If members of Congress manage to cover this gap without collapsing the system, they will have earned their pay. But it's not likely that any of the folks who think that way were passengers on the plane with Steven Tabloff when he screamed obscenities, spit at passengers and threw a small liquor bottle at a child. On the ground, a person would have the option of crossing the street or leaving the room to avoid someone who was creating such a scene. That wasn't the case for the other passengers on the Jan. 9 United Airlines flight from Chicago to Hong Kong. Finally, four of them managed to subdue and handcuff the belligerent Chicagoan, and the pilot brought the plane down safely in Anchorage.
Air travel is a stressful experience for many people.
The fine and punishment meted out by a federal magistrate on Monday were entirely reasonable. If the skies can't be friendly, they can at least be civil. President-Publisher Roland Weeks Jr., Executive Editor Stan Tiner, Editorial Page Editor Marie Harris and Associate Editor Tony Biffle. Opinions expressed by columnists, cartoonists and letter writers on these pages are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial board. Back to Top 2001 Sun Herald.