I've done many things not to miss a flight, but one Jet Blue passenger did something that guaranteed he would miss his bon voyage to Austin, Texas.
As he was waiting with family and staff to board a flight back to Austin on Tuesday night after two days promoting Texas in New York City, Gov. Greg Abbott was approached by another passenger who shook his hand and then loudly and profanely expressed his unhappiness with the governor’s opposition to gay marriage.
“I hope you [f&%king] go to hell because of your stance on gay marriage,” the man told the governor, using an epithet for emphasis, according to Abbott communications director Matt Hirsch, who was with the governor.
The man, identified only as a 32-year-old male by Port Authority police, was asked to step back by Texas state troopers traveling with the governor. As he walked away, Hirsch said the man, dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, directed a parting shot at the governor: “I’m going to see you on the plane.” – dallasnews.com
Jet Blue Security had another plan for the outspoken traveler. The airline's hired guns told the wanna be passenger that "he wouldn’t be flying back to Austin on Tuesday night but would be put on the first flight back Wednesday morning. He was given a hotel room for the night, Hirsch said."
The Port Authority officers judged that “no direct threats were made,” the man was not arrested or cited for anything, and Jet Blue security took it from there. “Other passengers seemed unnerved a little bit by it,” said Hirsch, who said he could not recall Abbott experiencing a similar encounter. Abbott’s wife, Cecilia, and daughter, Audrey, 18, who is about to start college at the University of Southern California, were with the governor in New York, where he promoted Texas as a business destination, made numerous media appearances and rang the bell Tuesday for the opening of the New York Stock Exchange. – dallasnews.com
Making a political statement and getting a free hotel room for the night? That's some pretty cushiony punishment. I am sure the layover was an inconvenience, but if all political protests were rewarded like this one was, I think we'd have a lot more people speaking up.
Was Jet Blue in the right? I think diffusing a situation before it escalated was a good thing. Would the argument have continued on the plane? One will never know, but to take the chance of having a pretty vocal citizen enclosed in a metal tube with someone he already publicly mixed words with … yes, Jet Blue most likely did the right thing.
Was the anti-Abbott man in the right? “The governor respects and is always willing to listen to the viewpoints of others,” Hirsch said. “He’s grateful for the airport officials who handled the incident in a professional manner.” – (dallasnews.com) So yes, according to Abbott's communications director, the man was in the right since the governor is always willing to listen to the viewpoints of others. But there is a time and a place. Is the airport the correct place to have a political debate? Is having a governor as a captive audience with his family inside a speeding metal tube the correct place to have your voice heard?
Most of my friends would assume I would do something like this and yeah, I probably would.
Would you confront a political figure in public like this?
What have you done to show your LGBT colors that has resulted in the police being called to assist?
What was your punishment?
more people need to o this to
more people need to o this to the republican animals