JetBlue passenger handcuffed and threatened for refusing to delete video

August 14, 2008 @ 7:44PM

JetBlue passenger handcuffed and threatened for refusing to delete video

By Carlos Miller -...

Update: Listen to a Podcast interview of Marilyn Parver describing the incident.

A 56-year-old JetBlue passenger was led off the airplane in handcuffs by federal agents after refusing to delete a video she filmed of an altercation between two passengers.

JetBlue flight attendants threatened Marilyn Parver with imprisonment and told her she would be placed on the “no-fly” list, which would put her in the same category as terrorists.

Once she was removed from the airplane, JetBlue and TSA officials reviewed the video and determined that it was not enough evidence to charge her with inteferance with a flight crew member – a federal crime which carries a maximum penalty of 25 years.

But even then, a JetBlue representative demanded she delete the video. And Parver continued to refuse.

“He informed me that if I didn’t immediately delete it, I could never fly on JetBlue again,” she said. “He said that he would be filing a report that would be shared with other airlines, and I might have a hard time getting any airline to let me fly.”

When Parver demanded everybody’s name as well as a written statement confirming she would be placed on the no-fly list, a Las Vegas police officer ordered her to leave the airport or be arrested.

“I said, ‘Then arrest me.”

At that point, the officer arrested her, pushed her against the wall and forced her down a flight of stairs, Parver said.

She was eventually released without charges because the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department claims they have no record of the incident.

The incident, which occurred July 26th on a flight from New York City to Las Vegas, began innocently enough:

“I was taking photos from my window seat of clouds, and I was wearing a noise-reduction headset with a TV show playing loudly in my ears,” Parver said. “Even with the headset on, I had been able to hear a very loud child seated a few rows in front of me annoying everyone for approximately two hours.

“Suddenly, I heard loud shouts and removed my headset,” she added. “I realized that the man seated next to the loud child had finally lost it.”

At that point, the child’s mother and the passenger were yelling at each other, Parver added.

“On instinct, I turned my video camera towards the altercation,” Parver said.

Having just left from a visit with her grandchild in Boston, Parver said she thought the video would be a good example to show her daughter how children’s behavior affects other people.

Parver said she did not leave her seat or even stand up in it.

Thirty minutes after the incident, flight crew members began asking passengers if they had witnessed the incident. Parver informed them that she had filmed it.

“After viewing the video, they demanded that I delete it,” Parver said. “I asked, ‘Why?’ The head-stewardess went as far as to tell me that I had broken a law by using an electronic item during the flight.”

One flight attendant even accused her of wanting to upload the video on YouTube, as if that is even a crime. Ironically, this incident will probably give JetBlue more negative exposure than a YouTube video would.

The flight attendants then told her that the captain had ordered her to delete the video, but when asked to speak to the captain via telephone, they refused.

A few minutes later she was given a yellow slip of paper notifying Parver to cease her illegal behavior or risk very serious repercussions with the phrase “Interference with an airline crew member” circled. The offense has a maximum punishment of $10,000 in fines and 25 years in jail.

Parver, who has vowed to fight this all the way, will soon be featured on Good Morning America.

Comments

Anonymous

3 years ago

Glad I don’t live in the USA. While all this paranoid behavior seems to be the norm I will NEVER go there. You are all crazy! Why do you let this bullshit go on?

Anonymous

3 years ago

Why do we let this crap go on? Because the majority of US citizens don’t know their rights, let alone exercise them.

Anonymous

3 years ago

I’m tempted to say a LOT of very unpleasant things about Jet Blue and the LV police out of spite and because I identify with the victim, Ms Parver. But I’ll refrain from spewing. I will say this: I have seen group bullying behavior before. It is one of the lousiest things about human nature I can think of.

I would therefore suggest universally that human resource departments all over the US get serious about training employees how to recognize when they’re over reacting and becoming hysterical. Maybe the Jet Blue crew believed that the passengers were actually their prisoners, in some vague way, rather than being equal in social status with the Jet Blue crew being in an instructor role.

I know some of you are rolling your eyes if you have continued reading at all, but I think a sane, analysis is worth a thousand lugies spat from a thousand angry mouths. On the other hand I say I admire Ms. Parver’s courage and I support her stand. Bullies are bullies and always deserve embarrassing exposure. And, is ANYONE surprised that he Las Vegas Metropolitan Police claim they have no record of their arrest and abuse of Parver?

People do what is most convenient. It’s up to everyone to make bullying behavior less than convenient. Exposure is one of the only things that can make bullies change.

I look forward to that Good Morning America segment.

Anonymous

3 years ago

@AmatreurX

It’s not just rights. There’s an intimidation factor. It’s the fact that you are an ordinary citizen and you are faced with a person armed with: a club, a taser, a can of mace/pepper spray and a gun. And often-times s/he is backed up by at least another person who, while they may have their misgivings, is going to go by a pack mentality.

Obviously, the intent of such armaments is for the police officer’s safety as much as the citizens… But that only occurs when the office is acting in the people’s best interest and not on some insane power trip.

I sympathize with good officers who are upset that police are colored by the misbehavior of a few. However, trust is a fragile thing. If there was actual justice involved in the discipline of these officers, there would be more public trust in that an officer would conduct themselves accordingly, given the consequences of doing otherwise.

For example, Pogan. The video speaks for itself. His report does not reflect the video. The investigation should ultimately find him in the wrong, and he should be fired and serve jail time for falsifying events in what he legally signed as being true.

Anonymous

3 years ago

So the flight attendants were able to subdue the arguing passengers. They were not handcuffed or arrested. Even though the disturbed an entire flight.
The Flight crew, TSA and Police completely overreacted and detain a woman for interfering with flight crew for not deleting a video.
The complete lack of critical thinking skills or common sense displayed by JetBlue, the TSA and Police in this instance is terrifying. I’m starting to get the impression that a group of terrorists could be building a bomb in the row of seats behind you, but if you complain about the size of your bag of peanuts you will be the one dragged off in handcuffs.

Anonymous

3 years ago

first we hear about these things in the news but they are never corrected. next we will not hear about them at all. people will simply start disappearing into labor camps like in China. America our freedom is an illusion. if these events do not convince you of that nothing will.

Anonymous

3 years ago

This happened in the USA, the USA, the USA with all the freedoms? Amazing, sounded like it happened in China, Iran, or Columbia, not the USA.

Tip: When some one asks you to stop something because of company policy, ask them to produce it, if they are to enforce company policies, they need to have the policies handy to show you, and I guarantee you, they will not have copies of anything!!!!

michael

1 year ago

Carlos,

Marilyn filed a federal lawsuit earlier this year against JetBlue, Las Vegas Metro PD and the City of Las Vegas for unlawful arrest. She originally asked for $7.5M. She filed an amended complaint after getting a hot shot attorney from Texas who specializes in General Civil Litigation, Personal Injury, Commercial Litigation and a bunch of other things.

The Metro PD responded as you might expect Carlos given your own experience with Metro Dade. It took her a while to track down the legal address for Jet Blue and they have not responded yet.

This will be a case to follow. Marilyn may be retiring to the Bahamas after she buys her island with the settlement.....