Paranoia translates to flight inconvenience
by KC Jones feature editor

   During my Christmas break, I was excited about my plans to go to Steamboat Springs for a ski vacation with my friends. But, the experience we had on the flight from Dallas to Denver upset us. It made me realize how fleeting our freedom is here in the United States and how quickly power can be used over the masses.
  

  The flight was scheduled to leave at 8 a.m. After boarding and waiting 30 minutes, we were told there was a problem with the galley and the food service people were coming to take care of it. Of course, the airlines don’t serve food anymore, so the whole planeload of passengers thought it was a strange excuse for a delay.

  After another 45 minutes, I asked a gate agent if my friends and I could get off the plane, get a refund for the flight and make other arrangements. She told me yes, but we would have to wait a few minutes.

  After another 30 minutes or so, I requested again to leave, but this time a different agent told me that the plane was “under quarantine” and I would have to stay on the plane and fly to Denver but that I could fly back that same day and get my refund. That remark really upset me. Why would I want to fly to Denver then immediately back to Dallas to get a refund?

  After over two hours waiting at the gate, the airplane doors were closed. We were told that the delay was because of a suspicious dried powder found on a galley food transportation box. We were told the substance would be tested while we were on the way to Denver and if we were concerned for our health, we should see a doctor.
Any concerns were unfounded; the suspicious substance was soap scum.
I find it ridiculous that some over-dramatic flight attendant confused soap scum with anthrax.

  Also, I find it unacceptable that we were held hostage by United Airlines. There was no real threat, just an over-reaction to a situation that could have been handled with common sense. But, again the trampling of my freedom magnifies my feelings. I was held hostage by United, not by any health department or the FAA.

  To make matters more unbearable, the flight attendants decided not to serve beverages to any of the passengers on the 90-minute flight even after the Chicago headquarters/operations personnel confirmed there was no health threat.

  When we arrived at the airport, we asked a customer service agent if she could at least give us a food voucher so we could get something to eat or drink. She said United didn’t do that. Well, other airlines do give out food, mileage or travel vouchers vouchers when they inconvenience passengers to this kind of degree

  It concerns me greatly that innocent passengers are now being treated as criminals, held against their will and even denied water to drink for hours while hostages of gate agents on a plane. Upon our arrival in Denver, we were even misinformed and misdirected as to what we needed to do to continue on with our connection. All of this occurred without sympathy from 95 percent of the agents.
 

 I am greatly disappointed in the way I see security being handled. The common traveler is hassled, but a suspicious traveler who has a bomb in his shoe is allowed on a plane.