[rgoetz]

I just wanted to voice my outrage about Southwest airlines and the fact that they did not protect my grandchildren when they were flying with them.

My grandchildren were flying Southwest airlines, Flight 3938 from San Diego to Denver on 8/1. We requested them to be unaccompanied minors, but southwest said no as my oldest Granddaughter is 16, the other two are 11 and 9. When they were put on the plane, Southwest split the kids up, placing the two youngest away from the oldest and placing the oldest next to a strangely acting man. During the flight, the man took out a roll of tape. The flight attendant noticed it, but didn’t say anything. Then the man handed my oldest granddaughter a magazine. When she accepted it, he grabbed her hands and taped them together. Although they screamed for a stewardess, no one showed up. The youngest one went over and had to bite through the tape to get it off of her wrists. Finally the flight attendant shows up and moves the kids to a new site. Then she says I saw that guy with the tape and thought he was strange.

When the plane lands – Southwest lets the guy off the plane, never calls police and THEN lets the kids go to the baggage area unattended. The guy follows them which prompts my grandkids to turn around and request that someone take them to baggage claim. Southwest STILL did not detain that man. After spending several hours with Southwest, my daughter-in-law was told she could have credit towards another flight, of which she refused.

The next day my daughter-in-law spent the day on the phone and then went to the Denver southwest terminal to get someone to deal with this issue. She is so worried that this crazy man is doing other things to other kids. Southwest would not deal with this.

She has contacted Homeland security and now the FBI is interviewing the kids and are looking to press two charges of minority assault when they find the guy. Airlines need to keep people and especially kids safe on their airlines.

With all these cutbacks with airlines – child safety should not be one of them.

Thank you for listening.