Since the 2005 interview with Donald Trump making lewd comments about women was leaked last week, the media has been rife with conversation about sexual harassment – especially towards women. The general consensus is that it is inappropriate to demean or objectify individuals – as well as make unwanted advances toward them (a form of sexual assault). Some, however, still maintain that the GOP candidate’s inappropriate statements are ‘common’ “locker room” talk – including the business tycoon himself.
Regardless of this debacle, most might agree that Alaska Airlines was in the right to remove a passenger after he catcalled a flight attendant who was in the middle of giving a safety demonstration. The account comes from plane passenger Amber Nelson, who witnessed the incident and later shared it on Facebook.
Nelson relays that a man sitting behind her catcalled a flight attendant while she was demonstrating how to use a life vest in case of an emergency. “Ooh, sexy!” he called out. Immediately, she felt discouraged by his behavior.
“We were trapped on a plane with a guy who clearly disrespected women and saw us as his own personal entertainment,” she wrote.
What happened next, however, was a surprise to many. In fact, it might even restore some faith in humanity.
The flight attendant responded to the passenger and demanded that he be respectful, to which he replied that he was just messing around. Pausing, she spoke with her colleagues. And within minutes, an Alaska Airlines employee boarded the plane and removed him from the flight.
“It was everything we could do to keep from applauding as he was led away,” Nelson wrote. “I felt honored as a patron of the airline – and as a woman – because Alaska Airlines supported their staff and those of us on board who were demeaned by another passenger’s juvenile and exceedingly disrespectful behavior.”
Today I had an experience that drove home so powerfully the way it feels to be a woman in the world today. Before take…
Posted by Amber D. Nelson on Sunday, October 9, 2016
The swift reprimand reported by Nelson has been confirmed by The Huffington Post. A representative for the airlines said in a statement:
“The account on Facebook from our passenger is accurate. We stand behind the actions taken by our employees.”
Usually, instances of sexual harassment go unnoticed or completely ignored by establishments. Fortunately, this airline took the catcalling seriously and removed a man for demeaning one of its female employees.
Please share this news if you, like the 3,000+ people who shared the Facebook post, are heartened by the action that was taken to ensure the flight attendant felt safe and respected. Comment your thoughts below!
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