An air-conditioning generator was dragged up on the left side to try to cool the hot plane. As the generator itself broke down, a knowledgeable passenger assured them that this was an attempted solution, not a problem. Because of her, the plane can leave now. This was no transfer passenger. People don't believe airlines, especially when airline personnel give excuses for delays and cancellations.
Outright lies are rare in air travel.
Mike Senior, Delta's system manager of operations services, said focus groups express the point strongly. Sometimes it appears that a few pilots and gate agents shade the truth to make their jobs easier or to calm passengers. But most pilots and gate agents attempt to give the truth to passengers, to the extent they know it and believe it won't unnecessarily frighten anyone. Misrepresentations, deliberate or not, often slip past unnoticed. But when they are found out, passengers have yet another story for their friends.