[K9doug]

Monday, January *24, 2011

SUBJECT:
Complainy against Southwest Airlines and Southwest employee for discrimination and harassment against disabled traveler.
***Southwest employees name: *" Vanu"

OCCURRED:
Flight: #448
1/24/11. *departing Las Vegas to Omaha. (10:35am)


TO:*
Southwest Airlines customer relations,*

To whom it may concern;

** * As a disabled traveler who requires a wheelchair to get from point-A to point-B, *it is sometimes difficult enough to get around a busy airport and to handle my own luggage etc. And Today Southwest Airlines made traveling as a wheelchair user 1000 times more difficult. I was treated as a second class customer/citizen by an employee of Southwest Airlines. By an employee who is supposed to HELP customers like me. *I have people/whitnesses from my flight who whitnessed this incident and saw the employee treat me with absolute rude uncalled for behavior..... Refusing to assist me with my bags and telling me that she - quote " hoped I could figure out how to get in the airplane because she was not helping me". *This Southwest employee severely embarrassed me, made my trip horrible and discriminated against me due to my disability. *This is blatant discrimination.

I have witnesses whom i have never met until today and will be filing the appropriate complaints with my states "Equal Opportunity offices" and will be contacting several people in the National media to be heard. I will not stop and refuse to be discriminated against.

I will NOT stand for discrimination due to my disablity!

I will not be 'talked down to' because of my disability!

I will not be treated as a second class citizen by any airline or it's employees.

This will not be tolerated by me - Period.

I will be contacting every media outlet that will hear me out. As well as all social medias available *i.e (Facebook, twitter, national media television programming shows, *and my local news stations, as well as all National Disability advocate and ADA groups.)

** * To further expand. *My complaint is against this particular Southwest "assistant" that was boarding early passengers holding the "blue" early board passes.

I was holding an early board pass due to the fact that I use a wheelchair and have a permanent disability. *I have flown Southwest several times *and understand completely - all the "rules" regarding early boarding. I am also an intelligent, educated 41 year old Professional.*

This Sourhwest employee named (Vanu), literally began scolding me as I approached the front of the line to board early. Keep in mind, I was on time to board early. *A previous Southwest employee instructed me to be back there in 25 minutes at 10:10am - to board early. *I WAS there at 10:05am! * I tried to explain this to "Vanu", but she did not want to hear it! Instead, your employee continued to yell at me in front of all the passengers - like I was an incompetent child. *She slso refused to help me down the ramp and eould not help me with my bags. I dropped them from my lap several times and she refused to help pick them up to help. *I have at least two witnesses that heard some of this and offered their names immediately - in case I wanted to file a complaint against this employee.

The employer "Vanu" continued to raise her voice scolding me, Saying.. I quote "that being in a *wheelchair I should know better and to be early"... Again, I WAS early!*

Next, "Vanu", told me since I was late that she would not help me to get into my seat on the plane. *She said I would have to "figure it out on my own"..... *Quote.

She very rudely refused to assist me. *So I was barely able to get to my seat without "Vanu's" help.

In short, I am VERY VERY embarrassed, felt discrimated against, angry, and simply disgusted by the behavior of your employee. *You should be ashamed.

I would like to suggest that you send your employees to a more informative customer service and anger management training - BEFORE something worse happens! * This situation was heard and witnessed by several passengers and I was told that they were very put off by this behavior - of your employee.

Let me ask you a question... What if "Vanu" would have actually gotten physical with me? *

Then, you would have a major lawsuit on your hands. *

In fact, since I do have witnesses, I will be filing some type of lawsuit against Southwest Airlines. I will contact everyone in National media relentlessly - until i am heard!!! I will not stop. *

This caused me a great deal of 1)embarrassment, as well as 2)anxiety and 2)fear. *My vacation was ruined due to your airline and your employee. She was so rude and loud that I wasn't sure if she was going to escalate the situation in a more physical manner. *Also, I believe Southwest should not have REFUSED to ASSIST me to get onto the airplane and into my seat from my wheelchair. That was unsafe and degrading, to say the least. *

I am a "paraplegic" and cannot walk at all. *But yet, your employee refused to help me? This is called discrimination. She told me to "figure it out on my own". *

We will see... *That's what I will do now.

Regards,

Doug

[bilingual]

The employee certainly seems like very nonprofessional and rude.

May i ask how did you then get in your seat if you are not able to walk?

Regarding the carry on most companies operates a policy, that you have to be able to carry the carry-on yourself, otherwise you need to bring a assistant. When i worked for groundhandling at SAS, it was the customers responsibility to carry their carry-on in the wheelchair.

"I will NOT stand for discrimination due to my disablity!" - you should off course not be discriminated, but the simple fact is that you have special needs, so you are positively discriminated.

[azstar]

Southwest has its share of rude, obnoxious employees. Las Vegas is one of the worst locations.

[K9doug]

I got my bags onboard myself... I fly at least twice a month on Southwest and know the drill. This woman has personal mental issues I think...
For people that are unable to walk they have to provide the disabled passenger with an "isle" chair to transport them to their seat- if the passenger is not able to walk the isle... Since she freaked out on me and would not help me, I was able to climb into a seat in the first row - A.... Without needing the isle chair. Luckily, a few passengers overheard this and handed me their names and numbers without me even asking. I called my attorney on the drive home after my flight. I'm not gonna let this one slide. She was way out of line and yes - her behavior was degrading and discriminatory.

[missylynn]

That is awful! Since you are a paraplegic, I am curious as to how you got from the door of the aircraft to your seat since you didn't use the straight back chair. Not meaning any disrespect, I have been a flight attendant for 23 years and I have never had a paraplegic make it from their wheelchair to a passenger seat without some type of assistance, especially since you had a carry-on bags. Good luck with your case, sounds like you have a good one.

[HoustonFlyer]

It is not discriminatory for an airline employee to refuse to carry your bags. The onus is on you to keep your bags light enough for you to manage. If your bags fall it would be nice if the employee picked it up, but you cannot demand it.

Unfortunately you appear to have been unnecessarily demanding and your attitude appears to be illustrated by statements like these.

Originally Posted by K9doug

I will NOT stand for discrimination due to my disablity!

I will not be 'talked down to' because of my disability!

I will not be treated as a second class citizen by any airline or it's employees.

This will not be tolerated by me - Period.

Maybe she wasn't a "nice" person, but you have no cause of action that will stand up in Court.

[jimworcs]

Southwest have an obligation to provide assistance to people with disabilities. That would include assisting passengers get to their seat.. However, can we clarify something. This employee's conduct was obnoxious, rude and offensive. However, there is not one shred of evidence that it was discriminatory. She sounds like she would have shown "attitude" to anyone who got in her way that day. You have a valid complaint of very bad treatment. You may want to complain to the DOT about her refusal to assist you to your seat, which I believe is a potential breach of the law... but let's drop the "discrimination" allegation, unless you can demonstrate that this woman treated you less favourably than other passengers BECAUSE of your disability. She sounds like a royal pain in the **** and a complete bitch, but believe me, many able bodied people would have faced the same attitude. I think you should put the contact details of your witnesses in your complaint to the DOT and let them investigate.

[azstar]

[dih-skrim-uh-ney-shuhn] Show IPA –noun 1. an act or instance of discriminating.

2. treatment or consideration of, or making a distinction in favor of or against, a person or thing based on the group, class, or category to which that person or thing belongs rather than on individual merit

Unless that agent was rude, nasty, and obnoxious to every person on that flight, on that day, then it was discrimination.

[jimworcs]

My point exactly AZ... it is highly unlikely that this bitch was reserving her attitude for this one passenger.... and nothing in what she said indicates that it was related to the disability. Sounds like she had the attitude from hell....

[SWAROCKS]

Just curious about what ever came of this complaint. We love SWA as my screen name suggests since our experiences have always been good, but like to hear other peoples' experiences and how SWA handled them.