Woman in wheelchair forced to crawl into airplane to get to her seat

[dismal]

I've done a fair amount of traveling on several airlines: Delta, US Airways, Allegiant, Southwest, KLM/Northwest, TAP, Air France, Air Tran, Continental, Jet Blue, United, Virgin, Malev and I've never encountered any of them leaving wheelchair passengers hanging. I can't imagine that American (which I have somehow avoided but will be using next month to go to Oregon) or its regional contractors has a policy of being a dick to passengers that need accommodation.

I fly American a decent amount and I don't think they have materially different procedures than anyone else. They board all the wheel chair and other people needing assistance first, with assistance if requested, and then start the general boarding. The woman probably did not show up on time for the assisted boarding. I have seen gate agents in all airlines that are incredibly rude and inflexible, in part because they constantly deal with airline passengers who can be incredibly rude, stupid and demanding.

Also sounds like this was a short hop commuter flight and this is where you tend to find the C team or some partner airline operating things.

 

[J842P]

I don't actually care as far as the company is concerned. It's just, even if they do earn in the billions, the amount seems disproportionate to the minimal need for punishment.

Well what the hell does that have to do with anything?

 

[ronburgundy]

I (said) I can't walk up on the stairs, and then she was like, so how you going get on the plane then?

If this statement is accurate then I'd say no, they didn't offer to assist her. Which would also be borne out by the fact they just stood there and watched her crawl up and into the plane.

For the record, the pic in OP link shows she is a large women, possibly over 250 pounds. The movable stairways for these puddle jumpers are typically very narrow and barley wide enough for one person at a time. Short of bringing the ramp, it is not clear what kind of help they could have given that wouldn't be more dangerous than her crawling up the stairs. Had they tried to help her, and it resulted in the slightest injury, she'd have sued them for that.

Also, it sounds like she was late and this was a small airport and an island jumper plane in the Hawaiian islands. Odds are they had few ramps and fewer employees that operate them. Waiting for the trained personnel to bring the ramp over could have caused delays, loss of departure window, etc.. IOW, it would be analogous to a non-disabled person getting there after the movable-stairs had been removed and taken over to another plane. They would be told, you are SOL, and have to wait for the next flight. If the issue was that getting the ramp would delay the flight, then the airline's mistake was that they should have just made her wait till the next flight.

BTW, it isn't at all clear how her doing it on her own is so much more embarrassing than her being carried by others or than having the other passengers sit there and wait and be delayed watching her wait for the ramp due to her own failure to get to the get on time. The fact that none of the other passengers helped says that something more was going on her than the way she is painting it.

 

[Togo]

Is there any evidence whatsoever that she was actually late for the flight, or is that just wishful thinking on the part of various posters?

 

[fromderinside]

Someone wrote is it worth 2.5 million for what AA did with this poor soul. At least. They're a heartless bunch of "its all about me-ers" who need some stiff purgative stuff.

 

[Axulus]

Is there any evidence whatsoever that she was actually late for the flight, or is that just wishful thinking on the part of various posters?

Did you read the OP? The plaintiff in this case claims she was told it was "too late" to set up the wheelchair ramp. That indicates the time window for when that ramp was available had lapsed.

 

[Axulus]

If crawling onto the airplane damaged her emotionally to the tune of $75,000, why didn't she refuse to board the flight, reschedule, and get damages for the lost time/inconvenience? It's not like they shocked her with a cattle prod unless she crawled onto the flight.

Maybe she was going on the last flight to only daughter's funeral and missing the funeral may have been worth more than $150,000 to her. Or maybe she was headed to interview for a lucrative and difficult to acquire job interview and missing the interview would have impacted her income for years. Or any other explanation. You don't know her situation.

Sometimes time is the most valuable resource we have.

It's possible but I find such possibilities unlikely. Flight delays and cancellations aren't exactly uncommon. If she had something so massively important like that, why schedule a flight that would cause you to miss this all important event should a delay or cancellation on that particular flight occur?

 

[RavenSky]

Why are some people here arguing that the airline employess did nothing wrong when the airline itself admits it was in violation of code as well as discourteous and unprofessional

The airline did apologize for the incident, releasing a statement to KHON-TV: "...it appears our employees didn't provide the the attentive, courteous and professional service we expect as a company. I understand how the way you are treated can affect your impression of our" airline and sympathize with your displeasure.

After review of the facts, American Airlines admits they were in violation of CFR 14 Part 382 for not having provided level entry boarding as requested."

 

[ksen]

Is there any evidence whatsoever that she was actually late for the flight, or is that just wishful thinking on the part of various posters?

Did you read the OP? The plaintiff in this case claims she was told it was "too late" to set up the wheelchair ramp. That indicates the time window for when that ramp was available had lapsed.

No it doesn't.

Besides . . .

http://khon2.com/2015/06/05/airline...chair-bound-woman-forced-to-crawl-onto-plane/

This was the first time she had flown American Airlines. She says she let them know ahead of time that she would need a ramp and was shocked when they told her it was too late to do it.

“There was a ramp right next to the plane and she was like, ‘Oh, it’s too late,’ so I was like ‘Okay, so we can’t just, the ramp is right there. Can’t you guys just push it right here so I can get on?’ and she’s like, ‘Oh, I’m sorry,” Purcell said.

She claims she called ahead requesting a ramp. There was a ramp right next to the plane.

And that doesn't really answer my question about if there was no time to get a ramp why was there time to wait for her to crawl up the stairs and to her seat?

 

[Axulus]

Did you read the OP? The plaintiff in this case claims she was told it was "too late" to set up the wheelchair ramp. That indicates the time window for when that ramp was available had lapsed.

No it doesn't.

Besides . . .

http://khon2.com/2015/06/05/airline...chair-bound-woman-forced-to-crawl-onto-plane/

This was the first time she had flown American Airlines. She says she let them know ahead of time that she would need a ramp and was shocked when they told her it was too late to do it.

“There was a ramp right next to the plane and she was like, ‘Oh, it’s too late,’ so I was like ‘Okay, so we can’t just, the ramp is right there. Can’t you guys just push it right here so I can get on?’ and she’s like, ‘Oh, I’m sorry,” Purcell said.

She claims she called ahead requesting a ramp. There was a ramp right next to the plane.

And that doesn't really answer my question about if there was no time to get a ramp why was there time to wait for her to crawl up the stairs and to her seat?

Given that the airline didn't even bother to offer her any compensation for what happened, I'm pretty certain there is more to this story then we are being told.

 

[Axulus]

Why are some people here arguing that the airline employess did nothing wrong when the airline itself admits it was in violation of code as well as discourteous and unprofessional

The airline did apologize for the incident, releasing a statement to KHON-TV: "...it appears our employees didn't provide the the attentive, courteous and professional service we expect as a company. I understand how the way you are treated can affect your impression of our" airline and sympathize with your displeasure.

After review of the facts, American Airlines admits they were in violation of CFR 14 Part 382 for not having provided level entry boarding as requested."

Who is arguing that they did nothing wrong?

The discussion concerns whether the error caused $75,000 in damages (why not reschedule for the next available flight? That is harmful, sure, but not $75,000 worth of harm) and is worthy of $2.5 million punitive damages?

 

[ksen]

Given that the airline has already admitted they were in the wrong I'm pretty certain if there is more to the story that it wouldn't change these basic facts.

 

[dismal]

Did you read the OP? The plaintiff in this case claims she was told it was "too late" to set up the wheelchair ramp. That indicates the time window for when that ramp was available had lapsed.

No it doesn't.

Besides . . .

http://khon2.com/2015/06/05/airline...chair-bound-woman-forced-to-crawl-onto-plane/

This was the first time she had flown American Airlines. She says she let them know ahead of time that she would need a ramp and was shocked when they told her it was too late to do it.

“There was a ramp right next to the plane and she was like, ‘Oh, it’s too late,’ so I was like ‘Okay, so we can’t just, the ramp is right there. Can’t you guys just push it right here so I can get on?’ and she’s like, ‘Oh, I’m sorry,” Purcell said.

She claims she called ahead requesting a ramp. There was a ramp right next to the plane.

And that doesn't really answer my question about if there was no time to get a ramp why was there time to wait for her to crawl up the stairs and to her seat?

She may have indeed gotten very poor customer service and the gate agent may have indeed broken with company policy. Workers are not always the saints some people imagine them to be.

 

[ksen]

http://www.inquisitr.com/2155599/wo...-files-suit-after-american-airlines-incident/

While the airline indicated that it would not provide any monetary compensation, KHON reported that American Airlines did issue an apology to the woman who crawled onto the plane. They indicate that they believe it is imperative they provide essential care and have a sensitive approach in helping passengers requiring special care, though that didn’t happen in this instance.

The airline also says in its apology that assistance should have been provided to Purcell, and they believe that employees did not assist as they have outlined in their policies. The statement also indicates that after reviewing the incident, they admit they were in violation of the U.S. Department of Transportation Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability in Air Travel provisions.

 

[krypton iodine sulfur]

I don't actually care as far as the company is concerned. It's just, even if they do earn in the billions, the amount seems disproportionate to the minimal need for punishment.

Well what the hell does that have to do with anything?

The bulk of the settlement they are seeking seems to be punitive. The punitive strength of the award is going to be relative to the amount of funds they have available. If I ran a small business with $120,000 in annual revenue, I'm not going to have the same funds available to cover a punitive award as a major, viable airline, neither am I likely to have the same degree of punitive damages insurance. A $50,000 award would likely be a lot steeper penalty to me than it would be to the airline. Even with that sort of consideration, $2.5 million or higher seems too high as an actual award here if this was an isolated incident.

One explanation has been offered so far as to why the plaintiff's legal representation would need to claim high from the outset.

 

[ksen]

If this statement is accurate then I'd say no, they didn't offer to assist her. Which would also be borne out by the fact they just stood there and watched her crawl up and into the plane.

For the record, the pic in OP link shows she is a large women, possibly over 250 pounds. The movable stairways for these puddle jumpers are typically very narrow and barley wide enough for one person at a time. Short of bringing the ramp, it is not clear what kind of help they could have given that wouldn't be more dangerous than her crawling up the stairs. Had they tried to help her, and it resulted in the slightest injury, she'd have sued them for that.

She flies frequently and has never had a problem with a ramp before so I don't see why a ramp would have been a problem with this flight.

Also, it sounds like she was late

She was late due to her connecting flight being late. However she got to this flight within the boarding window and had notified AA she was in a wheelchair when she bought her ticket.

and this was a small airport and an island jumper plane in the Hawaiian islands.

What? The stories I've read said it was in San Diego.

Odds are they had few ramps and fewer employees that operate them. Waiting for the trained personnel to bring the ramp over could have caused delays, loss of departure window, etc.. IOW, it would be analogous to a non-disabled person getting there after the movable-stairs had been removed and taken over to another plane. They would be told, you are SOL, and have to wait for the next flight. If the issue was that getting the ramp would delay the flight, then the airline's mistake was that they should have just made her wait till the next flight.

The ramp was right next to the plane.

BTW, it isn't at all clear how her doing it on her own is so much more embarrassing than her being carried by others or than having the other passengers sit there and wait and be delayed watching her wait for the ramp due to her own failure to get to the get on time.

It was not her own failure to get there on time. And she was there during the boarding window.

The fact that none of the other passengers helped says that something more was going on her than the way she is painting it.

No it doesn't.

 

[ronburgundy]

Given that the airline has already admitted they were in the wrong I'm pretty certain if there is more to the story that it wouldn't change these basic facts.

Given how unreasonable, costly, and excessive many regulations are regarding the special accommodations for the disabled, it was highly possible that the airline technically violated some regulation, even if the problem was caused by her being late and the sole alternative was to notably delay all other passengers by waiting for someone to come and replace the stairs with a special ramp (of which their are likely a few shared among all gates).

I didn't initially see her claim that that ramp was right there and small enough that a person could just push it. If so, AND if the person allowed by union rules to push it was available, then the employee (not the airline) was being absurd and unethical, and caused this woman undue distress. As for the lawsuit, the employee herself should be primarily liable, unless she was following company policy. If the employee is not going to be liable for their own voluntary and harmful actions, then the employee does not deserve much compensation for their labor, and the company taking on all the liability deserves most of the income from each of the economic exchanges in which such risks are a factor.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

If this statement is accurate then I'd say no, they didn't offer to assist her. Which would also be borne out by the fact they just stood there and watched her crawl up and into the plane.

For the record, the pic in OP link shows she is a large women, possibly over 250 pounds. The movable stairways for these puddle jumpers are typically very narrow and barley wide enough for one person at a time. Short of bringing the ramp, it is not clear what kind of help they could have given that wouldn't be more dangerous than her crawling up the stairs. Had they tried to help her, and it resulted in the slightest injury, she'd have sued them for that.

Yeah, helping her on the stairs wasn't a viable option unless you had a couple of strongmen at hand. The only reasonable options were a ramp or let her crawl.

Also, it sounds like she was late and this was a small airport and an island jumper plane in the Hawaiian islands. Odds are they had few ramps and fewer employees that operate them. Waiting for the trained personnel to bring the ramp over could have caused delays, loss of departure window, etc.. IOW, it would be analogous to a non-disabled person getting there after the movable-stairs had been removed and taken over to another plane. They would be told, you are SOL, and have to wait for the next flight. If the issue was that getting the ramp would delay the flight, then the airline's mistake was that they should have just made her wait till the next flight.

Only if she showed up at the gate late and they didn't know she needed help.

Compliance with the rules leaves something to be desired on the airlines. A couple years ago my wife was hurt while we were in China and needed a chair coming home. The FAs were more interested in meal prep than call bells--I had to go roust them to get the aisle chair so she could get the restroom. (And only after the flight did we learn there was actually an accessible lav up in the first class area that apparently none of the economy-class FAs knew about. "Privacy" amounted to a couple of FAs blocking the aisle so nobody could walk past the open door while I was helping her with her clothes.)

Not to mention that they wanted to leave her sitting at the gate without a chair for 5 hours during a connection.

 

[ksen]

Given that the airline has already admitted they were in the wrong I'm pretty certain if there is more to the story that it wouldn't change these basic facts.

Given how unreasonable, costly, and excessive many regulations are regarding the special accommodations for the disabled, it was highly possible that the airline technically violated some regulation,

If by highly possible you mean 100% certain then yeah.

even if the problem was caused by her being late and the sole alternative was to notably delay all other passengers by waiting for someone to come and replace the stairs with a special ramp (of which their are likely a few shared among all gates).

What problem? She got there during the boarding window.

I didn't initially see her claim that that ramp was right there and small enough that a person could just push it. If so, AND if the person allowed by union rules to push it was available, then the employee (not the airline) was being absurd and unethical, and caused this woman undue distress. As for the lawsuit, the employee herself should be primarily liable, unless she was following company policy. If the employee is not going to be liable for their own voluntary and harmful actions, then the employee does not deserve much compensation for their labor, and the company taking on all the liability deserves most of the income from each of the economic exchanges in which such risks are a factor.

Maybe you should read up on agency.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

Is there any evidence whatsoever that she was actually late for the flight, or is that just wishful thinking on the part of various posters?

Did you read the OP? The plaintiff in this case claims she was told it was "too late" to set up the wheelchair ramp. That indicates the time window for when that ramp was available had lapsed.

But that doesn't mean it actually was--it could be a failure of their own.