[jimworcs]

Cortney,
It may well have originally escalated from a wheelchair request... here is what Joe said in the original complaint...

Because Nanny was ill, and at times, presented as ill, we asked for early boarding and a wheelchair assist to the gate.

Gromit,
I can see nothing in swordlights post which merits your response!! What are you talking about?

Look, there is a problem with unaccounable airline employees who have been given powers that some simply don't have the intelligence or training to know how to use. This is evident from notorious cases such as the "bye bye plane" incident and the AA Orange Juice incident to name just two.

We were not there.. Joe and this other passenger were. Perhaps we are not seeing the whole picture and sequence of events. I personally don't feel that Joe has made sufficient of a case to argue that this is a "ski nazi" type incident, nor that age discrimination played any part. He is however, clearly intelligent and articulate in the way he expresses his views and is reasonable. He is capable, even when very annoyed at the airline, of recognising that staff were acting professionally (which is rare on this site).

I think when it comes down to it, this case rests on motive. If the motivation of the Alaska staff was simply the use of power and the exercise of control...or was based on a simple prejudice based on age... then this is indeed abusive. However, if it was a genuine concern about the passenger, and the airline and passenger simply took a difference view in the assessment of the risk, then I think the airline off the hook.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out... now we have a second person who was present at the incident who also appears to share Joe's perception of what happened.