Continental Airlines Complaint - A Newspaper article

More wasted court time and tax payer money. Any lawyer that takes this
case should be immediately disbarred.


TFK

I'm a relatively clean cut white male and used to frequently travel in a
business suit. Many times I was treated the same way - accused of
everything from having a fradulently obtained ticket, to being a terrorist,
to trying to go in before I was supposed to. I didn't even think of suing,
but over time I made a major effort to avoid air travel like the plague.


"TFK" wrote in message
om...
More wasted court time and tax payer money. Any lawyer that takes this
case should be immediately disbarred.


TFK

(John B.) wrote in
om:

The Daily Texan reports on a Complaint filed against Continental
Airlines:
http://www.dailytexanonline.com/news/468874.html

I guess there must not have been any real news for them to report on that
day...

snip
He spoke deliberately, enunciating his words, she said.

Clearly, it is a crime in LA to speak clearly and deliberately. The
general public out there has gotten so used to hearing "Arnold-isms" about
"Colee-fornya" that they figure it is a violation of their first amendment
rights to have someone speak deliberately and clearly.

"I felt that he spoke to me as if I was not from here," Motwani said.
From the article, it sounds like she is from Texas. That would make her not
from LA. Or perhaps he recognized her as a former teacher who allowed
cutting in line in her class, and was pointing out that it is not
acceptable to cut in line at the airport.

Motwani registered an official complaint with Continental three days
later. "I felt publicly humiliated and embarrassed by the manner in
which the attendant patronizingly spoke to me," she wrote.
But having your name plastered all over the world about it doesn't
embarrass you more?

In the letter, she told Continental about the incident and demanded
that action be taken.
What action would she be satisfied with? I bet she also filed a complaint
against the Flight Attendant for looking at her the wrong way! "Fire!",
"Fire!"

Motwani wanted Continental Airlines to hold its employees accountable
for their behavior and asked for a detailed apology from the company.
The company didn't do anything to her. Some gate agent told her not
to cut the line, very clearly and deliberately. Perhaps she should grow
up a bit!

She also asked Continental if a diversity training program for
employees existed and wanted to be involved in implementing one if
there was not a program already in place.
What, exactly, is a diversity training program? "Repeat after me, 'not
everyone is alike.'" Duh. Does Ms. Motwani have a diversity training
program in her home for her children?

Motwani was unsatisfied with Continental's response, claiming that the
e-mail failed to offer ways to remedy the incident.
The only remedy I could see would have been to allow her to board the plane
and fly home that night. Oh, wait, they did.

Students and staff on campus have taken action after hearing of the
incident by writing their own letters of complaint to Continental
Airlines. Motwani said about 25 people have sent e-mails to
Continental CEO Gordon Bethune so far.

Rusty Ince, chair of the Senate of College Councils, said he had
distributed copies of Motwani's complaint and Continental's response
to about 300 students, including all senate members.

Great. That's what we should be teaching our children! Instead of living
a productive life, you should spend all your life harping on every
stranger who looks at you the wrong way and make a campaign out of it!

Congratulations.

It's a safe assumption. And customer service agents don't have the luxury
of carrying their bitchy moods to work with them. Not if they're
professionals who take their job seriously. besides, no one is suing
anybody. She filed a complaint which was the proper thing to do--make the
incident a matter of record.

"Bryce" wrote in message
...
That's funny that she assumes it was because of her race or ethnicity.
Maybe
the attendant was just in a bitchy mood? And if that's the case now, it's
pretty sad when we can sue someone just for being in a bitchy mood.


"John B." wrote in message
om...
The Daily Texan reports on a Complaint filed against Continental
Airlines:
http://www.dailytexanonline.com/news/468874.html

COMPLAINT FILED AGAINST AIRLINE
Graduate student accuses Continental Airlines employee of making
discriminatory remarks
By Anjali Athavaley
Media Credit: Ashley Hitson

Mamta Motwani, assistant director of the Multicultural Information
Center, claims she's a victim of racial profiling.

A UT graduate student has filed a complaint against Continental
Airlines for an alleged racial profiling incident at the Los Angeles
International Airport in early September.

Mamta Motwani, Multicultural Information Center assistant director,
said a white male Continental employee made discriminatory remarks
before allowing her to board a red-eye flight from Los Angeles to
Houston Tuesday, Sept. 2.

Motwani, a 28-year-old Indian-American, said when she approached the
gate with her boarding pass around 12:40 a.m., an attendant told her
that she was cutting in line and would have go back.

Motwani said the attendant looked at her and said, "We don't cut
around here."

He spoke deliberately, enunciating his words, she said.

"I felt that he spoke to me as if I was not from here," Motwani said.

There were about 25 to 30 people standing outside the gate, she said.
However, they were waiting for their rows to be called, not standing
in line to board. Motwani, who claimed there was no line, said she
asked the crowd if they were waiting in line, and no one answered.

The attendant responded that this still did not give Motwani the right
to cut.

Motwani continued to stand in front of him, holding her boarding pass
out. The attendant ignored her and began collecting boarding passes
from surrounding passengers, she said. A few minutes later, he
accepted her pass and allowed her to board the plane.

Motwani registered an official complaint with Continental three days
later. "I felt publicly humiliated and embarrassed by the manner in
which the attendant patronizingly spoke to me," she wrote.

In the letter, she told Continental about the incident and demanded
that action be taken.

Motwani wanted Continental Airlines to hold its employees accountable
for their behavior and asked for a detailed apology from the company.

She also asked Continental if a diversity training program for
employees existed and wanted to be involved in implementing one if
there was not a program already in place.

A response from Continental manager Deborah Lewerke stated that
Continental Airlines does not "approve or tolerate unlawful
discrimination."

"If there was a line of other customers that you did not notice, our
representative should have gently directed you to the end of the line
to board in order," Lewerke wrote.

The e-mail response also said employees undergo diversity training
annually but did not offer details.

The company's Web site mentions only hiring diverse staff members and
suppliers. Julie King, a spokeswoman for Continental, did not return
calls about diversity training for airport employees Wednes-day
afternoon.

Motwani was unsatisfied with Continental's response, claiming that the
e-mail failed to offer ways to remedy the incident.

She said she was informed Monday that her allegations are now being
investigated by Judy Brown, a customer service manager for
Continental. Brown declined to comment on whether or not Continental
had tracked the employee in question. Any action taken against the
employee would not be made public because of company policy, she said.

Students and staff on campus have taken action after hearing of the
incident by writing their own letters of complaint to Continental
Airlines. Motwani said about 25 people have sent e-mails to
Continental CEO Gordon Bethune so far.

Rusty Ince, chair of the Senate of College Councils, said he had
distributed copies of Motwani's complaint and Continental's response
to about 300 students, including all senate members.

"Da Parrot-chick" wrote in message
news

Being a white male wearing in a business suit when traveling, you probably
have less experience being racially profiled in your everyday life and are
less sensitive to it.

Granted.

Charlie Hammond wrote:
The article does not state wheterh or not Motwani's row had been called
for boarding. If it had, then she may have a valid complaint. If it
had not, then she is in the wrong.

In no case does she appear to have a valid complaint for, as the article
says, "racial profiling".

She was told not to cut in line. They do this on an equal-opportunity basis.
If she was cutting, then she should shut up and get to the back of the line.
If she was not, then the person at the gate made a mistake.

The lynchpin of her case appears to be that the gate agent "enunciat[ed] his
words." Apparently it is racial profiling unless airline staff slur their
speech.

Of course it's also possible that this is just a really badly-written
article that fails to get the point across. It's a student paper.

miguel
--
Hit The Road! Photos and tales from around the world: http://travel.u.nu
Site remodeled 10-Sept-2003: Hundreds of new photos, easier navigation.

"TFK" wrote in message
om...
More wasted court time and tax payer money. Any lawyer that takes this
case should be immediately disbarred.


TFK
What I don't understand is why did 25 other people sent e-mails to the CEO
of Continental? Were they there? No. So why should their point of view be
of any concern to him.

Jerry

Continental is rude and nasty to everyone. They get no more of my money.

"John B." wrote in message
om...
The Daily Texan reports on a Complaint filed against Continental
Airlines:
http://www.dailytexanonline.com/news/468874.html

COMPLAINT FILED AGAINST AIRLINE
Graduate student accuses Continental Airlines employee of making
discriminatory remarks
By Anjali Athavaley
Media Credit: Ashley Hitson

Mamta Motwani, assistant director of the Multicultural Information
Center, claims she's a victim of racial profiling.

A UT graduate student has filed a complaint against Continental
Airlines for an alleged racial profiling incident at the Los Angeles
International Airport in early September.

Mamta Motwani, Multicultural Information Center assistant director,
said a white male Continental employee made discriminatory remarks
before allowing her to board a red-eye flight from Los Angeles to
Houston Tuesday, Sept. 2.

Motwani, a 28-year-old Indian-American, said when she approached the
gate with her boarding pass around 12:40 a.m., an attendant told her
that she was cutting in line and would have go back.

Motwani said the attendant looked at her and said, "We don't cut
around here."

He spoke deliberately, enunciating his words, she said.

"I felt that he spoke to me as if I was not from here," Motwani said.

There were about 25 to 30 people standing outside the gate, she said.
However, they were waiting for their rows to be called, not standing
in line to board. Motwani, who claimed there was no line, said she
asked the crowd if they were waiting in line, and no one answered.

The attendant responded that this still did not give Motwani the right
to cut.

Motwani continued to stand in front of him, holding her boarding pass
out. The attendant ignored her and began collecting boarding passes
from surrounding passengers, she said. A few minutes later, he
accepted her pass and allowed her to board the plane.

Motwani registered an official complaint with Continental three days
later. "I felt publicly humiliated and embarrassed by the manner in
which the attendant patronizingly spoke to me," she wrote.

In the letter, she told Continental about the incident and demanded
that action be taken.

Motwani wanted Continental Airlines to hold its employees accountable
for their behavior and asked for a detailed apology from the company.

She also asked Continental if a diversity training program for
employees existed and wanted to be involved in implementing one if
there was not a program already in place.

A response from Continental manager Deborah Lewerke stated that
Continental Airlines does not "approve or tolerate unlawful
discrimination."

"If there was a line of other customers that you did not notice, our
representative should have gently directed you to the end of the line
to board in order," Lewerke wrote.

The e-mail response also said employees undergo diversity training
annually but did not offer details.

The company's Web site mentions only hiring diverse staff members and
suppliers. Julie King, a spokeswoman for Continental, did not return
calls about diversity training for airport employees Wednes-day
afternoon.

Motwani was unsatisfied with Continental's response, claiming that the
e-mail failed to offer ways to remedy the incident.

She said she was informed Monday that her allegations are now being
investigated by Judy Brown, a customer service manager for
Continental. Brown declined to comment on whether or not Continental
had tracked the employee in question. Any action taken against the
employee would not be made public because of company policy, she said.

Students and staff on campus have taken action after hearing of the
incident by writing their own letters of complaint to Continental
Airlines. Motwani said about 25 people have sent e-mails to
Continental CEO Gordon Bethune so far.

Rusty Ince, chair of the Senate of College Councils, said he had
distributed copies of Motwani's complaint and Continental's response
to about 300 students, including all senate members.

I guess the key word is 'relatively'

"Peter Gottlieb" wrote in message
news
I'm a relatively clean cut white male and used to frequently travel in a
business suit. Many times I was treated the same way - accused of
everything from having a fradulently obtained ticket, to being a
terrorist,
to trying to go in before I was supposed to. I didn't even think of
suing,
but over time I made a major effort to avoid air travel like the plague.


"TFK" wrote in message
om...
More wasted court time and tax payer money. Any lawyer that takes this
case should be immediately disbarred.


TFK

"Bryce" wrote in message news
We all know what "complaint" means. It usually ends with monetary
entitlement.

So, if Continental choses to compensate for bad service, what's the problem?
I'd applaud them for it. It's rare that most airlines do anything above their
statutory requirements to deal with customer service failures.