Question

Since 911, heightened airline security has increased frustrations for both airline employees and passengers. Passengers have to abide by the ever more rules that airline employees must enforce. For instance, on a flight from Europe to the United States, a simple passenger request escalated quickly. “John Murphy asked a flight attendant about a sign telling passengers not to venture beyond the curtain separating the economy class from the rest of the plane.”, the New York Times reported. “He wanted to stretch his legs and visit his wife seated on the opposite aisle., using the passageway behind the gallery in the plane’s midsection. But when he questioned a flight attendant, on the policy and began recording their conversation using his cell phone, the situation quickly escalated. The flight attendant grabbed his phone, and nearby federal air marshalls intervened.”

The marshalls held him against the wall with his hands behind his back. Murphy said, “ I wasn’t violent. I didn’t use four-letter words. All I did was ask this guy, about the sign on the curtain and they flipped out.”. Afterwards, Murphy wandered about his rights and the rules., such as being restricted to particular cabins and not just bathrooms, as well as the right to video/audio record flight crew. A spokesperson of the Federal Aviation Administration responded that there is no rule limiting passengers movement on planes, but no person may assault, threaten, intimidate, or interfere with a crew member in the performance of the crew member's duties..”

1. Summarize this text.

Answer 1

Summary of the incident :

John Murphy, an economy class passenger on Flight Xyz from Europe to America wanted to walk across to his wife who was seated across the passageway. However he was not allowed to use the midsection of the flight to make the crossover as there was a curtain with a sign prohibiting economy class passengers from crossing it. Mr. Murphy questioned a flight attendant on the sign and attempted to record the answer. The flight attendant grabbed Mr. Murphy's phone and called in air marshalls who proceeded to pin Mr. Murphy to the wall and hold him there.

An irate Mr. Murphy claimed in his defence that he was not offensive or abusive and there is no law prohibiting him from recording inside the plane. However he is not too sure about this. On the other hand, federal Aviation administration said that while there is no restriction on movement within the plane, a passenger cannot assault, threaten or intimidate a crew member in performance of their duties.

The key question remains unanswered - if there is no restriction on movement within aircraft - as per FAA- why was Mr. Murphy not allowed to cross over and meet his wife ? The number of additional rules and regulations governing air travel have got more complicated post 9/11 and with the advent of technology - in fact many times crew as well as passengers are not sure about the extent of the rules.