Letters from Fly-Over Country

Mr. Doug Parker, CEO

US Airways

The Muslim imams your employees booted off of the Nov. 20, 2006 U.S. Air flight from Minneapolis to Phoenix aren’t going away are they? They are kicking and screaming, claiming you and U.S. Airways harass and discriminate. From this frequent flier, keep up the good work.

Before boarding the flight in dispute, witnesses said the imams were praying loudly, shouting the name of “Allah” over and over. If I had seen a bunch of people hollering like that and—as reports tell us—talking about Al Qaeda and Osama Bin Laden, I would have been changing my ticket.

Oh, and two imams wanted upgrades to first class but were told there were none available. When finally escorted off of the plane, they were found in first class. The other four apparently couldn’t find their assigned seats either, two choosing the middle of the plane and two the rear.

An air marshal—asking for anonymity (guess he didn’t want to get sued like you) told reporters, “They now control all of the entry and exit routes to the plane.” Not on my plane brother. I would have been outta there.

Next, three of these guys wanted seat belt extensions, though none of the three was large enough to need one. When given the extensions they put them on the floor. If this behavior didn’t give passengers the heebie jeebies, I can’t imagine what would. A Muslim imam with a strangling device, sitting on my airplane?

I noticed that the distinguished Congresswoman from Texas—Democrat Sheila Jackson-Lee—griped, saying “Understandably, the imams felt profiled, humiliated, and discriminated against by their treatment.”

Apparently Ms. Jackson-Lee believes that yelling in the terminal, taking over first-class seats, delaying a flight by tromping all over the plane and asking for potential killing devices is normal behavior for most passengers. I admit I get frustrated when I can’t get an entire can of Coke, but I stop short of looking for strangling material. I usually simply read a book instead.

I’m not in your shoes, but if I were I might consider three simple steps:

First, give each employee on that flight a raise and I run a national advertisement to commemorate the event.

Second, while your lawyer will likely give birth to a cow the moment you do it, explain the imams’ behavior and say that the next time your employees see the same they are instructed to boot these idiots right on over to Northwest Airlines as they did in November.

Third, hold a press conference and announce that you are acutely aware that some radical Muslim groups plan to boycott your airline because of your policies. Respond by saying that any group supporting the terrorizing of passengers is not welcome on U.S. Airways.

The civil libertarians and congressional Democrats like Ms. Lee will shriek in horror. And regular Americans will stand up and applaud.

We are in a war, Mr. Parker. These imams wanted to see how far they could go, and thank God there were some U.S. Airways employees who drew a line and held fast. U.S. Airlines took a valuable piece of ground on November 20 and the American people—normal ones, anyway—are on your side.