[Butch Cassidy Slept Here]

when it comes to incentives for "good behavior" on the part of the airline in tarmac/hostage incidents. Whether that should be the only source of "relief" for a passenger remains to be seen. The proposed legislation allows a pilot to refuse the disembarkation of passenger if he considers doing so "unsafe." Are there pilots who might abuse this exception, and refuse disembarkation when, in fact, it IS safe and make-up a lie to the contrary?

If I'm holding you hostage in my home, it would seem you have a right to break a window, or kick-down a door to escape. But, do you have the right to burn my home down? Likewise, a passenger could be argued as being justified in pulling a "plug"-type window exit, and escaping down the wing, in a tarmac/hostage incident. We're assuming the engines are turned-off! However, if that same passenger causes damage to the wing and/or engine housing, on the way out, is that, likewise, "protected" behavior? Then there's the question of danger/injury to other passengers. If a passenger used the escape slide my understanding is the door can not, immediately, be closed. If such an action happened at just about any of the airports in my state, in the dead of winter, and the airport was closed for the night, the remaining passengers on board could face the real issue of frostbite. Accordingly, does the "escaping" passenger incur any legal liability, criminal or civil, if his actions result in injury or death to the remaining passengers? As to the example of my state: I guess someone would have the presence of mind to call the Sheriff's Office if freezing to death was a real danger!