Ann Coulter vs. David Dao

Earlier this year, Doctor David Dao was asked to give up his seat.  He refused.  When the police arrived to escort him from the plane, he continued to refuse until he was forcibly dragged from the plane.  United Airlines was blasted in the press and soon settled for an 'undisclosed amount.'

 

This weekend, Ann Coulter was asked to give up her seat.  Though angry, she gave up her seat but scorched Delta Airlines on Twitter.  Delta has responded to her tweets by explaining that her tweets are unseemly and they will refund the $30 difference in price between her booked seat and the seat where she was relocated.

 

Dao refused to cooperate and United has paid him a small fortune.  Coulter grudgingly cooperated and has been offered a pittance and told to stop badmouthing Delta.  Who played it better?  Is there a lesson to learn in the treatment of these passengers?  It sure looks like the airlines are incentivizing uncooperative behavior while also providing a disincentive to cooperate.  Not a good idea.

Unreasonable Search?

The full body scan is coming to an airport near you. Yes, in reaction to the failed Christmas Bomber aka the Underwear Bomber, there are now scanners that will perform a virtual strip search. Have we not yet reached the point of unreasonable searches as defined by the 4th Amendment? Those who do not wish to suffer the indignity of the procedure or the 'harmless' dose of radiation may opt out and be sexually assaulted. Oh, it's just an 'aggressive' pat down, frisking like a cop might. However, if someone not wearing a TSA uniform were to perform such a pat down, it would be a clear case of sexual harassment. What is truly sad is that this is inevitably futile. The next bomber will have the anal cavity bomb (already used in Saudi Arabia). I can hardly wait for the TSA reaction to that.

This is yet another massive waste of resources for no benefit. We have a description of the perp and yet we search everyone. Imagine if a string of convenience stores were robbed and every cashier said it was a 'Middle-eastern man in his 20s or 30s.' The police then frisk every person they encounter - women, children, old men, etc. That would be crazy. And yet, that is what we are doing. We KNOW who is trying to blow up the plane but, to make sure no one feels singled out, we search every last person. We could cut 90% of the TSA if we just profiled. Heck, with the 90% cut of the TSA, we'd probably save more than enough to pay the lawsuits that would be filed.

Let the Market Decide

Spirit Airline has recently stated that it intends to charge for carry-on luggage, namely items that would be placed in overhead bins. Those items that could be stuffed under a seat (such as a purse or briefcase) would incur no charge. The thinking is that it will expedite loading and unloading of the plane, since fewer people will use the overhead bins. Is this a good idea? I don't know. However, if the policy was put in practice for a few months, Spirit could soon discover whether passengers are driven from the airline on account of the fee or drawn to it for the quick boarding and unboarding process. Ticket receipts will tell the tale.

However, the government just can't allow this. Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) was incensed that the airline would dare to charge such a fee and that perhaps some legislation was needed to prevent airlines from trying to run their business in a way upsetting to Senator Schumer. At what point does a company cease to be private and merely become a pawn of government regulation? Let the company do as it will. It isn't as if Spirit is the only airline. Another airline could have a great ad campaign: "We don't charge fees for carry on luggage like some airlines." The problem will resolve itself without government intervention. But if government threatens regulation, Spirit might abandon its experiment and we'll never know if that might have been popular with many passengers.