A sad mother's day story now: family kicked off a plane because her daugther has autism.

[marylander1940]

An Oregon woman claims United Airlines kicked her family off a Portland-bound flight because of her teenage daughter who has autism.

 

Juliette Beegle, 15, was diagnosed with autism just before she turned three, her mother, Donna Beegle, told ABC News. While her daughter has a high IQ, Beegle said, she has a hard time communicating.

 

On Tuesday, Beegle said she, her husband, Juliette, and Juliette's brother boarded a layover flight in Houston on their way home to Portland.

 

https://gma.yahoo.com/woman-claims-she-daughter-autism-were-kicked-off-151716493--abc-news-topstories.html

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Av4zTXonSsQ

[rvwnsd]

It is comforting to know that the pilot responded so quickly to the imminent threat of an autistic teenager who wanted hot food. We simply cannot have that sort of thing going on in airplanes. Pilot who inconvenienced an entire planeload of people, diverted police officers and paramedics from actual emergencies, spent untold thousands of dollars in wasted fuel and emergency landing prep fees - I salute you.

 

That being said, I don't see what will be accomplished by suing the airline. They are conducting an investigation as will the FAA. We don't need to "raise awareness" over autism, as we are all well aware of it.

[TruthBTold]

I am not exactly sure what kind of threat she posed to the pilot/co-pilot, particularly because there was a solution that was proposed by the parents and which it appears the flight crew refused to use at first. At the time, it did not appear that the other passengers were panicking because they feared for their safety. They seemed to be upset (or at least a few were) because the girl with autism was causing a disturbance. The thing that will be accomplished by suing the airline is that hopefully they will see that the ADA means something. Obviously, awareness over autism still needs to be raised, because someone seemed not to be aware of it or at least some of the easiest and best ways to deal with it (like giving an autistic girl a plate of hot food).

[anotherjohnindupont]

Exactly.... such a danger to everybody in the plane, lol.

Maybe the pilot is the one who is truly autistic and can't tell the difference between friend and foe or properly evaluate a danger. He needs to get another job or go to common sense classes...

[+ Cash4Trash]

Or maybe the parents, knowing her condition, should carry some warm food in a heat sealed pouch so that the outbursts wouldn't happen.

The people who weren't prepared for this eventuality were the parents.

[Frequentflier]

The pilot is an idiot. Unless the videos were doctored, the girl wasn't creating a disturbance warranting landing the plane and CALLING THE POLICE. I hope the family sues United and wins millions because that is often the only want people learn their (United's) behavior was despicable. United, as the employer, failed to properly train the pilot and crew and should pay through the nose. I know people who have children that are autistic and I thought of them while reading this; couldn't imagine a company doing this to them. Do any of these insensitive people think about how they'd justify their actions before God who is watching over this poor girl and her family? And I hope the DOJ lands a huge fine on United to top off getting that it deserves.

[Becket]

Autistic kids can indeed act out in ways that might be unsettling to others, especially when their routine is altered. We don't know to what degree this child was autistic, but taking even a high functioning autistic child on an airplane, to Disney park(s), then back on another airplane (when both parent and child probably both are exhausted) may not have been a bright idea. And if the child needed hot food on the airplane as part of her routine, then the parents most certainly should have brought it with them. Besides, what airlines still offer hot food in coach?

 

It's an interesting story. But I've only heard half of it; what the parents had to say. Pilots aren't idiots, usually. I'd like to hear his rationale. cheers

[bigvalboy]

Autistic kids can indeed act out in ways that might be unsettling to others, especially when their routine is altered. We don't know to what degree this child was autistic, but taking even a high functioning autistic child on an airplane, to Disney park(s), then back on another airplane (when both parent and child probably both are exhausted) may not have been a bright idea. And if the child needed hot food on the airplane as part of her routine, then the parents most certainly should have brought it with them. Besides, what airlines still offer hot food in coach?

 

It's an interesting story. But I've only heard half of it; what the parents had to say. Pilots aren't idiots, usually. I'd like to hear his rationale. cheers

 

For a second I was beginning to second guess myself...so yes, I think we certainly need the whole story and to hear the pilots rationale.