NEW YORK — A rogue JetBlue flight attendant’s explanation that an uncooperative passenger caused him to melt down and slide down a parked plane’s emergency chute may not hold water, the airline says in an internal memo.
And even if it’s true, a bad day at work is no excuse for flight attendant Steven Slater’s behavior, JetBlue says in the memo obtained today by The Associated Press.
Slater went onto the public address system Monday on a plane at New York’s Kennedy Airport after a JetBlue flight from Pittsburgh, cursed out a passenger he said had treated him rudely, and then slid off the plane.
He was arrested, charged with criminal mischief, reckless endangerment and trespassing, and released on bail. Slater’s attorney says a passenger’s “lack of civility” prompted his behavior.
JetBlue Chief Operating Officer Rob Maruster says in the memo that the airline is still investigating, but that no one has yet corroborated Slater’s version of events. In fact, JetBlue notes, several passengers “have given interviews that tell a different story.”
“If Mr. Slater’s story proves to be accurate, and even if there was a precipitating event that motivated his behavior, that still doesn’t excuse his actions,” Maruster wrote.
Slater has been hailed as a working-class hero on social networking sites for the ultimate take-this-job-and-shove-it moment.
The airline said “the most distressing aspect” of news coverage is that the danger of deploying an emergency slide hasn’t been taken seriously enough.
“Slides deploy extremely quickly, with enough force to kill a person,” the letter to employees read. “Slides can be as dangerous as a gun.”
Maruster added that the “episode does not reflect the professional and sincere service you deliver to our customers every day.”
Send questions/comments to the editors.
-
Sports
NHL roundup: Canadiens fire coach Claude Julien amid losing stretch
-
Nation & World
Coronavirus infection leads to immunity that’s comparable to a COVID-19 vaccine
-
Lakes Region Weekly
New Gloucester library reopens with new staff on board
-
Sports
Lucky to be alive after crash, Tiger Woods faces long and difficult recovery
-
Lakes Region Weekly
Vaccination clinic at Bridgton Community Center March 4
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi {SUB NAME}, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have one? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login to participate in the conversation. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.