[nagdu] Disabled veteran kicked off US Airways plane, refused to put service dog on floor

[Buddy Brannan]

Wow…US Air did more than I would have done. This dude was in the wrong on so many levels it wasn’t even funny. 
--
Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
Phone: (814) 860-3194 or 888-75-BUDDY



On Sep 6, 2013, at 8:04 PM, Ginger Kutsch <GingerKutsch at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Disabled veteran kicked off US Airways plane, refused to put service dog on
> floor
> 
> Sep 05, 2013 8:46 PM EDT  
> 
> By FOX 10 News - Staff Report
> 
> http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/story/23348254/2013/09/05/disabled-war-veteran-k
> icked-off-us-airways-plane
> 
> 
> 
> A newly released video has put valley-based US Airways in a tough position.
> A Vietnam vet with a service dog got into a heated discussion with a flight
> attendant and then was escorted off the plane for security reasons.
> 
> 
> 
> Video: "No! I'd appreciate if you'd get the hell off this ground and get
> where we're going!"
> 
> 
> 
> Emotions ran high onboard a US Airways flight from Phoenix to El Paso. This
> video has gone viral.
> 
> 
> 
> "I'm sorry folks but I've earned the right to have this service animal
> because of my service to this country in Vietnam. I am 100 percent disabled,
> I have a service dog because of it and everyone has to obey the ADA laws
> except this airline! So I'm sorry but I'm not budging!"
> 
> 
> 
> This passenger wants his service dog, a golden retriever, to remain seated
> on the empty seat next to him.
> 
> 
> 
> A US Airways spokesman said the rules are pretty clear. Service animals are
> to remain on the ground and under the seat in front of you.
> 
> 
> 
> "If the aircraft were to experience something in the air and it needs to
> evacuate you don't want that animal to be in the way of people getting off
> the aircraft," says US Airways spokesman John McDonald.
> 
> 
> 
> McDonald says there was also the safety of other passengers at risk here.
> The man told airport personnel he suffered from PTSD. They worried he would
> get even more upset in the air.
> 
> 
> 
> "We had had conversations to the customer trying to explain what was going
> on. And the captain was involved when the flight attendant wasn't able to
> resolve it and in fact, many of our captains are former military people,
> this is an issue we are very familiar with and unfortunately this
> gentleman's reaction was what resulted in the incident."
> 
> 
> 
> The Saturday flight was delayed. US Airways says it handled the situation as
> best it could.
> 
> 
> 
> Airport police cited the man with trespassing and booked him on another
> flight.
> 
> 
> 
> There wasn't another flight out on Saturday, so the man was rebooked on
> Sunday flight. US Airways covered the cost for a hotel room for the night.
> 
> 
> 
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