is an assault, and she would be entitled to take reasonable steps to defend herself.
Could they have handled the situation better? Absolutely, but I don't have a problem with her slapping him when he escalated it to that point.
I agree the way they handled the situation is far from ideal but can you really blame the crew though? He literally screamed in her face and seemed like spat at her too. She's a human after all, no one can tolerate that level of disrespect. Also, the you will get in trouble part, I'll just chalk it up to the European no nonsense attitude coupled with perhaps a bit of language barrier. Shame he
Why is the skin color of the man relevant for their post?
Why is his race important to that Youtuber?
Her reaction is almost reflexive as he does move very suddenly at the end there.
I'm not sure this was a matter of her losing her cool as it was a defense mechanism.
Another case where you can't see everything and what you do see isn't good.
Why were the guys elbowing the woman? Were they upset because she may have been large? Or was it a race + weight issue? And were they really elbowing her or were they just moving in their seat and it was hard to avoid touching her?
Society is broken. I'm not huge (5'10", 190 now, before less) and I've sat in...
Another case where you can't see everything and what you do see isn't good.
Why were the guys elbowing the woman? Were they upset because she may have been large? Or was it a race + weight issue? And were they really elbowing her or were they just moving in their seat and it was hard to avoid touching her?
Society is broken. I'm not huge (5'10", 190 now, before less) and I've sat in rows with other decent sized or broad shoulder guys and we didn't like it but we did the best we could to survive the flight. Most people do, but certain elements of society (both low end and high end) just have an attitude. Of course the smaller seats are just a multiplier in this happening more.
Life was much better before you could video every encounter (well video parts of every encounter).
You forget the very important detail that (according to Belgian media) the man first spat the FA in the face. She slapped him as a reaction to that.
A just reaction in time of COVID-19 if you ask me.
The female flight attendant showed incredible control up until the end. Having a guy lunge at you and call you a bitch while you’re actively wiping his spit out of your eye would trigger just about anyone, I think. You’re totally right that this is a failure of de-escalation though.