Southwest monitors your tweets!

[John Connor]

Chucky

Actually, there would be good grounds for suing the airline and the employee but probably not why most people might think. By forcing him to delete his tweet before he could get back on the plane, the employee violated his right to free speech. He had every right to post the tweet, like it or not. It was a form of extortion to say he couldn’t board the plane without deleting the tweet also. I hope that they fired the “agent”… in my book it would be well deserved not because of making them wait to board but because she had him removed from the plane. I thought most airlines boarded the elderly and children early or first anyway. Is that no longer the case? (I don’t fly much).

http://myfox8.com/2014/07/23/family...es-flight-over-negative-tweet/comment-page-1/

 

[Tweak155]

http://myfox8.com/2014/07/23/family...es-flight-over-negative-tweet/comment-page-1/

The dude had a right to choose another airline to fly home. If they had also denied him a refund, then I could see there being problems.

 

[luv2liv]

So, how exactly did Southwest connect a twitter feed to a specific customer sitting in an airplane on a runway waiting for takeoff?

Not sure I believe this.

amen. there are thousands of people with the same name as mine, in the city alone! hard to believe SW has the same tech as NSA.

either way i wish people would stop walking around with smartphones. every day i see people walking and looking at their phones constantly. there's nothing important, so important that cant wait until they finish crossing the street! good lord people. reserve some bandwidth for some people with real biz

 

[Carson Dyle]

either way i wish people would stop walking around with smartphones. every day i see people walking and looking at their phones constantly. there's nothing important, so important that cant wait until they finish crossing the street! good lord people. reserve some bandwidth for some people with real biz

That's a different issue. If I had just a dollar for every douchebag with a smartphone that I wished would die a gruesome death in a fire, I'd be a billionaire.

 

[unokitty]

I used to work at O'Hare.

I've seen a thousand bullies like the guy in this story.

Guys that think that the rules don't apply to them and that they can bully any gate agent into giving them their way on anything.

Well, he bullied the wrong one this time...

Pushed the gate agent past what she could handle. Must be a pretty good bully because gate agents take an enormous amount of $hit daily.

You all can worship the Bully in this case. You can say that he should have been able to push his kids to the front of the boarding line in front of all of the other people that were obeying the rules.

But the fact is that not all customers are good customers.

Me. Next time I fly Southwest, I hope that the gate agent has the integrity to tell the bullies like this fellow to get back in line.

Uno

 

[Exterous]

I don't buy the one sided story as told. The comments make some good points against it.

There are certainly some important facts missing - like the actual content of the tweet.

All airlines have a Contract of Carriage with a myriad of reasons they can deny you boarding including:

Persons whose conduct is or has been known to be disorderly, abusive, offensive, threatening, intimidating, violent, or whose clothing is lewd, obscene, or patently offensive.

Also more than just the GA would have needed to be involved. We don't know what transpired during that conversation (the GA could have lied to the FA or not given details beyond something like 'safety risk') but that makes it harder for me to believe the story

and yes, im pretty sure they have someone in the PR or marketing department who monitors twitter looking for the #southwest hashtag to address possible customer complaints.

But cross referenceing to a passenger list? I doubt it

 

[Phoenix86]

That sums it up nicely.

Except it leaves out the reason he was taken off the plane, the SWA agent said she felt threatened which is bullshit. There was no threat in the tweet.

OK, but what happened before that? He was allowed to board so he eventually complied with their policy. It also leaves out if the agent was a bitch about enforcing the policy.

"Sorry you have to wait for your children since they are not A+ (or whatever) status, this is company policy, I can't change it. If you would like to comment on our policy you can do so here...."

vs.

"I don't know what's wrong with people like you who think they get special treatment, it's people like you who are wrong with the world."

We're not likely to get an answer to that.

Both can be construed as following policy, but one is clearly providing better customer service. Maybe the guy blew up and the agent was nice, he could be a dick. That doesn't give the agent the right to call foul and "feel threatened" by the tweet, and somehow, magically feel safer once it's deleted?

W
T
F
?

 

[Red Storm]

But cross referenceing to a passenger list? I doubt it

She knew his name, he apparently used a Southwest hashtag, so it wouldn't be all that hard to find the tweet.

I'm sure she wasn't actually scared for her safety, she thought the guy was a douche and reciprocated with a douche move of her own.

 

[Jeeebus]

http://myfox8.com/2014/07/23/family...es-flight-over-negative-tweet/comment-page-1/

Oh ok I guess you win - you copied a random comment from some anonymous person from the comments section of a news article. Clearly a 1st Amendment violation (I suppose I could copy/paste the next comment under it that says no it's not, but your anonymous comment clearly has more weight).

Again... I feel very confident in deeming you a moron and you've done nothing to suggest otherwise.

 

[Exterous]

Guys that think that the rules don't apply to them and that they can bully any gate agent into giving them their way on anything.

"Don't you know who I am?!"

If nothing else good job on the GA not letting him abuse the A+ boarding by taking along people who don't qualify to board in that position. "Is this a new rule?" No and as an A+ member you should know that already...

 

[momeNt]

First AMENDMENT OUTRAGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Southwest as a psuedogovernment organization should not be allowed to do stuff like this. We the people won't stand for it! Airlines work very closely with the government that they can hardly be called private business.

Southwest needs to change, the American people need Southwest to change, and we need it now!

 

[cronos]

I used to work at O'Hare.

I've seen a thousand bullies like the guy in this story.

Guys that think that the rules don't apply to them and that they can bully any gate agent into giving them their way on anything.

Well, he bullied the wrong one this time...

Pushed the gate agent past what she could handle. Must be a pretty good bully because gate agents take an enormous amount of $hit daily.

You all can worship the Bully in this case. You can say that he should have been able to push his kids to the front of the boarding line in front of all of the other people that were obeying the rules.

But the fact is that not all customers are good customers.

Me. Next time I fly Southwest, I hope that the gate agent has the integrity to tell the bullies like this fellow to get back in line.

Uno

You're not reading the article. It's not about the boarding order, and they did wait for normal boarding because the gate agent did not allow him to bring his kids with him. That event was over and done. No problem.

The problem is what comes after that. The tweet, and how they were on their seat but forced to leave and not allowed to come back unless he deleted the tweet. Which is what he did without making a scene, and they did allow them back on the flight.

 

[Exterous]

Except it leaves out the reason he was taken off the plane, the SWA agent said she felt threatened which is bullshit. There was no threat in the tweet.

Oh you have the actual tweet? It would be great if you could share your source since otherwise we only have what a biased party claimed it said.

She knew his name, he apparently used a Southwest hashtag, so it wouldn't be all that hard to find the tweet.

I am not talking about her just the side discussion on the PR team monitoring twitter and any possible linking of that to live passenger manifests

 

[Phoenix86]

Sounds like a staff member on a power trip. At the end of the day they (she) kicked him off the plane for a tweet. While not violating any rights, it's still the wrong way to handle the situation. And now SWA is paying for it.

I heard on the news this morning they offered him 3 $50 vouchers.

So they aren't paying much for it.

 

[momeNt]

Actually I take back what I said about first amendment.

He basically put a "hit" out on her. Giving her name and gate location. Somebody wanting to be a hero could have tried to harm her to avenge this guy because he wasn't "happy".

 

[Phoenix86]

Oh you have the actual tweet? It would be great if you could share your source since otherwise we only have what a biased party claimed it said.

“Something to the effect of, ‘Wow, rudest agent in Denver. Kimberly S, gate C39, not happy @SouthwestAir,’” he said.

Is all we have to work off of. Do you have anything that says it was more harsh than that?

You're also missing the point. If he truly threatened her, there's no way he'd have been allowed on the plane. Period. The TSA would have taken over at that point.

Deleting a tweet doesn't undo the threat.

 

[Phoenix86]

Actually I take back what I said about first amendment.

He basically put a "hit" out on her. Giving her name and gate location. Somebody wanting to be a hero could have tried to harm her to avenge this guy because he wasn't "happy".

Dear god, whatever you do, do not ever. I mean EVER, serve on a jury.

Please and thank you.

 

[unokitty]

You're not reading the article. It's not about the boarding order, and they did wait for normal boarding because the gate agent did not allow him to bring his kids with him. That event was over and done. No problem.

The problem is what comes after that. The tweet, and how they were on their seat but forced to leave and not allowed to come back unless he deleted the tweet. Which is what he did without making a scene, and they did allow them back on the flight.

My perceptionis that the bully didn't have to delete his tweet. My perception is that the bully didn't have the integrity to stand up to the gate agent when she called him on his bullying.

He could have forced the issue. But he backed down.

Did the gate agent act inappropriately? Absolutely.

So what.

No one has a constitutional right to bully someone such as a gate agent.

People are human. People have flaws. He pushed gate agent past her limit.

That was his choice.

He told her he was going to continue to bully her on twitter.

She called him on it.

I'm okay with that.

If he wants to go to court to defend his constitutional right to bully 'little people', like the gate agent with impunity, I'm okay with that as well.

Uno

 

[momeNt]

Dear god, whatever you do, do not ever. I mean EVER, serve on a jury.

Please and thank you.

I will not have you infringe on my right to serve the people.


If I posted your name and location and how I wasn't happy with you, you wouldn't feel the least bit threatened? What if I made you look like a pretty big asshat? What if one of my twitter followers was straight retarded and maybe would try to kill you because you hurt my feelings?

I'm not saying I do or don't have a retarded twitter follower who might do something like that, but would you be willing to find out? My guess would be no.

 

[Rakehellion]

Actually I take back what I said about first amendment.

He basically put a "hit" out on her. Giving her name and gate location. Somebody wanting to be a hero could have tried to harm her to avenge this guy because he wasn't "happy".

This, pretty much.

 

[John Connor]

Oh ok I guess you win - you copied a random comment from some anonymous person from the comments section of a news article. Clearly a 1st Amendment violation (I suppose I could copy/paste the next comment under it that says no it's not, but your anonymous comment clearly has more weight).

Again... I feel very confident in deeming you a moron and you've done nothing to suggest otherwise.

You can disagree with someone without calling them a moron.

 

[Jeeebus]

You can disagree with someone without calling them a moron.

I disagree with lots of people that are not morons and don't call them morons - but sometimes you have to call a spade a spade.

 

[John Connor]

Shows how old an immature you are. You have lots to learn grasshopper.

 

[waggy]

My perceptionis that the bully didn't have to delete his tweet. My perception is that the bully didn't have the integrity to stand up to the gate agent when she called him on his bullying.

He could have forced the issue. But he backed down.

Did the gate agent act inappropriately? Absolutely.

So what.

No one has a constitutional right to bully someone such as a gate agent.

People are human. People have flaws. He pushed gate agent past her limit.

That was his choice.

He told her he was going to continue to bully her on twitter.

She called him on it.

I'm okay with that.

If he wants to go to court to defend his constitutional right to bully 'little people', like the gate agent with impunity, I'm okay with that as well.

Uno

I don't think he was a bully and i agree with him in allowing the kids to board with him. he asked if it was a new rule because he has done it before. it was a idiotic move on her part.

to top it of the SW worker should be fired for her conduct.

 

[Exterous]

“Something to the effect of, ‘Wow, rudest agent in Denver. Kimberly S, gate C39, not happy @SouthwestAir,’” he said.

Is all we have to work off of. Do you have anything that says it was more harsh than that?

I know what we have to work on but we have no proof that is what was actually said and we all know that no one ever lies or misleads esp when it can get them attention\money.

You're also missing the point. If he truly threatened her, there's no way he'd have been allowed on the plane. Period. The TSA would have taken over at that point.

Deleting a tweet doesn't undo the threat.

Again - all we have word on is his claim that the Southwest employee said he threatened her. Southwest has released a statement that he was removed for more than just the tweet alone:

The Customer was briefly removed from flight #2347 from Denver to Minneapolis/St. Paul to resolve the conversation outside of the aircraft and away from the other Passengers. Our decision was not based solely on a Customer's tweet.

Keep in mind that the GA alone cannot remove the passenger already seated for a flight. The Flight Crew must be involved in that sort of situation. On likely scenario is that the guy was an absolute asshole to the point of obscenities or unruliness. The GA informed the flight crew of a potential disorderly passenger and a joint decision was made to remove him form the flight. During the period between flights he calmed down and was allowed to continue on

Now if we do find out the tweet matches his story and the GA did demand he delete the tweet I am all for firing the GA immediately. Until then I view a one sided story with a heavy dose of skepticism.

He also doesn't know how to use Southwest's website as they give a perfect example telling him not to do what he tried to do:

"I looked on their website and I didn't find any explicit rule," Watson said.

For example, if a passenger is assigned position A16 and wants to board with a passenger assigned position A45, the passenger holding the A16 boarding pass should board with the A45 passenger."