I was on a North West flight just months before 9 /11

[goclark]

---- DETROIT to Los Angeles

A nice looking man was in a window seat directly in back of me - I was on the aisle. About an hour after take off,he started acting very strange ~ Like " A Cat On A Hot Tin Roof."

He was a good looking man who seemed to be Middle Eastern.

In the Detroit area that is not unusual because there are many members of the Middle Eastern Community that live there. Many were my coworkers and dear friends.

This man was so angry and was disturbing those of us around him. As just one example, when his food was delivered, he tossed it off the tray!

I went up twice and told the attendants to check on this man! They attempted to talk nice to him ~ nothing worked.

Others in the area also reported him.

Finally,when we were almost to Los Angeles and he was still crazy, an Attendant came to his row and gave him a CARD -- he settled down then. We believed that the card must have said, " You will be arrested unless you settled down."

By the way, he too was in a WINDOW SEAT.

When I got to Los Angeles I immediately called NW Security and on the tape I begged them to return my call. They never did.

A few days after Nine/Eleven, I opened my Newspaper to a picture of Muhammad Atta or his twin. I could be mistaken of course but to this day I believe that I was looking into the eyes of the person that made that horrible flight with me.

In the non stop coverage of the event, I saw a message on the bottom of the TV screen that said to call the FBI if you believe you may have information regarding the case. I did and left a detailed message for them to contact me. I never received a call.

I just finished watching a report on CNN regarding the incident yesterday. I was struck by several things ~

#1 This latest person was seated in a WINDOW SEAT

#2 I remembered how those around me had to BEG for someone to do something and to our knowledge no one said anything to him other than the sweet Attendant.

I believe that the passengers can sense things that the Attendants don't usually see, there should be some anonymous way that a passenger can report someone that sends a BIG CLUE to the activity --

After 9/11, I don't like to fly anymore, I do it but I can't take that memory out of my brain.

What would you suggest that I do ~ who will listen to me?

[THUNDER HANDS]

1. hindsight is 20/20 but...

you should have called the FAA or FBI instead of Northwest security.

on edit - oops, i see you did, nevermind. I should read stuff more carefully.

[pnwmom]

4. The poster DID call the FBI, right after 9/11, and was never called back.

So what good would it have done to call them BEFORE 9/11?

[goclark]

5. Should I contact the FAA now?

Thanks for giving me a reply.

[goclark]

6. Thanks for taking the time to reply

I'm wondering what the best way to contact the agency shoud be -- email, mail, phone?

I was surprised when NWest( in Detroit known as North Worst) didn't call me back.

[THUNDER HANDS]

8. isn't northwest generally considered

the worst airline?

[goclark]

9. See my response re North Worst below

For all the time that I lived in Michigan, my flying experience was terrible! I mean terrible.

But none of the trips ever had a totally crazy on board.

In fact, I am a Senior and in all my years of flying, I have NEVER seen anyone act like that man.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

13. No. It has had the best DOT performance numbers of all the major airlines

for the last couple of years. It is now merged with Delta.

[goclark]

15. Glad to know they may have improved

I traveled with them for about 10 years and it was one horror story after another~
thanks for the up date

[Sarah Ibarruri]

2. I think people should be ready to jump on a-holes like this one and pummel him

unconscious. Seriously. I don't care what their religion is. You behave like an ass and threaten lives up on a plane thousands of feet in the air, and you risk getting pummeled to death. If you fly, you behave, or you do not fly.

[goclark]

7. Thanks Sarah, I agree

If a person ever acts like this on a plane, his flying privileges should be taken away.

[pnwmom]

3. That's terrible that the FBI didn't contact you after this. Sounds like they

didn't want to know if it was the guy or not.

Thanks for trying!!! I'd be just as frustrated as you are.

[lunatica]

10. Even if anyone had paid attention to you what could they do?

9/11 hadn't happened yet. From your story it seems doubtful that he would have been arrested. He acted like an asshole but didn't threaten anyone's life directly. If he had done that post 9/11 your story would be very different because chances are he would have been tackled by the passengers.

I doubt anything would have changed if anyone had listened to you.

[HipChick]

11. I have to fly for my job...I had a fat person attack me once

because I simply asked her if she would keep herself within the confines of her seat. I asked very nicely too, she tired to slap me,yank the earbuds out of my ear, when I put them in to avoid listening to her cussing and screaming at me, she hit MY tray so that it fell on the floor...if I had to call the FBI/FAA etc for the crazy, suspicious people I have come across in the last 15yrs of weekly flying...I'd prob end up in their database ...Arseholes and Terrorists are 2 different things..if you fly a lot, you'll be very familiar with the former

[Zoeisright]

17. Wow. That's really rude.

Your behavior, I mean. Not hers.

[mitchtv]

24. not rude at all

she paid for a seat, she shouldn't have to share it. Fatso should fly business

[Statistical]

25. Her behavior wasn't rude?

yelling, cursing, slapping, grabbing other peoples property?

I mean even if you think the poster is rude the lady response was also rude (and excessively so).

If someone doesn't fit in a seat they should buy two tickets. Period. Don't like it then fine don't fly. If you fly you are renting that one seat. Not a seat and half of mine.

[proud2BlibKansan]

19. How was she supposed to keep herself in the confines of her seat?

[HipChick]

20. by not trying to sleep and drool on your shoulder..

for starters..

[Statistical]

26. Buy two seats?

[HipChick]

27. n/t

[librechik]

12. Write a book --it's clear they don't want to investigate

and all of us calling them up and begging is not going to help.

[goclark]

14. I'm not up to writing a book because I don't have a solution

and of course I would need to have more than just my experiences and suggestions in the book.


I will contact various agencies and hope that I get results.

[parts]

16. how was he acting strangely?

Was he just acting out, or acting suspiciously? world of difference.

I'd think a terrorist reconnaissance guy would keep to himself, actually. What good would it do to attract attention to himself?

[goclark]

21. If you want my opinion, I think he was testing the system

He was rude to his seat mates and any attendants.
He did not appear to be drinking or drunk or on any type of medication.

Standing up and demanding that the attendants bring him his food, immediately!
When he got the food, he didn't like it and pushed it away.

You could feel his negative energy and he was at the window behind me and I was on the aisle in front of him.

He displayed a rage that I have never seen displayed on a plane and I travel a lot.

He was a BULLY in the broadest sense of the word.

I am still wondering what to do - I did send an Email a few minutes ago to TJ HOLMES at CNN. He had various Experts on his show this morning regarding this event.

[HipChick]

23. He wouldn't be trying to attract attention to himself

I've seen people act like that you didn't get upgraded from coach to biz...sense of entitlement more than anything else..

[goclark]

28. Could be but I don't think so

[proud2BlibKansan]

18. The FBI is worthless

The man who murdered Dr Tiller lived here in my area. He had been caught vandalizing abortion clinics and both local cops and FBI were notified. He super glued the locks on a clinic less than 24 hours before murdering Dr Tiller. Clinic manager called the FBI. If they had bothered to do their job Dr Tiller would still be alive.

[goclark]

22. That is too bad ~ nt