Passenger on United Airlines

[TheGrandCanyon24]

I don't think he was causing a scene. He was being physically removed by violent people. Screaming is totally appropriate in that situation. Also, the man was 69 years old.

[heypeg]

I think that it is terrible what happened to that man.

[natashaspy]

I hear that the airline intentionally overbook their flights with the assumption that people wont show up.  When that happens, they pull others off.  So it's pretty much their own fault if they get sued.

[hawkeye3210]

Turns out the the Doctor is a creep... probably genuinely fearful he was going back to jail...

"The Doctor has a criminal history and previously lost his license to practice medicine.
DR was charged with 98 felony drug counts for illegally prescribing and trafficking painkillers in 2005.
DR was also convicted on six felony counts of obtaining drugs by fraud and deceit and got five years probation in 2005.
According to legal documents the DR was also convicted for writing prescriptions and checks to a patient in exchange for sex - In the documents the DR denies paying for sex but admits to accepting sexual favors from an associate who owed him money.

The report states the DR surrendered his medical license in Kentucky in 2005.
In 2015 the medical board lifted the suspension and allowed him restricted practice.
But then last year the medical board imposed more restrictions -
the DR can only practice internal medicine in an outpatient facility one day per week. "

His past is still no reason to remove him from the plane.  They didn't know about his  past.    Look at it this way, imagine you are in a very popular, expensive restaurant that is filled to capacity.  You have just received your meal when they come over and tell you that you need to leave, someone famous has just arrived without a reservation and they want a table immediately.   Would they have the right to drag you out of the restaurant, or for that matter, even ask you to leave?   
Same thing, he paid for his seat, it was his seat.

His seat was not guaranteed. This is all spelled out on the ticket that you may be bumped. If your bumped, you're entitled to 200% of ticket if delayed 1 hour or 400% if more than 2 hours. In 2015, 552,000 passengers were bumped.

[hawkeye3210]

Big news.  Earlier today, a passenger was physically pulled off an United Airlines flight because the flight was overbooked.  I understand the passenger was physically injured during this incident.

The United Airlines employees were trying to make room for other airline employees who apparently needed to catch that specific flight.

Passengers were asked to volunteer to leave the flight; however, there weren't enough passengers who volunteered to leave so the computer selected a specific passenger to "pull off the flight".

What do you think about all this?

I think the injured passenger might do well to find a good attorney to sue United Airlines.   

Saw the video.  What they did to that man is criminal.  The man is a DOCTOR!  I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw what went on.  I hope he does sue them.  United USED to be one of the best airlines (years ago).  I wouldn't fly United if they paid me now.  They need to lose the practice of "overbooking" their flights because if this is how they treat paying customers, I'd say there's a whole lot of people who will forget their name in an instant and never book through them again.

Every airline overbooks to maximize revenue not just United. Ticket prices would skyrocket if they stopped overbooking.

[UGetPaid]

Who are they to decide that their crew's schedule is more important than a paying customer's schedule? If the crew needed to be at a different location for another flight - they should have had alternate arrangements or an earlier flight and not relied on the 'possibility' that a few paid customers might not show up for this flight.

[dancer139]

what they did was so wrong,,,,,, I realize they can bump people from a plane but that was just uncalled for. 

[gaylasue]

The passenger who is a medical doctor does have an attorney.  He has also been in the hospital in Chicago.

[AdedotunOlufunke]

I think he shares responsibility in the outcome of his actions.  If he had just gone with the police quietly he wouldn't have been injured.  When the police come for you follow their directions and don't resist.

that still does not justify in any way how he was treated

[AdedotunOlufunke]

Turns out the the Doctor is a creep... probably genuinely fearful he was going back to jail...

"The Doctor has a criminal history and previously lost his license to practice medicine.
DR was charged with 98 felony drug counts for illegally prescribing and trafficking painkillers in 2005.
DR was also convicted on six felony counts of obtaining drugs by fraud and deceit and got five years probation in 2005.
According to legal documents the DR was also convicted for writing prescriptions and checks to a patient in exchange for sex - In the documents the DR denies paying for sex but admits to accepting sexual favors from an associate who owed him money.

The report states the DR surrendered his medical license in Kentucky in 2005.
In 2015 the medical board lifted the suspension and allowed him restricted practice.
But then last year the medical board imposed more restrictions -
the DR can only practice internal medicine in an outpatient facility one day per week. "

so what? Even if he has some kind of bad history before, that does not justify that. Like you said, he got limited access to practise so he is still a doctor. Criminal record or not, that does not justify their action

[bremer51]

The whole situation seems suspicious to me.  There must be more to the story than we know.  Who physically drags a person off a plane?  Offer more incentives. Don't resort to manhandling.

[Alissa567]

You have to obey the law, that is that.

[aflyingmonkey]

Turns out the the Doctor is a creep... probably genuinely fearful he was going back to jail...

"The Doctor has a criminal history and previously lost his license to practice medicine.
DR was charged with 98 felony drug counts for illegally prescribing and trafficking painkillers in 2005.
DR was also convicted on six felony counts of obtaining drugs by fraud and deceit and got five years probation in 2005.
According to legal documents the DR was also convicted for writing prescriptions and checks to a patient in exchange for sex - In the documents the DR denies paying for sex but admits to accepting sexual favors from an associate who owed him money.

The report states the DR surrendered his medical license in Kentucky in 2005.
In 2015 the medical board lifted the suspension and allowed him restricted practice.
But then last year the medical board imposed more restrictions -
the DR can only practice internal medicine in an outpatient facility one day per week. "

so what? Even if he has some kind of bad history before, that does not justify that. Like you said, he got limited access to practise so he is still a doctor. Criminal record or not, that does not justify their action

Never said how United treated him was justified, in fact I said otherwise.
I said he was a creep.  He's a "doctor" one day a week, out patient only... him being a doctor is also irrelevant.
In the end, it just made him a millionaire, & United already stated that it shouldn't have happened & will be reviewing procedures.
3 other passengers before this guy, left the plane with no issue.... just saying.

[surveygrabber]

I do not see any reason why United Airlines would want to remove him from his assigned seat.

[mrsmere]

The airline should have handled this before anyone boarded the plane.  It was wrong to drag someone off like they did.  If they had offered the maximum amount, they would have gotten takers.  I have taken the perks before because I didn't need to rush back home.  They would never yank a first class passenger off.