A United Airlines pilot manning a flight to Puerto Villarta, Mexico, was forced to play peacemaker when it came to two dueling passengers on board a recent trip to the popular vacation spot.
CBS News notes that a now-viral video shot inside of an aircraft last Friday purportedly displays the speech a navigator gave to those who filled the airliner following a near-altercation between a white, male supporter of Donald Trump and an African-American woman.
Witnesses from the United Airlines flight say that the man, who was seated next to the female on the plane while wearing a “Make America Great Again” cap, reportedly claimed that he was “glad to have kept his guns” following the controversial president-elect’s win on Election Day. Allegedly, that comment sent his seated neighbor into an emotional tailspin, forcing flight attendants to separate the pair.
After they were placed into different areas, the pilot took to the intercom to state that their current physical environment was not the place for such heated matters.
“I understand everybody has their opinions, [and] that’s fine,” the United Airlines captain said.
“If you support [Trump], great. If you don’t, I understand. However, we’re out here to go to Puerto Vallarta, [and we’re] supposed to be having a good time, [so] what I do ask is that as people we have the common decency to respect each others’ decisions and to get along on this three-hour and thirteen minute flight so that we can have a good time when we get down there.”
Possibly borrowing from the attitudes exuded by most throughout the electoral process, the United Airlines pilot reminded passengers that expressing opinions in a volatile matter rarely changes anything.
“Nobody is going to change their minds by arguing,” he added. “And let’s keep our opinions to ourselves on this particular matter at this particular time.”
He then closed out his speech by warning passengers to adhere to the rules of flying on a plane, or else they would be dealt with accordingly.
“If there’s anyone that has a problem with this, [or] needs to vent or rant or rave, there’s another flight tomorrow,” he states. “You’re not going to be on this one. I hope that’s clear.”
As he completes his statement, the majority of riders cheer and applaud in regard to his stance.
#UnitedAirlines pilot goes on intercom rant after #2016election – related scuffle on SFO > PVR flight https://t.co/OYoa5jQlw5 pic.twitter.com/pkHMaiL1z9
— FOX 10 Phoenix (@FOX10Phoenix) November 16, 2016
CBS News reached out to spokespersons for United Airlines for proper comment, but were told they would not relay the pilot’s name, nor the names of those who were involved in the melee that brought on the pilot’s lecture. They did, however, confirm that an incident regarding a difference of political opinion was handled by the professional flyer, and that they stood by his cause of action to calm the situation.
“The pilot was made aware of an incident on-board and used the intercom to diffuse the situation, and insure the safety of everyone on-board,” the company expressed. “The flight continued without any further reports of disturbance.”
They also noted that the plane landed safely in Puerto Vallarta at 3:06 p.m. on Friday afternoon.
Since being shared to YouTube, the United Airlines video has amassed more than 500,000 views, with many viewers siding with the pilot for his reaction and the sentiment behind his words.
“Well, at least United keeps [passengers] united,” user sye ya remarked . “Why can’t the United States do the same?”
Unsurprisingly, there were also quite a few viewers who felt that the pilot overstepped certain boundaries by interjecting his thoughts into the overall matter.
“Shut up and fly the plane,” YouTube member za146274 countered . “[Just] keep your opinion to yourself and get the passengers to their destination safely.”
Whose side are you on, Inquisitr readers? Head to the comments section and share your thoughts on the United Airlines incident.
[Featured Image by vandervliet93/iStock]
