QWANZ

...."There had been an exchange between the attendant and a man sitting in the same row on the other side of the aisle. When she asked him about being willing to perform the duties,( On Emergency Exit Row) he had answered, “Yes, if the exit door works.” She repeated the question. He replied, “If this door actually works.” It sounded juvenile. True, all morning, the passengers in the terminal had been told that a balky exit door had to be fixed before the plane could leave. But fli...  Read more

...."There had been an exchange between the attendant and a man sitting in the same row on the other side of the aisle. When she asked him about being willing to perform the duties,( On Emergency Exit Row) he had answered, “Yes, if the exit door works.” She repeated the question. He replied, “If this door actually works.” It sounded juvenile. True, all morning, the passengers in the terminal had been told that a balky exit door had to be fixed before the plane could leave. But flight attendants don’t repair doors. She continued her routine without breaking stride. When the attendant moved on, another passenger remarked, ” I don’t think she likes you”



...."I explained to the men in vests that they had the wrong guy — apparently, the other man was sitting in my seat by accident, and they had called for the passenger listed on the seating chart. By all means, I said, they should get him. But I hadn’t said a word since boarding.



Dubious, they went back on the plane. They asked a nearby passenger, Eric, who did not want his last name used in this account, to come to the front. He confirmed that the man pulled off the flight — me — was not the person who made the remarks. Eric also said he would not identify the exit-door quipper, but the agents told him that unless he did, he, too, would be put off the flight. Under pressure, Eric relented. With some fussing, the man in my assigned seat was escorted off. Catherine and I were brought back on board, with apologies.



We were shaken. But a mistake had been fixed. The right man was given the heave.



OTHERS on the plane saw a needless delay piled on top of the hours already spent waiting. Granting that the terrain has changed since Sept. 11, Eric said a little back talk should not be grounds for throwing someone off. “Are we not allowed to be frustrated?” he asked. “Any prudent person would not have made the determination that people on the flight were at risk.”