Jul 21, 2008

Airline Theater

Lynne Meadow's flight from Rome last year was marred by some unwanted drama, apparently, and now the on-sabbatical artistic director of the Manhattan Theatre Club has filed suit against Continental Airlines (h/t ArtsJournal):

Ms. Meadow claims she followed [Chris Boone, the flight attendant named in the suit] into the galley, where he said, "From the moment you 'shushed' me during takeoff, I knew there would not be enough attendants on this plane to take care of you." Mr. Boone, she said, would not hear her explanation and told her, "The authorities will deal with you on the ground." At that, she began to cry and was comforted by other flight attendants, the complaint says.

Worse yet, this happened in business class! I'm flying coach to Europe next week; here's hoping no one on the staff makes me cry.

3 comments:

isaac butler said...

Wait... let me get this straight... you read the details of the lawsuit and your immediate reaction was that the airline acted improperly rather than the steward was forced to deal with someone who they thought vandalized their property, never stopped complaining, comandeered her seatmate's television and acted like a nutball?

Not saying being detained by the FBI and having one's passport confiscated was the right course, but still...

Rob Weinert-Kendt said...

I have no idea who's in the wrong here, Isaac, but I wouldn't say that my post reflects a rush to judgment in favor of Ms. Meadow, would you? I guess my bemusement is a little too subtle.

Diane Snyder said...

The flight attendant's job is to deal with passengers in a calm and professional way whether they're high maintenance or not -- not to waste the time of officials and the FBI so that he can exact revenge on them. If dealing with the public is too much for him, then clearly he's in the wrong line of work.