Banned for life for being too pretty
Is there such a thing as too gorgeous to fly? That’s the strange but true claim of two 18-year-olds from Oldsmar, Fla., who were escorted off a Southwest Airlines flight in Los Angeles recently. I’m not making this up. You can read the full story here and watch it here.
Nisreen Swedberg and friend Sarah Williams say the Southwest flight crew was rude to them “from the moment they stepped onto the plane” at Tampa International Airport.
Swedberg said she asked a flight attendant for a bottle of water and was told she could wait until the rest of the flight was served.
“And I patiently waited and then when they came around with water, they skipped me,” Swedberg said.
At one point, Williams had to use the plane’s bathroom. She saw another passenger in it, and when he hadn’t come out 15 minutes later, she knocked on the door.
When he came out, Williams says the man came over to her seat and yelled a profanity at her. Williams admits she yelled a profanity back at him but was puzzled when she says the flight crew only questioned her.
The girls suggest the Southwest flight attendants were jealous of their youthful good looks.
“I think they were just discriminating against because we were young decent-looking girls. I mean, nobody else on the plane looked like us except us,” she said. “[The flight attendants] were like older ladies. We were younger. Who knows, they could have been just jealous of us because we were younger.”
The girls say they’ve been banned from all future Southwest Airlines flights, including their scheduled flight home to Tampa. The TV station that reported this story suggests it’s “prejudice against the pretty.”
Considering Southwest’s prudish past behavior, that’s not entirely implausible. But I’ll let you watch the story and decide for yourself.
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51 Responses to “Banned for life for being too pretty”
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Oh man, what a load of hooey. Typical spoiled kids trying to shift the blame for their poor behavior.
Also, they’re not that pretty. Watch the video; the girl who does most of the talking is average at best.
“I mean, nobody else on the plane looked like us except us,”
I’m too secksy for Southwest,
Too secksy for this plane
I’ve with Liz - these girls are just making up a story. . . and none too pretty either.
Can’t you just hear the commentary - best valley girl voice here please:
“oh my gosh, can you believe it - she just skipped me. Excuse me, stewardess, I want my water now!”
OK 10 points to the first person who can find their MySpace page full of racy, drunken, party photos. I mean, that’s what people found for that last gal that got in trouble with Southwest. Mmm?
Oh, please. These girls are spoiled brats. They’re story makes no sense, either. How did the guy from the bathroom know who knocked on the door? Unfortunately, I think kids and teenagers these days think they’re “special” and deserve to be treated like princesses.
Okay, I agree these girls are likely self-centered, spoiled brats who aren’t really relaying what happened accurately.
But does anyone else think a ban-for-life is a little drastic?
I think that by about 25, their mythical good looks will be fading, they’ll have dose of reality, and they should get a second chance at flying on Southwest like the rest of us poor, ugly slobs.
Can you think of any more appropriate discipline than compelling them to look forward with great anticipation to the date they can board Southwest again? A 7 year ban sounds about right to me.
Ok, can someone tell me how the guy who spent ‘15 minutes’ in the bathroom know who was knocking on the door? IMHO I’d say someone is looking for their ‘15 minutes’ or at least a free plane ticket.
I don’t get it - these girls are just regular looking. Someone should tell them that a somewhat-suggestive manner of dressing does not affect their visage.
Aaron, the only mention of a “Ban for Life” is from the girls; it doesn’t appear Southwest has confirmed this. I smell more lies.
Sorry for the delayed response, folks. As a Southwest Employee, I wanted to clarify a few points…
As many of you suspected, the two ladies are not “banned” from ever traveling on Southwest in the future. And, our Crews’ decision had nothing to do with the ladies’ appearance, but rather their behavior and interaction with another Customer onboard.
Clearly, we would have gone out of business a long time ago if we discriminated against beautiful women – or anyone for that matter. We carry 96 million Customers a year, and they’re all beautiful in our eyes!
Paula Berg
Southwest Airlines
Pretty is as pretty does and these girls “ain’t looking so hot”.
If any of them were my daughter I would be mortified. It clearly shows their parents did not instill proper values and manners when raising them.
Well, I can only speak from experience, but I was once a Calvin Klein underwear model. You likely saw me on large billboards over Times Square in NYC and on the sides of buildings in most major cities worldwide.
Whenever I flew on an airplane I was treated like royalty. Until I stepped on Southwest.
When I entered Southwest’s plane, I was forced to the back of the plane in a middle seat in a “pod” of 6 seats with 4 children occupying 4 of them!
I asked to be relocated, and the very mediocre( but certainly not handsome by any stretch of the imagination) flight attendant, had me thrown off the plane. Imagine…me???? Th own off the plane!!
Well, when I complained at the terminal, they said they would not even fly me and I would be getting a ban for life as well.
I appealed to Herb directly and he upheld his employee’s decision and in his standard gruff manner sent me a letter saying they were more valuable than the lousy $300 I spent on his flight.
When Herb retired (and I had retired as well), I wrote again to see if I could once again fly on their planes–I wrote to Gary Kelly. Finally a man of reason!
Since my modeling career had faded and I was no longer modeling Calvins, I needed to prove that I was not nearly as handsome as I had been in the past. Since I was modeling “Depends” now, I was able to send a portfolio shot and presto….I got a letter from Gary welcoming me back to the good graces of Southwest! He even included a voucher for an extra pack of peanuts!
So, it does happen folks. I suspect it is rare, but when beautiful people travel they are discriminated against. It is not fun, nor can we help it.
Top the catty women on here that are calling them average looking and so forth–you are just jealous. As another commercial has said….”Don’t hate me because I am beautiful.”
–A Now Happy Southwest Flyer!
Ok, now for the rest of the story. Spoiled get my way young girls have a fit becasue no on is paying attention to them. Especially the flight attendants who are “older ladies”. Young male flight attendants were not there to answer their every beck and call and disreguard the other passengers. So lets make a fuss. Then we’ll call the media and get even with SW. Come on….Something is rotten in Denmark.
Lol! I have to admit, this got a laugh out of me! Seriously though, my first instinct is to wonder exactly how spoiled these “gorgeous” girls are. I bet their mommies and daddies wuv them vewy vewy much, and they can become ANYTHING if they try hard enough! Wow… lol!
I’d love to hear Southwests version, but I bet the attendants forgot about these ditzes the moment they were off the plane. Unlike what these girls seem to think, they don’t really leave that large a lasting impression on people.
I want to fly on Paula Berg’s plane! :)
When I fly any airline, nobody on the plane looks like me except me, either. When I’m at the mall, nobody there looks like me except me. Heck, nobody in the world looks like me except me. To my knowledge, I’ve yet to be cloned.
Perhaps these girls need to rethink just exactly what it is that makes them special.
Based solely on their photos and the interview (note the slow, luscious toes to top full body camera scan), I think they missed the flight to the escort convention in Vegas. My grandmother says “Pretty is as Pretty does”. OOOh, these gals strike out big time.
Maybe the local news channel needs some camera candy and used the recent “bannings” of others as a jumping off point to cook this “travesty” up. (Maybe the producer’s daughters?)
I’m middle aged and average, and I will admit that I have asked for water upon boarding on AA, Southwest and others, and GUESS WHAT, I was also politely informed that my beverage would be forthcoming with in flight service (hence the name “in flight”). It diidn’t take a news interview for me to figure out the attendants were NOT actually wait staff, but were busy assisting passengers with boarding, stowing bags, and trying to get the darn plane prepped for take off. DUH! Being not so pretty, but pretty smart, I now buy a bottle of water before boarding and carry it on. Of course, this is highly unusual behavior if you are accustomed to snapping your finger or flicking your hair at some testosterone adled boy to fill your water glass. I suppose to ask again during the actual in flight beverage service was WAYYYY too taxing or just demeaning - no one in the history of commercial flights has ever had to ask an attendant twice for anything.
If someone is in an airplane bathroom, go to the other one or wait. No rational person spends one second more than absolutely necessary in those cramped, smelly, foul places. If someone is in there for more than a few minutes, you better know that there’s a darn good reason. It’s not your younger brother reading Playboy, sweetie. It’s serious business, or let the attendants pull the person out for whatever scary reason you do NOT want to see or know about. Consider visiting the airport ladies room as close to departure as possible. Oh, and don’t drink so much water! (HMMM, seems like not getting any water was a boon in this case.) The guy yelled a profanity at her? Yea, right, maybe after she uttered some snide ugly remark to her gal pal and had a good laugh at his expense. There are not “peep” holes in the door for him to see ya darlin’. Maybe he had X-ray vision. If he came out when she knocked, even if he uttered a “profanity” about having his constitutional disrupted, what’s the beef? She got what she wanted, his elimination stopped according to her schedule. Sorry, you don’t get a “sorry” or “thank you” for that either.
Perhaps these girls have never been on a real airplane with other real people with real needs and issues. (NO- Dumbo at WDW doesn’t count.) Maybe some lawyer, sad PR person, or desperate agent set the whole thing up. Give it up folks, you need some credible clients. Judge Judy would laugh these two out the door.
Kudos to Southwest for standing their ground. By the way, I didn’t notice any interviews with ANY of the other passengers.
It makes me sick the way young women today act. As a young woman myself I find it deplorable that girls act like tramps to get what they want and throw themselves at men for expensive gifts and degrade themselves for a minute in the spotlight. To me, these girls seem no better than those girls you see on those “College Girls Exposed!” videos. Two desperate girls crying for attention and perhaps 15 minutes of fame, and in the process making themselves seem ignorant, desperate and low-class. And it’s people like this that set us women back to an age where we were not respected for our minds or our sense of character, but rather how we looked in a dress and what we could offer to a man. Listen up girls! You’re not gaining respect or admiration from anyone! Reading all of these comments seems to be setting the bar for how America feels, your trashy and self-centered and we do not pity you.
Pretty or not has nothing to do with this, they both seem like a couple of Bitches.
Get real, these two CHILDREN, their parents are to blame for their actions. I bet neither one of them had to wait for anything in their lives. They probably had everything handed to them on a silver platter. This is what they expect. They will be in for a big surprise when mommy and daddy can’t protect them anymore.
Just another example of spoiled brats thinking they should be ahead of everyone else, whether it’s for water or the use of the bathroom. It’s also a given that they seek out media attention because they think they’re pretty. Lots of rude people get the attention of airline personnel, but it’s only those with an axe to grind (looking for free TV exposure, we can guess what’s next) that get undeserved publicity.
I have to believe that the foks at USF are absolutely loving the free publicity they are receiving now. I can just imagine the president of that fine university bellowing from the rooftops about the high caliber of students he or she has there. Wasn’t that the same school that suspended half of its football team this past season for academic fraud? If not, I am truly sorry for the mistake.
The truth is, and here’s a shock, this was a fluff piece of garbage journalism whose sole intent was to boost ratings by appealing to the “dirty-old man” demographic the local stations so desperately want. Anyone with an ounce of journalistic integrity or, for that matter, intelligence would have seen through the story and found any number of questionable assertions by the “gorgeous” co-eds.
Speaking of the girls, once they flunk out of school, they might be able to land jobs at their local Hooters. Ah, the value of a quality college education!
Has anyone wondered if this really is not a Southwest marketing antic?
Back in 02 there were the “passengers of size” that got lot’s of news. Then there was the short lived series featuring them. Then the person with the offensive t-shirt. The girl with the low cut blouse. The other girl with the too short skirt. And now the girls with the too pretty face.
What was the resolution of all this? It is obviously a very silly story–and Southwest has a history of “silly”. Are these folks merely hired hands for a guerrilla PR stunt?
It worked for Ben Baldanza of Spirit with his MILF promotion! Fly Spirit get MILF!
They say even bad press is good press!
Just a thought!
Ok for all you going ‘oh no how did he know who it was’ guess what if she really had to go she probably stood there waiting and he probably saw her as he came out its not that hard to imagine. it baffles me that given SW history people are so quick to judge what seems to be an admittedly slightly ditzy pair of girls, just because they’re dizty young girls doesnt make them anyless of a customer, nor a person. All passengers should receive equal treatment, why was the offending gentleman not also escorted off the plane? Why was he not also detained and questioned?
That was FSU not USF that had half of their football team suspended this year. Also USF is full of girls much prettier than these two. What is that thing growing on her face. And of yeah the 80’s just called and they would like their style of dress returned. Big shirt with oversized belts didn’t that go out with Jennifer Beals? Good luck getting back from Los Angeles Sarah. Hope your not too pretty for all the airlines.
“Like oh my gosh, we’re so pretty but we are from ghetto Oldsmar” Please dont think all of us Tampa girls are that dumb just the trailer trash girls like these too. It just blows my mind that they act so prissy for being from such a ghetto area down here.
MSNBC has a good, complete look at the facts of the story
I am a gorgeous well spoken down to earth biracial girl. I ve modeled plenty. I get alot of unwanted attention and esp at airports. People flying are tired, cranky, emotions stirred,etc..Esp the flight attendants..Since they get lifted up in the air they lose alot of physical balance and mind balance as well. Those ladies in particular are not so gorgoes..they age fast from their work and get alot of wrinkles. Anyways.
I fly more than an average person would for work and BElieve me i get soo discrimated!! Its disgusting. The lady flight attendants are the crankiest meanest bitches. Its always the older ladies. I do feel for these girls. Ive been in their shoes. Its very nasty. Just because these girls are young, cute, obviously energetic(comes with their youth) doesnt mean they have to be punished.
I think this has alot to do with the women gender. Can be very catty. When i head out to the bar, I ll have girls i dont know spill drinks on me often, call me bitch..etc.. when i have no idea who they are or did nothing to them, it doesnt happen to my average looking girlfriends with me ever, just me. I dont want these hating experiences to taint me though, for i am still kind and down to earth.
To the below average women who have negatively commented on here and the spoken social inept nerd men who are clueless as well, you know who are..lighten and lessen up a bit. I guess only the pretty can relate to the pretty. Southwest attendants sounds airheaded and not financial strategic.. keep this attitude up and pretty soon youll have no job bimbos…
These two are a lot like “flatulence”..it stinks for a while and then it just fades away. I have always encouraged people to have a high self-esteme but these two have taken it to a new level. As to Southwest…I have flown on several airlines and I CHOOSE SWA first when at all possible and I fly a lot for both personal and business travel. I enjoy their carefree approach..as much as it can be in our current political state of affairs…and you get what you pay for. If they want to be treated “special” then they need to fly on a carrier that offers “first class” so that they can be waited on. Both of these girls are very attractive but I will have to agree with several others that “Pretty is as Pretty does”. I am sure that other passengers will appreciate one less “scene” as we endure “family drama” everywhere!!! Wake up girls and smell the coffee!!!!!!!
Is it just me, or is the semi-scary looking girl with a growth on her face NOT the same girl as the one made up in all the photos? I mean, I know some people need make-up to look their best but I can barely see the resemblance.
That being said, I agree with the airline employee…if they banned “pretty people”, they’d be out of business really quick. I’ve flown SW before, I’ve seen one or two attractive people on their planes, and for some reason (perhaps because they behaved like civilized human beings) those pretty people had no problems. In fact my husband, who is the better looking one in our relationship, seems to get better service on their flights. This could be because I usually travel with a cranky toddler in tow, but…
Finally, you know, it would be funny if someone started discriminating against pretty people. Think about it! Life is so much easier for the attractive. It’s time average people got a break.
Unless there is video with audio of the situation, this soap opera could go on forever. The women must have done something very out of line that Southwest had to take action. After 9/11 disruptive passengers are taken more seriously. Disruptiveness would be a distraction for the crew, whose priority is to insure a safe flight. In a far out scenario, a couple of passengers can distract the crew while another group hijacks the plane. As for the two women, kudos to you for having such high esteem in the looks department, but how about complementing that with inner beauty, grace, respect, compassion, and selfishlessness? Make the world a better place because you were in it.
This is hilarious! These two are not even attractive enough to get a second glance, let alone discriminated against! What a pair of idiots.
I love it. The princess’ first response is that the other women were “jealous”. They were probably acting like spoiled self-entitled c***s and got what they deserved. And even if the Southwest crew were merely being prejudiced, hey, why not? Why should fat people and smokers have all the fun?
I found the blondes myspace page. It is private but her profile picture is her in a pair of stilettos and a slutty nurse outfit having her mugshot taken!!!!I think both of these girls are full of it. I fly southwest all the time and have never had a problem. SO because I am treated nicely I am ugly, is that what these girls think!!!
First, honestly, Tom, if you’re going to use the antics of two trashy little prom queens to vent your frustrations about not going to college, you need to be sure to have your facts (and letters) straight. That was FSU that had their football team suspended, not USF. I know putting letters together in their proper order is difficult (and that your post must’ve taken you hours to accomplish), but please, buddy, do try. Second, it would also be a good idea to not generalize the “caliber of students” that are produced at USF based on these two. In case you can’t tell by the moniker, i’m a student at USF majoring in biology. Our campus houses the Moffitt Cancer Center - one of the leading cancer research centers in the country - and much of the research done there is responsible in assisting in the HPV vaccine among other innovative cancer-fighting drugs and techniques and natural products research. Not to mention, our graduate program has become one that is very highly coveted in FL. Now, as far as these girls go - it’s obvious that they’re piggybacking off of the drama that has been unfolding with SW for a long time now and even moreso of the recent event involving the girl in the oh-so-short skirt. They’re from Oldsmar, which, in all of its small FL town glory is a breeding ground for spoiled-bored, “My Super Sweet 16″, upper-middle class wannabe-debutantes (in fact, one of the bitchiest girls that starred on “My Super Sweet 16″ was an Oldsmar native), so it’s no suprise that they lack any clear idea of what it is to be treated like a “regular schmo” as mommy and daddy probably wouldn’t let little Muffy and Buffy go wanting. The thing that irks me the most, however, is that these girls aren’t even that hot - certainly not enough to earn a headline titled “Too Pretty To Fly?”, nor hot enough to single-handedly bring ’80s style back into full swing as the one in the interview seems to be feverishly trying to do. They’re average…and that’s that…actually, i’d say they’re less than average. But only because the average person doesn’t possess a pathologically lying magic “Mirror mirror on the wall” that works miracles, but only for the girl that daddy bought it for…
Southwest treats everyone like cows BEFORE you get on the plane. I NEVER fly southwest - the last thing I want to do is fight my way in line to get a seat.
No way to tell who was at fault - its funny people automatically assume the worst because someone else may be prettier than they are - cannot assume SW was correct just because they say so.
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=228521377
sarah’s myspace
These girls are not drop dead beauties by any stretch of the imagination. I fly SWA and you don’t get a bottle of water, you get a beverage in a glass. When the flight attendants “miss” someone, they know it immediately. What a load of crap.
As far as the derogitory remark by the gentlemen, he too should be banned from flying SWA. Neither is above the law and flight attendants take enough crap from passengers already. You fly SWA because the fares are cheap. If you want service, pay for it by flying a major carrier in 1st Class. Otherwise, stay out of the skies. And by the way, the rest of us are trying to get to our desitination in one piece with a little bit of quiet. I’m glad I wasn’t on board as I might have said too much to both “girls” and regretted it.
Even assuming that these are two ill-mannered, spoiled brats well deserved to be booted off the next leg of their Soutwest flights, still:
“When the plane landed in Los Angeles, the women were escorted off by four uniformed police officers and later questioned by the FBI.”
Does no one else find this a bit over the top for having an exchange with another customer over taking too long in the bathroom? Four police officers!? Four!? Is this really a police matter? An appropriate subject for a Federal criminal investigation? (”distract the crew while another group hijacks the plane” — like otherwise the flight crew would use kung fu? get real.) It’s a wonder they didn’t mobilize the national Guard.
Sheesh.
Okay - everyone agrees… this story is a joke. First and foremost, where did they hear that they were pretty. Perhaps they misunderstood when everyone else said they are “pretty UGLY” and very warped. Go Southwest - I will fly you more often for pointing out the obvious. They are pretty pathetic.
I’m glad Jenny doesn’t apparently have any self esteem issues unlike these girls. I am sure they will all be supporting themselves confidently for many years to come.
It’s a shame when people can’t see past themselves.
Good luck to all.
This is blatant discrimination! I’m calling Al Sharpton! No, wait! He’s not pretty, he’s just black. Wrong minority. Sorry!
Jenny, I hope your looks last a long time. You claim to be well-spoken, but your grammar, spelling and writing skills are not likely to get you very far. (alot? esp? gorgoes? soo discrimated? financial strategic?) Please don’t let the modeling paychecks stop you from finishing high school. Your modesty and humility amaze me.
Are only ugly women allowed to fly on Southwest ? Well if I can’t have eye candy on my next flight (because I am certainly not a Calvin Klein underwear model and certainly can’t score) then I won’t be flying them! :)
By the way, why did MSNBC report it as them being “kicked off the flight” when they were flying from Tampa to Los Angeles and Los Angeles was their destination ? I mean, did Southwest kick them off while they were 50,000 feet over Kansas or something ? Come on MSNBC, get with it!
Oh, and as for the MySpace page - what a slut. Too pretty for Southwest, indeed!
The first page of Google results about Southwest Airlines flack Paula Berg tells us this:
http://www.blogsouthwest.com/2007/06/15/behind-the-scenes-blog-queen/
Now, never mind “wacky”, and “off-the-wall” - “behind-the-scenes Blog Queen” and “Nuts about Southwest” say it all for me.
So, to Paula Berg of Southwest Airlines, the airline company’s “behind-the-scenes Blog Queen”, who says, regarding the events of March 6-7, 2008, and the now-record US$10,200,000 in fines racked up by Southwest:
“…this situation was never and is not now a safety of flight issue”.
Nonsense, Paula. Cracks in airplanes? Nonsense, Paula.
I’ve been around publicists and other entertainment folk for over 20 years, and I have heard better publicity emanating from self-plugging screenwriters on acid.
And, Paula, as for:
“[t]he FAA approved our actions and considered the matter closed as of April 2007″.
Nonsense, Paula.
It’s not “closed”, until WE the PUBLIC say it is closed! Take that back to your superiors for me - and tell them that we are just getting started.
Oh – and, congratulations on staying behind the scenes.
John J. Tormey III, Esq.
Quiet Rockland
According to press reports to date, no less than 6, perhaps more, commercial jet aircraft potentially carrying hundreds of passengers per trip and sometimes on multiple trips per day - had cracks in them. Had cracks in them. And people at the FAA, and Southwest, knew it. And the planes had cracks in them. And the flights continued thereafter, nonetheless.
Never mind malfeasance. Never mind immorality. If those factual assessments are correct at minimum, then that should be attempted freaking murder.
What is WRONG with the non-prosecutorial milque-toasts, who blog on-line and refuse to find fault with Southwest? When did standing up for the individual rights, dignity, and safety of citizens become so politically incorrect to them?
Oh yeah. I forgot. They are all Southwest employees, who, like their “Blogger Queen” compadre Paula Berg, were told or already expected by their ghoulish corporate employer to hit the blogosphere hard this past few days - to try to spin this horrific story to read as if there were never any safety problems that threatened the public - to fool the public, with blogging. Well, Southwest-“anonymous”-posters, YOU are the fools for thinking it wasn’t obvious to the rest of us. YOU are the reason that the laws governing perjury, exist. And as soon as ANY of you hack-corporate sycophants have the courage to identify yourselves by your full legal name and residence address, as well as your Southwest affiliation, then I expect that myself and a few friends will collaborate to give you a REAL working demonstration of how the perjury laws of the United States will further deflate your stupid Southwest publicity balloon FAST. It would be a distinct pleasure to bankrupt your morally-bereft airline, and I would do it just for the collar.
One pro-Southwest blogger suggested that the fault is not in our stars but in ourselves - that’s right – the same FAA “blame the victim” “strategy”. He suggested, how dare we criticize Southwest, when some of us are not the best drivers in the world. Of course, I don’t take hundreds of lives up in a jet-fueled airplane, and take money for doing it, most days of my life, or any days of my life. So the comparison with any of us drivers on an individual level, is a foolish one. But the blogger was correct about this much. Everyone, on an individual level, should take personal responsibility, not merely diffuse corporate responsibility, for ensuring the safety and well-being of others, especially the safety and well-being of youngsters on the road or in the skies. That soccer mom in the Windstar on her cell phone with no headphone, those two goombahs drag-racing through populated areas – they are all as accountable as a publicist who shills in cover-up of corporate malfeasance, or a federal “official” who looks the other way and takes the check. I am going to have an easier time popping those in the latter two categories, though, as they tend to leave paper trails.
Southwest’s next publicity “strategy”, its new brainstorm of spin-control, was the “Oh, you don’t know all the facts” strategy. “Wait for the facts to come out”. Memo to dutiful-tool-employees: EVERY TIME someone cites the authoritative representations made by a United States Congressman who chairs the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and whose Committee has been investigating Southwest and the FAA since the relevant events occurred in 2006-2007, just tell the people that, “Oh, no, YOU don’t have all the facts. Don’t go judging lest not ye be judged, ‘cause YOU don’t have all the facts”.
That’s funny. It’s also freaking moronic.
Southwest and FAA’s actions have been the subject of an ongoing Congressional investigation dating back to 2007 or perhaps even as early as 2006. More than enough facts came out through Saturday March 8, 2008, including during the videotaped and audiotaped Representative James Oberstar press conference now available on:
http://www.cspan.org
to make the judgment on Southwest very, very clear. In fact, I have never heard any government official being more precise or more specific about allegations against a malevolent private sector entity, ever before, than Congressman Oberstar in that videotaped and audiotaped press conference. Southwest would prefer that you never, ever watch that Oberstar press conference. That of course means, I trust, it will shortly find its way to:
http://www.youtube.com
I weighed the events of the weekend carefully. Then, I realized - Representative Oberstar’s leadership on the Southwest Airlines debacle issue, as well as the unabashed past publicity balloons of Southwest’s “Blog Queen” Paula Berg which I read and laughed about, inspired me to myself register a new blog of my own this past weekend. You will find this new blog at:
http:/SouthwestAirlinesAlmostKilledYou.blogspot.com/
* * * * *
I read some pretty funny other posts by Southwest employees using fake names, this past weekend, too. I loved it when I read that one poster thought Representative Oberstar should “defer” to the FAA and Southwest on this issue because, after all, they are the “experts” in aviation. That would be like “deferring” to your kidnap-captors because, after all, they are the “experts” in “captivity” - or like “deferring” to your executioner because, after all, he is the “expert” in “life and death matters”.
Funny, funny stuff. It would be hysterical if it weren’t so transparent, and so malevolent. My advice to Southwest is, the next time you hire employees to blog for you en masse in time of crisis, at least make sure that they are decent writers, and at least make sure that you spend the money to give them good enough word-processors that contain spell-checking software. Seriously.
Mainly though, every time you read an anonymous post or blog on the topic of Southwest’s cracked planes and the investigation and scandal which has followed it, from this point forward - or a rarer post for which Southwest actually takes credit, if you can locate one – just please remember: in the words of the late Frank DeKova’s character Chief Wild Eagle, on the 1960’s television program “F Troop”:
“It is BALLOON!!!”
“It is BALLOON!!!!!”
Pop.
[...] then, there have been a string of too-skimpy-to-fly incidents, including one in Burbank, Calif. and another in Tampa, [...]
Wow. Just reading most of the remarks on this board makes me understand what I’ve observed most of my life. Beautiful people are discriminated against. Or to be more accurate, decent looking people who are CONFIDENT about their appearance are treated like garbage. People who feel less confident like to try to bring people down to their level. Misery loves company. Sad, very sad. Nothing these two young women said came across as lying, spoiled or bitchy. What I saw was two ladies calmly telling their side of the story. I’ve seen women and men who aren’t as confident try to destroy a confident person’s spirit my entire life. Don’t pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about. I don’t doubt for a second that the stewardess told the one lady to wait for the water, and I doubt it was because of the young woman’s “behavior”. It seems to me that most of you aren’t listening to these ladies with a fair mind. You see a youthful woman who likes her appearance, and BAM! You stop listening and get CATTY. The man who suggested this may be a guerilla style marketing campaign did make an interesting point, however. Whether any of this is true or not, it certainly has exposed a very ugly prejudice of our society. I always knew it was out there, but I had no idea how many of you stooped to this level. I’m truly alarmed. You people should be ashamed of yourselves. On second thought, that might only make your attitudes even worse.
Surely with those “fabulous” looks these two could have conned some poor schmuck into buying them a first class plane ticket. Regardless of how you dress, look, act or smell in first class the attendants “kiss your booty” and treat you like royalty.
Wow, Mary, you read the article and already knew that these women were disccriminated against regarding the water. It couldn’t have been that the woman was asking for water before the door closed when service actually started.
You remind me of an old saying around my house. The only crazy people are the ones who think they’re sane. People who think they’re crazy rarely are. Same thing holds about those people who think they’re pretty.
Cry me a river.
Should have added my mother’s favorite saying “pretty is as pretty does.” Just not the case with Mary or the two women.
Welly welly welly welly welly welly well. I guess I touched on a nerve Jen. Rather than personal attacks on a stranger whom you don’t know at all, and cheesey cheap Forrest Gump-esque references, try making your point with some intelligence if you can. You only proved my point with the unwarranted extreme amount of venom directed at me personally, and you don’t even know what I look like. I may be the elephant woman with a sense of fairness, for all you know. I feel so honored. I’d like to thank God, my parents, all whom I have known, and the academy. Just for you Jen: IRONY ALERT! If you have any clue what that may be. I love people like you. You prove me correct.