'The lesson I've learned is to keep my phone off when the 1950's gym teacher is on duty,' writes the '30 Rock' star in an article explaining about his recent removal from an American Airlines flight.
- Dec 8, 2011
AceShowbiz - Having deactivated his Twitter account doesn't stop Alec Baldwin from speaking out his mind over his recent removal from an American Airlines flight. On Wednesday, December 7, the "30 Rock" star made use of the Huffington Post to issue an apology for delaying fellow passengers and to further berate the flight attendant whom he believes singling him out.
"First off, I would like to apologize to the other passengers onboard the American Airlines flight that I was thrown off of yesterday," the 53-year-old began the note titled "A Farewell to Common Sense, Style, and Service on American Airlines". He then wrote, "It was never my intention to inconvenience anyone with my 'issue' with a certain flight attendant."
The Emmy Award winner continued to explain the incident from his side. "My confusion began when the flight, already a half hour behind schedule, boarded, the door closed, and we proceeded to sit at the gate for another fifteen minutes. I then did what I have nearly always done and that was to pull out my phone to complete any other messaging I had to do before take off," he shared.
"While other people were still manipulating their own phones, this one employee singled me out to put my phone away," he continued. "Afterward, we still sat at the gate. I pulled out my phone again, while others did the same. Again, I was singled out by this woman in the most unpleasant of tones. I guess the fact that this woman, who had decided to make some example of me, while everyone else was left undisturbed, did get the better of me."
Alec went on to slam the airline industry in general. "One of the big changes, in my time, is in the increase of the post-9/11, paramilitary bearing of much of the air travel business," he wrote. "September 11th was a horrific day in the airline industry, yet in the wake of that event, I believe carriers and airports have used that as an excuse to make the air travel experience as inelegant as possible."
"Most of the flight attendants I have ever encountered still have some remnant of the old idea of service," he then pointed out. "But there are many now who walk the aisles of an airplane with a whistle around their neck and a clipboard in their hands and they have made flying a Greyhound bus experience."
In the end, he wrote, "The lesson I've learned is to keep my phone off when the 1950's gym teacher is on duty. That was my fault there, even though this trip was quite a bit different from so many others. But it is sad, I think, that you've got to fly overseas today in order to bring back what has been thrown overboard by US carriers in terms of common sense, style, and service."
Alec complained on Twitter on Tuesday, December 6 that he got booted off a flight for playing Words With Friends on his phone. American Airlines has in response issued a statement via their Facebook page, referring to the actor as "an extremely vocal customer has publicly identified himself as being removed from an American Airlines flight on Tuesday".
"This passenger declined to turn off his cell phone when asked to do so at the appropriate time," the airline explained. "The passenger ultimately stood up (with the seat belt light still on for departure) and took his phone into the plane's lavatory. He slammed the lavatory door so hard, the cockpit crew heard it and became alarmed, even with the cockpit door closed and locked."
"They immediately contacted the cabin crew to check on the situation. The passenger was extremely rude to the crew, calling them inappropriate names and using offensive language. Given the facts above, the passenger was removed from the flight and denied boarding."
