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- KAUAI, Hawaii (Reuters) - Blame it on a lack of oxygen or being packed
like sardines in a can, but ``air rage'' is on the rise. In well-publicized
incidents, airline passengers have defecated on food carts, been aggressive
with the crew and even sexually assaulted their seats. Airline travel once
was exclusively for a more refined jet set, but these days flying has become
a perilous proposition. Unruly behavior in the skies has been increasing
at an astonishing rate in both numbers and the level of hostility. A recent
report by the International Cabin Crew Association showed a rise of about
400 percent in incidents since 1995. In early July, the ICCA, the International
Transport Federation and the International Federation of Airline Pilots
issued a joint statement saying airlines should adopt a policy of prosecuting
all offenders. They also called for a blacklist of offenders and said airlines
should ensure there is restraint equipment such as plastic handcuffs aboard
all planes. In 1996, banker Gerard Finneran was fined $50,000 after he
assaulted an attendant and then defecated on a first-class food cart during
a Buenos Aires-to-New York flight. More recently, a man on a Northwest
Airlines flight removed his pants and ``simulated having sex with the back
of his seat,'' airline officials reported. And a man on a flight to Honolulu
``allegedly urinated on the seats,'' then punched another passenger who
told him to stop. Other incidents include passengers becoming enraged after
being asked if their seat-belts were fastened and crews being attacked
for trying to put trays back in the upright position. The problem is not
just an American one. In 1995 a large group of British and Irish tourists
ran amok aboard a trans-Atlantic flight after being denied more alcohol.
The drunken tourists sent their children to steal more drink from service
carts, attacked other passengers and pelted the crew with food until they
were overcome by some wrestlers aboard, giving the entire incident a three-ring
circus flavor.
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- BOUND AND GAGGED Airline crews have been
forced to take drastic measures. A British Airways passenger who ``improperly
touched a flight attendant'' this year was bound with handcuffs and duct
tape by the crew and subsequently fined $11,000. Another passenger was
tied up with a headset cord by United Airlines crew members after he disturbed
the flight. Japan Airlines also has given flight attendants permission
to tie up unruly and raucous passengers. The airline issued the edict last
year after incidents on its planes more than doubled between 1995 and 1996.
JAL said its crew members had been stabbed with pens, had their buttocks
and breasts groped and were even forced to get on their hands and knees
to apologize for bringing drinks late to some drunken passengers. Experts
say the airline equivalent of road rage is a complex problem with many
contributory factors. It could simply be a reflection of increased violence
in society, but there may be other underlying issues triggering the rise
in unruliness. Some medical experts blame the cabin environment, which
they say is high in toxic chemicals and allergens and low in air pressure
and oxygen. ``Curtailment of fresh air in airplanes can be causing deficient
oxygen in the brain of passengers, and this often makes people act belligerent,
even crazy,'' said Dr. Vincent Mark, an environmental physician in Santa
Cruz, California. The link between air rage and poor air quality may deserve
a closer look. Passenger unruliness began to rise some 20 years ago, coinciding
with the cost-cutting practice of using recycled air instead of fresh air
in passenger cabins.
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- SARDINE-CLASS SEATING Another possible
culprit, high on the list of irritations for airline passengers, is cramped
``sardine seating.'' Airline seats are now as small as seats on subway
trains, and with many flights lasting longer passengers feel they are packed
in like sardines in a can, or chickens in crowded cages. Is it any wonder
they peck peevishly at those around them? Airline executives point the
finger in part at excess luggage. In recent testimony before Congress one
blamed an explosion in the number and size of bags passengers carry on.
But critics say airlines themselves have contributed to the problem by
removing coat closets, leaving little room for garment bags. And with eight
percent of all airline baggage lost or stolen, travelers are increasingly
reluctant to check their luggage. While Congress and the airlines think
about ways to fix the problem, here are a few tips if you find yourself
on a flight with an unruly passenger: -- Rather than confront the offender
directly, leave your seat and seek out the purser or senior flight attendant.
The purser is usually found in first class, so bypass the flight attendants
in coach. -- Give the purser the row and seat number of the unruly passenger.
Remain calm and communicate clearly. -- If you have a tendency to be an
unruly passenger yourself, keep in mind that the trip is a challenge for
everyone on board. Tolerance and polite gestures could make your flights
more pleasant for you and everyone around you.
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- _______________________
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- Diana Fairechild is an expert in aviation
health and safety and author of the book ``Jet Smart.'' She maintains a
Healthy Flying Web Site at www.flyana.com.
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