Via DrewM, who finds this slightly more ridiculous than I do. She hopped aboard a United flight at Dulles, fell asleep, stayed asleep when it landed shortly after midnight, then woke up at four a.m. to find herself alone on a dark, locked plane. The question: Why didn’t she exercise a little old-fashioned personal responsibility and set her alarm for midnight if she’s that sound a sleeper? My answer: Because, er, what sort of airline passenger expects that the crew will simply leave them to rot after the flight lands? That’s really the issue here — whether being awakened by a flight attendant if you’re asleep is a reasonable expectation for the average air traveler to have. Which … it is, right? Falling asleep on a train isn’t the same thing because a train makes many stops en route to its final destination; asking the conductor to roam the aisles rousing sleepyheads at each one would slow things down too much. But what’s the excuse here? Doesn’t the crew usually stroll up and down the aisles once or twice after landing looking for unclaimed baggage or, er, comatose passengers?
But if you agree with me, hold that thought. Because after watching this unpleasant trainwreck interview with Jane Skinner, I assure you that you’ll be desperately searching for ways to take the airline’s side here. Like Drew says, just imagine this woman on the witness stand.
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