Recently (this past week Sept 2008) in Denver, Charlotte and Greensboro, flight attendants and desk workers refused to help me with my luggage, despite explaining I was disabled, showing them my Social Security Card and explaining the frailty of my condition to the front desk attendants.
Over 10 different US Air employees outright refused to help me with luggage, citing US Union Rules state that workers DO NOT need to help frail people with luggage, even if the passenger is totally disabled and entitled to protection from the Americans With Disability Act.
In Charlotte, a supervisor actually taunted me about not being able to lift my luggage: "You're going to make a little woman load your luggage? That's pathetic." All this harassment after explaining I was disabled.
In Charlotte, on the way back, the attendants assured me I could pre-board, but general passengers and first-class were blocking my access to plane, because plane was delayed. While politely squeezing through an extremely tense group and explaining medical need to pre-board (plane was delayed, of course), my shoulder dislocated due to my disability and was in severe pain (I have a rare disease of my collagen, causing constant dislocations, subloxations, and herniations all over my body).
When I finally made it to the front to pre-board a very large man began to call me names and demanded I go to the end of the line. My partner explained that I had I disability and needed to pre-board. The large rude man responded that he was glad I had a disability and said "F. You" to my partner and I.
We turned away from the man, but the next thing I knew, the rude man pushed me into the wall of the tunnel to the plane. The attendant saw this and allowed my partner and I to board immediately; but to my shock, the man who verbally and physically assaulted passed us in the tunnel and was allowed to board his first class, first row, aisle seat. He was laughing the whole time we were trying to lodge a formal complaint with several different attendants, and many of the attendants seemed to be quite familiar and friendly with him: "they got you in first class this time." (a U.S. Air pilot perhaps?).
The attendant at the desk (not attendants on the plane) gave us options to press charges, but two other men waiting outside the plane and inside -- first class -- were yelling at us to "shut the F up" and "sit down."
So, we decided to press charges when we landed in Denver because the men were scaring us and we didn't want to delay the plane.
We tried 9 separate times to find info about how to press charges and/or lodge formal complaint about our overall treatment, and several attendants said they'd help when we got to Denver.
However, when we got to Denver the man who assaulted me and the staff who said they would help me bolted off plane, before anyone else and everybody else played dumb. Only 1 attendant remained as I de-boarded.
I spent 7.5 hours on hold for Customer Relations today (9/23/08) but didn't even get an answering machine. When I spoke to Supervisors with Reservations, they refused to connect me with anyone who could get a formal investigation going and continued to say that I had no recourse whatsoever because there was no way of knowing who the assaulter or the flight attendants were (an obvious, blatant lie).
My back is still hurting from the man's shove, as I have several herniations in my back already. I am NOT looking to sue anyone, but I want the man identified who pushed me. If he is an employee of U.S. Air (most attendants were very chummy with him, even after he assaulted a disabled person), then I want him to face disciplinary charges (as a former social worker I have a duty to protect others with disabilities).
I am infuriated that all the U.S. Air staff who promised to help me lodge a formal complaint and/or maybe even press charges ran away after the flight landed in Denver.
I am appalled at U.S. Air's treatment, and spent a good deal of the flight breaking down in the Bathroom, as I was in excruciating pain, made much worse by an unprovoked assault by someone the US. Air staff did their best to protect (other passengers claimed the man who assaulted me was drunk, I didn't smell alcohol so I can't confirm this).
I am trying to speak to somebody with authority at U.S. Air, but of course they are refusing to pick up their Customer Relations phone.
I am curious if the man who assaulted me was either an employee or associate (U.S. Marshall?) of U.S. Air, as the staff continued to "kick up dirt" around who he was and why he was allowed to board, despite assaulting me.
Any other disabled folks ever assaulted while waiting to pre-board a U.S. Air flght?
I am planning to take the following steps, but would love to hear any suggestions or similar stories:
1. File a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Call the EEOC at (800) 669-4000.
2. Wait for a response. After reviewing the claim the EEOC should send you a "right to sue" letter.
3.Make a complaint to the Department of Justice. The Department of Justice covers violations of state or local governments and violations of public access.
4. Report violations by Public Transportation. File a complaint with the Federal Transit Authority.
5. Speak to a lawyer. Discuss the situation with a lawyer and determine if you want to sue for a violation of your civil rights.
Any help or tips would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, P. Cleary |
69 days ago by P. Cleary [