[NeilArmstrong]

Excuse reiterations---infra -a rough copy of 18 rough months -worth of emailing

Every second year or so-since 2000, I a joe economy seat has been cleared for many security laden institutions from military air force bases across the USA -to the Supreme Court, and Pentagon(just a few times).

During my last visit -Oct /Nov 2008-I was fortunate to have been passed for a tour of the White House-and by my own good standing-to re-visit the Pentagon-

Last year-I had a month down at Cape Canaveral; which necessitated I pass through Orlando MCO airport.

In an era where irony is misunderstood; the following debacle-occured at MCO orlando airport(that\'s disneyland to most and -I ought to have suspected !)













Subject: guilty until proven innocent-or why bother to fight a just cause against corporate \'america\'



Could someone ask SOUTHWEST airline \'customer service\' if not CEO-to contact me at 011-353-51-359009-OR leave contact email (WITH NO WORD LIMIT). <NEITHER OPTION WAS TAKEN UP



Will the Southwest person-who remained unidentified to all-(save when TSA tracked him down)-with name tag(Calvin)shielded from my gaze- EVER realise the events-and the continuing havoc and distress-that his errors of -\'judgement\'-have caused

If he was assuming (as he continues to allege)that I was intoxicated...could I not have been tested in some manner-breathalysed-or walk the line? I see that a southwest pilots(yes)-was given such tests and given full pay before any investigation. And there are many incidents such as this-among airline staff-who have their unions and law to protect their interests.

I was just a passenger-with a glass of white american wine consumed. The fact that I didn\'t litter the airport with a bottle but kept it in an eco bag-ought to be applauded. If not-the syllogism out to apply-A friendly chap is going through airport-B empty bottle in a bag- C- doth not make a rabid security risk. AT LEAST NOT UNTIL A REGULAR CHECK IS DONE.



Instead this one person who wished to retain his anonymity, contrary to what he and now his company southwest maintain;

1. did not give any reasons nor point me to a place where his assumptions could be tested -

2. did not give options for later flights

3 again-did not identify himself-nor the coompany he was from-(again TSA -specifically the South east region-took 7 months to find him)





In sheer disbelief and delayed shock-he summarily barred me from a succesion of flights and dates which 7 months on- have had unlimited ramifications.



The fallout is immeasurable-not least in terms of my

collapsed health. I spent 2 days going around Orlando looking for beta

blockers for my heart condition. When I couldn\'t walk another mile-only

then did I hire a cab. Little did I think that it would be 6 FRIGHT-FILLED

days (including trouble outside one pharmacy in Orlando-which almost led to

a shooting-and rescheduled flight home developed engine trouble etc etc

etc and diverted for 36 hours-) before I arrived back in Dublin Ireland .



I reiterate that the assumption he made was totally wrong. 7 months later-the TSA \'tracked him down-and found him to be a SW employee.



The cost of his \'rush to judgment\' to myself-a budget traveller- in sum certain alone; is twice the cost of my month\'s vacation at Cape Canaveral-but to this day-the ramifcations -and now the insult-is totally unacceptable.

After years of enjoying the hospitality of the USA-I would only enter FLA to go to court. At this moment-it can be the small claims courts of Florida.





The employee obviously will maintain an allegation which sadly for all-is false. The corporate ethos of Soutwest seemingly is to defend at all costs their staff. I hope my reading from your pages do not necessarly mean that a wrong will never be addressed.



I have flown with many many airlines and I presumed SW to be like all others. Most especially as Herb Kelleher set it up!It is a bitter irony that I was cleared for the highest security installations-(all on record)-and this WRONG occurs.



-I am semper fides. I only seek the loss of a sum certain ie flights lost-and not even lost hotel stays to be reimbursed-and not the litany of costs from the fallout of this rush to judgement of your employee.



<As Southwest have replied after 7 months--and now finally 18 months on-this

\'compromise\' is beyond them



The good people at TSA (albeit 7 months on)have advised me to inform you-that the bottle had been empty-24 hours previously-and left in one recycle bag, I had been carrying.

The insult to injury of this FALSE allegation is a failure of deductive reasoning-quite apart from this \'unidentified \'calvin\' being summarily aggressive; rude ;and abusive. NB-This person maintains viz TSA report-that I was reimbused. He was again in error!

Letter(including lawyer and doctor affirmations)
The employee OF SW obviously will maintain an allegation which sadly for all-is false. The corporate ethos of Southwest seemingly is to defend at all costs their staff.



I have flown with many many airlines and I presumed SW to be like all others. Most especially as Herb Kelleher set it up!It is a bitter irony that I was cleared for the highest security installations-(all on record)-and this WRONG occurs.

-I am semper fides. I only sought for the loss of a sum certain of flights lost-(not even lost hotel stays)to be reimbursed-and not the litany of costs from the fallout of this rush to judgement by Southwest.



The good people at TSA have advised me to inform the airline-that the bottle had been empty-- 24 hours previously-and left in a recycle bag being civic minded


The 7 MONTH insult to injury of this FALSE allegation is a failure of deductive reasoning-if A. empty bottle is found in recycle bag B.and a friendly passenger (with round Irish face-not unlike Brendan Behan)is patiently waiting in screening dock-then C-it follows -that said person is afforded label \'intoxicated.

WRONG!!!. Oh if only I were so-I would have been spared the sheer nightmare of the worst airport in the US.


Even allowing for ineptitude in syllogistic logic-I was only a 53 year old male-with hypertension -making my way-though the rigours of the screening dock.


Quite apart from this \'unidentified\' person being summarily aggressive; rude ;and abusive-he did everything to remain unidentified-ie I only glimsped his first name on a tag.




The train of events and ramifications of this \\\'event\\\' infra-over the last 7 months(nov 30th 2008)caused by the over zealous rush to judgement of one Southwest airline \\\'incognito\\\' person-continues ...



I beg your patience-as you read my abbreviated report. For 7 months, thousands of words were sent by me to the TSA-as the over zealous \\\'individual who stopped me-and remained unidentified--was dresed in a blue shirt. As of July 2009-I have accepted that the blue shirt was not a TSA agent but curiously a SW employee. I spoke cordially to a TSA agent by phone last week-and we both agree that it is \\\'unfortunate\\\' that a \\\'blue shirt\\\' should cause this confusion.



Here is a brief summary of original REPORT- NOT TSA ERROR -BUT SOUTHWEST AIRLINES 30 th NOVEMBER 2009-8 30 AM-MCO screening dock- for southwest flight m MCO TO IAD-to DC-for connecting flight to Dublin Ireland. 30th November 2008. At 8.00AM -I made my way inside the terminal.. For the next 2 hours-I sat -with handluggage -and my main luggage\\\' to be checked-as soon as I courteously left the main rush of passengers pass through. I asked-a question of a male official. I was given a curt response to a question-as to what time I should begin to queue etc etc.. The omens didn\\\'t appear good. I took all my belonging outside to have my last cigar.



Not being one to waste anything there was about a glass measure of wine - in a bottle which had been consumed-over the previous day and a half. I imbibed a small glass measure Being an eco friendly person for 40 years-I placed the empty bottle in my eco friendly bag . It didn\\\'t occur to me to leave it on the ground outside the terminal. With one beta blocker tablet left for my hypertension-I reckoned I\\\'d save it and was anxious to get my tablets 20 hours later in Dublin.



I know-how bad things can get at any airport-but with good grace-and politeness -I carried my pieces of luggage through-and trying to dispel my usual claustraphobia-I calmy proceeded. I asked of one official-\\\"should I take my waistbelt off-as it usually does not set the alarm off\\\'. We joked and all was \\\'well\\\'. Then-suddenly- someone\\\'. I say \\\'one\\\' as he-in retrospect and post trauma--he NEVER- identified himself-nor gave a number etc. He rushed over-with an inordinate amount of energy(seemingly to stop any further outbreak of humour and niceness\\\')... He came over to me-and brusquely-in a loud voice said- \\\'where are you going\\\'I politely said.He interjected -\\\"you\\\'re not going anywhere\\\'. Now the incredulity of an earlier 147 dollar taxi-ride for 40 miles , 2 and a half hours before -paled into insignificance.



Little did I think-then-that -the shockwaves-were to crescend from a minor illness-to a major one.-over the next 7 months. Little did this unidentified person realise thetrain of events-and the continuing havoc and distress-that his errors of -\\\'judgement\\\'-has caused me I remain incredulous-as to what this one screener was \\\'assuming--or even thinking? If he was assuming or presuming that I was under some influence-could I not have been tested in some manner-breathalysed-or walk the line? In sheer disbelief and delayed shock-I witnessed this \\\'unidentified person\\\'mishandle the situation and me---as he out for my baggages to be brought back,he opined-that \\\'I can ask for my money back from Southwestern\\\' Again-he was mistaken -and misinformed.



I was so \\\'shocked\\\' I couldn\\\'t say to him that none of my flights nor hotels for the next 10 days -were refundable etc etc. The ramifications and fallout are immeasurable-not least in terms of my collapsed health. I spent 2 days going around Orlando looking for beta blockers for my heart condition. When I couldn\\\'t walk another mile-only then did I hire a cab. Little did I think that it would be 6 FRIGHT-FILLED days (-including my rescheduled flight home developed engine trouble etc etc etc and diverted for 36 hours-) before I arrived back in Dublin Ireland .



I reiterate that the assumption he made -and now allegation-was totally wrong. 7 months later-when the TSA \\\'tracked him down-and found him to be a SW employee\\\'-he apparently alleged again that I was stopped due to intoxication. The cost of this event to a budget traveller in sum certain alone is twice the cost of my month\\\'s vacation at Cape Cnaveral-but to this day-the ramifcations -and now the insult-is totally unacceptable.



After years of admiration of the hospitality of the USA:-I would be a little wary of passing through again(a return visit to Edwards AFB and Nellis in October 2009 is on hold) BUT-to redress a wrong-I would travel to the small claims courts of Florida to get some answers at least. I pray this recourse to US law is open to a \\\'foreigner\\\' It is slightly ironic-but no secour-that I have passed through many high security institutions around the US-including the White House(on this trip); the Pentagon(twice)-many military AFB\\\'s including Edwards CA-and Nellis NV; and it was only when I arrive at MCO-that civility and plain niceness vanishes. Yours sincerely and with kind regards to you

Damage Resulting

sum certain in just minimal fiscal loss-$1395.50. Over 7 months-the havoc on every level is unquantifiable. If I could have Southwest \\\'do the right thing\\\' as their coporate copy says-this $1395.50 incorporating loss ieINFRA-are just the very basic monetary losses. IE not counting absolute distress with no heart drugs left-no hotels to stay over-lost hotels stays abroad-

AND NOT COUNTING out of pocket expense

AND NOT COUNTINGthe anxiety of several weeks while hotels decided to charge or not /--missed connections-and missed appointment

cost in monetary terms --a sum certain -under 1400 dollars

cost of 7 months of distress-immeasurable----

cost to my health-GRIEVIOUS

[jimworcs]

er... I think I have a headache!!

[Gromit801]

So I guess concise and to the point has gone the way of the dinosaurs.

[The_Judge]

I'm glad I didn't read it and only read the responses. When Jim has nothing to say, I know it's not worth the read.

[jimworcs]

I didn't read it all, but if you want a concise version.. here it is:

Denied boarding as he appeared to be drunk. This is outrageous, he had only had one glass of wine!!

As a result his whole world imploded and his health was permanantly damaged.

Southwest ruined his life.

He needs $1,300 compensation to put it right.

He is not going to get it.

[The_Judge]

Okay, thanks. And I agree, he's not gonna get it.

[Gromit801]

Somewhere in this ramble, he talks of a glass of white wine, and then a bottle of wine. How much might have been actually consumed is anyone's guess.

[NewJerseyDevils]

Originally Posted by Gromit801

Somewhere in this ramble, he talks of a glass of white wine, and then a bottle of wine. How much might have been actually consumed is anyone's guess.

I'm still stuck on smoking with hypertension and drinking wine to take HBP meds.