United Airlines Flies into Controversy
A United Airlines passenger was dragged off a plane on April 9. The man, 69-year-old David Dao, is suffering from a concussion and broken teeth. Now United Airlines is paying the price.
The incident began when Dao was departing for Louisville, Kentucky from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. Dao had to be removed because United Airlines needed to make room for four of its own employees. Chicago’s aviation security forcefully removed him from his seat and dragged him down the aisle.
The video showing Dao’s violent removal from the plane has been viewed more than 3.5 million times. Dao will likely file a lawsuit.
After the video came out, millions rallied against the airline on social media. On Twitter, United costumers started to cut up their mileage cards. Comedian and late night host Jimmy Kimmel went after United during his show on Monday night (April 17).
“That’s how my mother used to get me out of bed to go to school every morning,” Kimmel joked.
During the show, he showed a parody commercial of United Airlines. The commercial said, “Give us a problem and we’ll drag your a** off the plane.”
Following the forceful ejection, Dao’s attorney, Thomas Demetrio, told reporters, “If you’re going to eject a passenger, under no circumstances can it be done with unreasonable force or violence. That’s the law. For a long time, airlines — United, in particular — have bullied us … We want respect and we want dignity. That is it. Not a big deal.”
Brooke Smith is a junior from Boca Raton, Florida. In her free time she enjoys hanging out with her friends and family.