ID - Man Smacks Teen For Refusing To Turn Off His Cell Phone.

[IWannaKnow]

http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/12/29/idaho.plane.incident/index.html?hpt=T2

Miller told police that the 15-year-old boy refused to turn off his phone after directions from the flight crew. The suspect "felt he was protecting the entire plane and its occupants," Lipple said.

The flight crew had already requested that he turn the phone off, and the teen refused is the way I read that article. So the appropriate channels had already been followed. Seeminly Mr. Miller felt they were in danger. I would prefer that a person act in that instance, rather than simply sitting back and saying "oh, that is not my business"....

The article further states they were taxiing for takeoff. Not in flight, not sitting on the tarmac, taxiing for takeoff and the kid refused to turn off his cell.

Wonder what his parents had to say about all this?

 

[Beyond Belief]

The boy should be charged for not following directions given by the pilot and crew. Every time I hear about an issue on an airplane I think of those infamous words. "Let's roll".

 

[angelmom]

I wonder what the flight crew/airline has to say about this. Why didn't the crew member handle it instead of just saying, "Please turn that off" and continuing to walk on by.

And after instructions from the flight crew...does that mean that he was specifically told or that they made a general announcement to everyone...which you might not hear if you had headphones in?

Honestly, I think this story is getting more traction b/c it was a teen. I don't fly that much, but I have definitely seen people (adults) doing things they aren't supposed to do, including using a Walkman and laptop (not supposed to use those during takeoff and landing either), leaving their seat reclined after being told to put it up, and even getting up out of their seats to use the bathroom saying it was an emergency! All of those things could potentially endanger that person or other passengers. Sometimes the flight attendant gets insistent, sometimes they ignore it and let it slide.

If the roles had been reversed and this teen had hit someone, he probably would have been kicked off the plane and people would be screaming about why he wasn't attended and who was watching him. But because a teen was the one being assaulted, it's assumed he deserved it.

Seriously, in another thread about a girl who accidentally shot her friend, she gets a free pass because she's only 14 and might not know that a gun can kill someone. But in this thread, a boy almost the exact same age gets physically assaulted and "deserves it" because he might not have known that the phone in airplane mode still has to be turned off.

I don't get it.

 

[Tuffy]

I wonder what the flight crew/airline has to say about this. Why didn't the crew member handle it instead of just saying, "Please turn that off" and continuing to walk on by.

And after instructions from the flight crew...does that mean that he was specifically told or that they made a general announcement to everyone...which you might not hear if you had headphones in?

Honestly, I think this story is getting more traction b/c it was a teen. I don't fly that much, but I have definitely seen people (adults) doing things they aren't supposed to do, including using a Walkman and laptop (not supposed to use those during takeoff and landing either), leaving their seat reclined after being told to put it up, and even getting up out of their seats to use the bathroom saying it was an emergency! All of those things could potentially endanger that person or other passengers. Sometimes the flight attendant gets insistent, sometimes they ignore it and let it slide.

If the roles had been reversed and this teen had hit someone, he probably would have been kicked off the plane and people would be screaming about why he wasn't attended and who was watching him. But because a teen was the one being assaulted, it's assumed he deserved it.

Seriously, in another thread about a girl who accidentally shot her friend, she gets a free pass because she's only 14 and might not know that a gun can kill someone. But in this thread, a boy almost the exact same age gets physically assaulted and "deserves it" because he might not have known that the phone in airplane mode still has to be turned off.

I don't get it.

:clap::clap::clap::clap: You rock, angelmom! :rocker:

Exactly, this is completely unacceptable behavior to hit someone like this. I see people on flights ignore instructions from the flight crew, on about every flight I've been on. Whether it's keeping their phones on or seats back. It's not open season to go up and smack them then.

I've been on a flight where there was turbulence, and we were instructed to stay in our seats. I have a weak bladder, and had to get up to use the restroom. I went up and asked the flight crew. If another passenger had smacked me on my way, I would have been fit to be tied. As far as I know, the consequences for not following instructions isn't a blow to the face!

 

[Tuffy]

The boy should be charged for not following directions given by the pilot and crew. Every time I hear about an issue on an airplane I think of those infamous words. "Let's roll".

Criminal charges for not turning off your cell phone!?? Really? Man, you're strict!

 

[nort]

The boy should be charged for not following directions given by the pilot and crew. Every time I hear about an issue on an airplane I think of those infamous words. "Let's roll".

What is the charge for not following directions given by the crew?

 

[ellabella]

I certainly don't think he should be charged(the teen) but certainly if anyone is going to pursue any sort of action(or WAS going to at the time) it should have been handled by the crew. I don't care what type of danger this random uninformed passenger thought he was in, he had no right to assault another passenger on board.

If the teen was asked and refused to turn off his phone, the flight crew and/or pilot should have removed him from the flight as a consequence. If the didn't see fit to do anything, no one else certainly should have. Ridiculous.

 

[Steely Dan]

I certainly don't think he should be charged(the teen) but certainly if anyone is going to pursue any sort of action(or WAS going to at the time) it should have been handled by the crew. I don't care what type of danger this random uninformed passenger thought he was in, he had no right to assault another passenger on board.

If the teen was asked and refused to turn off his phone, the flight crew and/or pilot should have removed him from the flight as a consequence. If the didn't see fit to do anything, no one else certainly should have. Ridiculous.

I respectfully disagree. Both the man and kid need to be charged. There are so many laws that govern behavior on airplanes now that I'm sure that he can be charged with something.

I want to hear what his parents have to say about this and whether or not they were on the flight with him. This kid is extremely disrespectful and obviously his parents didn't teach him respect so the law should. JMO

When I was a kid if I had been asked by an adult to turn off my phone I would have respectfully complied. That's how I was brought up.

I have a sneaky suspicion that the parents are going to howl about this and sue the airline or some such silliness.

 

[Tuffy]

I respectfully disagree. Both the man and kid need to be charged. There are so many laws that govern behavior on airplanes now that I'm sure that he can be charged with something.

I want to hear what his parents have to say about this and whether or not they were on the flight with him. This kid is extremely disrespectful and obviously his parents didn't teach him respect so the law should. JMO

When I was a kid if I had been asked by an adult to turn off my phone I would have respectfully complied. That's how I was brought up.

I have a sneaky suspicion that the parents are going to howl about this and sue the airline or some such silliness.

We don't know if the kid was disrespectful, though. Perhaps, the man was mistaken and the kid did have his phone off, or on airplane mode. Even if he did, I think the crew pressing charges for such a minor infraction, would be PR nightmare for this airline. Perhaps a stern warning, but charges: nah.

 

[lonetraveler]

http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/12/29/idaho.plane.incident/index.html?hpt=T2



The flight crew had already requested that he turn the phone off, and the teen refused is the way I read that article. So the appropriate channels had already been followed. Seeminly Mr. Miller felt they were in danger. I would prefer that a person act in that instance, rather than simply sitting back and saying "oh, that is not my business"....

The article further states they were taxiing for takeoff. Not in flight, not sitting on the tarmac, taxiing for takeoff and the kid refused to turn off his cell.

Wonder what his parents had to say about all this?

Don't really know but I'll bet that the parents had their panties in a wad and contacted an attorney immediately! I just keep remembering those brave and courageous passengers who fought with the terrorists on that flight that nosedived into a field on 9/11 so that other lives could be saved. Sometimes its the passengers who have to take a stand on planes. Neary all of the terrorists in the last eight years have been very young. Teens and young people take their causes very seriously.

 

[Steely Dan]

I think the refusal to turn off the phone is disrespectful. We have very little information on this but from what I've heard so far I'd call it disrespectful, at least IMO.

 

[ziggy]

Which is why I say smack away at teens. They are obnoxious. I remember being one and would have been smacked for acting that way. Kids have no fear anymore and they do exactly as they please - no respect for anyone. Am I kidding? Sort of. But not really. If it were my kid I'd pretty much say tough luck. If you're not seriously hurt, no harm, no foul. Maybe next time you'll listen instead of being a little jerk. And if your phone has "airplane mode" you can respectfully explain that, if you can even articulate (which I notice most teens cannot). I'm a grumpy old adult!!!! OH NO. I've become my mother.

 

[tlcya]

I agree that the man should be charged with assault and some sort of consequence be leveled at the teen if he indeed was non compliant with airline personnel - the beef is theirs. I do believe the man assaulted the teen and if the parents do sue anyone (and I am not espousing that they sue anyone at all) it is him. Unfortunately random passenger doesn't likely have as deep a pockets as the airlines so if the parents are feeling litigeous they will undoubtably sue the airline and not the actual assailant.

I am really uncomfortable with passengers just willy nilly administering rough justice. Calls to mind a very old episode of CSI (Vegas version) where one passenger was acting strangely and being non-compliant with airline staff, several passengers decided to "help her out" by getting this fellow back in line. They killed him, beat him to death because no one understood the man was having a medical emergency. They mistook his behavior as threatening.

The airline personnel are trained in handling difficult and non compliant passengers. I think it was wrong, and dangerous, for the passenger in this instance to take matters into his own hands and smack this teen.

Am I upset that we as a society are not teaching our young people respect for their elders? YES! Does that mean I have the right to run around smacking other peoples rude little brats? NO! Would I like to smack their parents? Sometimes! Will I ever? No, that is assault.

 

[Truthwillsetufree]

In this day and age an airplane is just not the place to blatantly NOT follow directions and not Expect some kind of consequences. The Teen took it upon himself to disregard the instructions by the flight crew therefore, he was willing to assume all risk of not following the instructions irregardless of what the consequences were, he didn't ask . The Man, however, was Not willing to assume the risk of the Teen not following the Flight Crew's instructions and proceeded to try and force the Teen into compliance. At this point in all of this, it is obvious there was no danger BUT if there had been a bomb this Man would have been hailed a Hero for saving so many souls on board because of his quick action....I think there is probably way more to this story than is hitting the airwaves right now. I have raised 3 15 year olds and I must say...If one of them was told directly or indirectly to turn their phone off while on a plane and they did not comply until a stranger smacked them up beside the head, I would apologize profusely to the Man and the Flight Crew and probably smack them again when we got in the car.

 

[tlcya]

So the man, who is not in any position of authority over anyone in that plane save his own self, was justified in stepping in and escalating to physical violence because the teen was non compliant with the ACTUAL authority figure who requested the teen turn off the phone? Was he magically deputized as an air marshal to step in? Does that mean that his magical authority usurps the airline personnel authority? Because I just really don't get why he felt a need to step in. Was the airline person a female? Does that mean this man felt her incapable of doing the job to completion and handling this teen? It seems as if he simply decided, all by himself, that since the kid had not minded the request that he turn off the phone it was open season on the teen. I just don't see why that is justified.

Granted if it were my teen, my response would be very like ziggy's. Serves you right you little turd, you should have listened to the airline person. I would not be running out suing, but then my kids would not behave that way. They respect authority.

But the idea of some stranger person just taking it upon themselves to administer discipline, particularly physical discipline that I could be reported to DHS for perpetrating upon my own child, upon a stranger's child seems outrageous to me.

 

[Tuffy]

So the man, who is not in any position of authority over anyone in that plane save his own self, was justified in stepping in and escalating to physical violence because the teen was non compliant with the ACTUAL authority figure who requested the teen turn off the phone? Was he magically deputized as an air marshal to step in? Does that mean that his magical authority usurps the airline personnel authority? Because I just really don't get why he felt a need to step in. Was the airline person a female? Does that mean this man felt her incapable of doing the job to completion and handling this teen? It seems as if he simply decided, all by himself, that since the kid had not minded the request that he turn off the phone it was open season on the teen. I just don't see why that is justified.

Granted if it were my teen, my response would be very like ziggy's. Serves you right you little turd, you should have listened to the airline person. I would not be running out suing, but then my kids would not behave that way. They respect authority.

But the idea of some stranger person just taking it upon themselves to administer discipline, particularly physical discipline that I could be reported to DHS for perpetrating upon my own child, upon a stranger's child seems outrageous to me.

If this were your child, and the child hadn't heard the announcement to turn off electronics, or had switched it to airplane mode, or whatever; THEN the man came over and smack him, would you still be okay with it? What if you were the one who didn't turn their phone off quick enough for this guy? and he then smacked you?

I'm sorry, I think this guy has boundary issues. (like he keeps overstepping them)

 

[Truthwillsetufree]

If this were your child, and the child hadn't heard the announcement to turn off electronics, or had switched it to airplane mode, or whatever; THEN the man came over and smack him, would you still be okay with it? What if you were the one who didn't turn their phone off quick enough for this guy? and he then smacked you?

I'm sorry, I think this guy has boundary issues. (like he keeps overstepping them)

There are a lot of "Ifs" in your post. I think there is a whole lot more to this story....just be patient it will all come out.

 

[Steely Dan]

This provides more info; http://www.aolnews.com/2010/12/29/cops-angry-flier-russell-miller-punches-teen-who-wouldnt-turn/

Cops: Angry Flier Punches Teen Who Wouldn't Turn Off iPhoneMara Gay Contributor

Russell Miller, 68, was charged with misdemeanor battery after allegedly punching a 15-year-old who refused to turn off his iPhone during a Southwest Airlines flight from Las Vegas to Boise, Idaho, on Tuesday.
When the teenager refused to put the iPhone down and continued to play games on the device, Miller offered the smart-phone-happy teen a lesson from the old school and allegedly punched the 15-year-old in the arm...

___________________________________

..."He punched him so hard there was a mark on the teen's arm," Lipple said. "That gave us probable cause to believe the reports from the other passengers."

The teenager, who has not been identified, was traveling alone but wasn't seriously injured....

 

[jjenny]

We don't know if the kid was disrespectful, though. Perhaps, the man was mistaken and the kid did have his phone off, or on airplane mode. Even if he did, I think the crew pressing charges for such a minor infraction, would be PR nightmare for this airline. Perhaps a stern warning, but charges: nah.

If the plane is about to land and the man is scared that the phone is going to interfere (after all since they ask to turn the phones off they are doing it for a reason?) maybe in the man's mind this wasn't a "minor infraction" but a serious situation he was trying to avert?

 

[Tuffy]

If the plane is about to land and the man is scared that the phone is going to interfere (after all since they ask to turn the phones off they are doing it for a reason?) maybe in the man's mind this wasn't a "minor infraction" but a serious situation he was trying to avert?

Oh, I do believe that the man somehow felt justified in what he did. I question whether the man felt in danger because the kid was playing games on his phone. I still think if the airlines routinely tried to have people arrested for not following instructions, no matter how small, it would be a PR nightmare.

Could you imagine if this story were, "16 yo arrested for not turning off cell phone?" He wasn't making a call, just playing a game. People would be up in arms, if that happened.