Musings on topics of small or large importance. Especially partial to subjects that include baby boomers, public figures, friends, Corporate America, the Denver Broncos, NASCAR, my previous home towns of New York City and Columbia (Maryland), stupidity (mine and others'), diets and health and who knows what else!

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Jet Blue, Get a Clue

Thank God, this is not my story. We in the Northeast are in the midst of a winter snow-and-ice storm that has netted over 1,000 auto accidents on Northern New Jersey streets today and stopped airplanes in the New York City area's three airports (JFK, LaGuardia, Newark). I had to go into the city today -- that's Manhattan -- and that was grim enough. I took little tiny steps on the superslick sidewalks, leaning forward to move my center of gravity to decrease my chances of falling. I hung on to the rail for dear life when I was descending the steps down into the subway. I made it back home in one piece, and my Nissan Altima is now safely and warmly tucked into my garage for the night. And I'm warm and dry and grateful.

On the 11:00 p.m. news tonight, they ran a story about passengers of a Jet Blue plane sitting on the tarmac today for 11 hours. People were cursing and yelling and sobbing, passengers reported. They had no food or water for several hours, reportedly up to six hours, supposedly, the airline says, so they could be ready to take off when the weather cleared.

Understandably, the passengers who talked to the news station were upset. Some didn't care that they got an apology from the airline (in a statement they issued) plus their money back plus a free trip anywhere Jet Blue flies. One guy who was interviewed said he never wanted to be in another Jet Blue plane again. No kidding! I'm not signing up for a Jet Blue flight in the foreseeable future either.

What the heck was Jet Blue thinking???? This is the kind of incident that gets Congress to pass an Airline Passengers' Bill of Rights. It's the kind of incident that makes me wonder how the pilot resopnded when the flight attendants told him (or her) how bonkers the passengers were getting. One American Airlines pilot in January under similar circumstances had had enough after an unthinkable nine hours on the tarmac and defied official orders and pulled the plane back into an empty gate. No doubt he got chastised if not punished and penalized, but in truth he should get a medal.

I fly a lot and have been delayed for weather problems, traffic problems, mechanical problems and crew problems, sometimes for as long as two or three hours. That was torment enough even when drinks and pretzels were handed out, movies shown and permission granted to use cell phones. We were comfortable. Water was plentiful, the toilets worked and everyone was calm and cooperative. But after even four hours, I think people would be relatively nutsy and I can't even imagine 11 hours in those circumstances.

By and large, philosophically I'm a libertarian -- meaning that I advocate as little government interference and legislation as possible. Live and let live. But...the airlines shouldn't be allowed to make people sit in an airplane at an airport longer than maybe four hours without being made to let passengers off to get food, stay off the plane if they want to and just get sane again. And while they're doing that, they should service the plane to ensure that people can be comfortable on it. How inhumane it is to treat people the way airlines treat them on a good day -- with their narrow little seats that maybe half of the butts on the plane comfortably fit into, and their stingy leg room, and their inconsideration of people's needs and schedules -- let alone on a day when they make their so-called valuable customers sit on a plane on the tarmac for that many hours.

Jet Blue, get a clue. Congress, for God's sake, pass a law. If any one of those Senators or Congresspersons had been on that plane today, you can bet there'd be a law introduced within a week. As well there should be.