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California woman arrested in nail-painting incident on Southwest flight
According to CBS Los Angeles, a California woman was arrested in late February for painting her nails on a Southwest flight bound for Houston. The woman, identified as Jeanie Daniels, was on her way to visit her boyfriend and claims that the passengers seated next to her agreed to let her do her nails.But one of the flight attendants reportedly objected, so Daniels retreated to the bathroom to finish the job. When she got out of the bathroom, she got into a verbal altercation with two flight attendants and claims she was detained by law enforcement officials at the Houston airport for more than 10 hours before a judge charged her with profane and abusive language.
The CBS story essentially reports Daniels' side of the story along with an anodyne statement from Southwest, so it's hard to know if the flight attendants could have diffused the situation or if Daniels was the instigator.
I've actually never seen someone paint their nails on a flight but I wouldn't be surprised if some flight attendants are becoming increasingly intolerant of obnoxious passengers. These days it's not that uncommon to see passengers watching videos without headphones (especially kids), loudly chattering on mobile phones on the runway, and generally acting as though they were in their living rooms. On Monday, Gadling will begin a new March Madness series that will allow our readers to vote on which airline annoyances are the most egregious.
Do you think that these Southwest flight attendants were right in showing zero tolerance for the California nail-painter, or does it sound like they overreacted?
[Photo via Borispumps on Flickr]
Do you think that these Southwest flight attendants were right in showing zero tolerance for the California nail-painter, or does it sound like they overreacted?
[Photo via Borispumps on Flickr]
Filed under: United States, Airlines, Transportation
Reader Comments (Page 3 of 8)
mickeyspal8 Mar 8th 2012 1:48PM
Unfortunately, many of us with asthma could find ourselves in need of emergency medical care when trapped in an enclosed space with a lung irritant such as nail polish. The airlines are just trying to avoid medical incidents on their flights.
Jane Mar 8th 2012 1:50PM
Who wants to breathe in nail polish fumes on an airplane where the air is being recycled? I don't and I'm sure many people would agree with me. The bathrooms aren't for doing your nails either. I wouldn't want to be waiting in line to use the bathroom because some inconsiderate person is taking their time in there doing their nails.
MKR Mar 8th 2012 2:10PM
The smell of the polish wouldn't just stay by the woman and the person next to her it would float throughout the plane. It could be that someone else on the flight complained because of the smell.
Either way, she was asked to stop, didn't, became even more obnoxious and was therefore arrested.
People need to learn that they need to behave much better than most do while in public.
Dana Mar 8th 2012 1:38PM
OMG! Southwest is off their rocker for this. So what if she was painting her nails in the bathroom where she wasnt bothering anyone. I cant imagine WHAT the flight attendants even had to say to her once she was done and coming out of the bathroom. If anyone should have let it go it should have been the flight attendant.
If the flight attendant had embarrased me in front of the whole plane of passengers I would have cussed her out too. Its not like she was smoking which has been proven to endanger peoples health.
This is why I dont fly Soutwest anymore. they are too much on a power trip. Not worth the hassle for a cheap flight.
Judy Mar 8th 2012 2:41PM
In the last three years my husband has been diagnosed with COPD and lung cancer. Fumes from any product cause him distress. Nail polish I do outside. Cleaning products I have to be very careful with. Even the fumes from cooking can set off terrible coughing and shortness of breath. The worst, that others do not realize really hurt respiratory distressed patients is perfume or aftershaves.
My husband is only 60 and we still like to travel, but sometimes very difficult.
We should all think of the problems we may cause others when we are in such tight quarters.
Myrrh Mar 8th 2012 1:38PM
OK, the passenger was not particularly polite, and there MAY have been a reason for the FA to object, but c'mon folks, let's get real.
On a 5 hour flight, with no food (which makes me really cranky) costly entertainment, and cramped seating, it's not unreasonable that the passenger needed something to do that made her feel human. If her seat mate did not object to the activity what was the objection? Why pick on the passenger other than the haggared FA feels the need to peck at the next pidgeon down the pecking order? I've had them ball me out for asking for club soda and not paying for alcohol to accompany it!
Don't get me wrong... I know that they are under paid and over worked, aren't we all. But a little courtesy on either side of this could have made a big difference.
Dave Seminara Mar 8th 2012 1:44PM
Myrrh. One thing about her seatmates not objecting. A lot of times people will ask you if you mind them doing something and you really don't want them to do it but it's a bit socially awkward to say, "yes, I do mind, actually." Maybe the people sitting next to her didn't mind, as she claims, but perhaps they did and were just too polite to object.
Coffeeluv Mar 8th 2012 1:55PM
I don't know, I can't stand even being in the same room when my daughter paints her nails. It's a very offensive smell to some. I wouldn't complain if someone was doing it in the same aircraft as me, but I sure would be wondering how someone could be so uncourteous.
Sedated Mar 13th 2012 9:50AM
I was once sitting behind a Hollywood "Celebrity" on a coastal flight from L.A. to San Diego. Once we were aloft, she decided to do her nails. Within the confines of a small aircraft with her lacquering her nails, My Wife and I both felt like we were sitting inside an automotive paint booth. The fumes were simply overpowering. Both of us were well into a bout of nausea by the time we touched down in San Diego. To qualify this story, we are well experienced in air travel. My wife is a woman that paints her nails. I have been in the automotive field for 35 years and am constantly exposed to chemical, and paint fumes. So don't take us as a couple of whiners. We're willing to give people some latitude when traveling, but this was just a little too far out of the respect zone on her part.
Annie Mar 8th 2012 1:59PM
It has become common in this culture to be inconsiderate and rude. When returning from a trip from Europe the lady in front of me took out some perfume and sprayed herself, I spent the rest of the flight sneezing. One has to remember that you are not in the privacy of your own home, the other 300 people cannot walk away from you and if a flight attendant, for whatever reason, tells you not to do something I'm sure they have reasons. The smell of nail polish in close quarters is as obnoxious to some people who have asthma, etc. Everyone wants to be in your face: If you don't like it, tough, is today's attitude. Mothers and fathers, you failed.
Momof4 Mar 8th 2012 1:43PM
From all sides I have read, i don't think it was right.
We will never know all the facts. Personally if she was in doubt that she was told to stop, and moved to a different location, I don't see an issue with that.
She asked those around her first before she started.
She didn't get verbally abusive til the flight attendant wouldn't get out of her face.
I totally believe her side. Why because I had an attendant pushing my buttons trying to goad me about the music box in my son's stuffed toy. They claimed it was an "electronic" that could interfere, and there was no way I could turn it off... sooo when I put it up, instead of the quite song in the back of the plane that maybe 2 rows could here, the entire plane got to hear my son scream bloody murder about it.. he just turned 2.
I don't think an attendant has the right to get in your face for a long time, and then get to arrest you when you finally break to get them to shut up.
sdk Mar 8th 2012 1:51PM
Do you understand that those "electronics" can interfere with the airplane? Not just the radios but the actual instruments on an airplane. They don't tell you to shut them off for the fun of it, there is a logical reason for this. If you can't control your kid and he is screaming on the plane, then he shouldn't be flying. I pay alot of money for my seat and don't want some screaming brat around me. The flight attendants are there for your safety first. You just need to shutup and listen to them, they are usually right!
Jane Mar 8th 2012 1:55PM
I wonder if you would feel the same way if you were on a flight with your 4 kids and one of them needed to use the bathroom but couldn't because someone was in there taking their sweet old time in there to do their nails.
Momof4 Mar 8th 2012 2:10PM
There are TONS of reports that all the "electronics" that they tell you to shut off don't actually affect the plane, the navigation systems or the radar equipment. I have worked in many parts of the aerospace industry for over 10 years. A stuffed musical toy does not even register on the electromagnetic wave instruments that detect possible interference.
As far as dealing with a noisy kid, get over it. I paid for two seats, you paid for one...I honestly don't care if my kid is noisy. He is 2 and just because he cries does not mean I will refuse my mother the opportunity to see her grandchildren until they are like 7 or 8. If you don't have kids good. Controlling a toddler doesn't happen. That is impossible, and not due to bad parenting, just age.
I have to listen to my kids every day, and I have to listen to other people's kids when I go out. That's life... if you don't like it don't go out in public.
Steven Knott Mar 8th 2012 2:11PM
Sounds like you have a problem with authority and being authoritative. What exactly were you doing while everyone was listening to your two year old when he or she didnt get their way? BTW, those who offend rarely see the offense either by design or cognitive ability.
Momof4 Mar 8th 2012 2:20PM
@Steven: What was I doing? Trying to calm him down of course. There is only one way to do that, and during take off while he had to be strapped into his car seat, unfortunately I could not nurse him. That would be kind of an awkward position that didn't work (I did try with a blanket). The fact is, I don't have a problem with authority if they know what they are talking about.
I had no other issues on any of my other connecting flights with that toy, and thankfully I got sympathetic looks and comments from those around me, most of which were either parents or grand parents. It's the single people that fuss the most.
The fact is that not all flight attendants are bad, and I know that. But like the woman in this article, when you get one in your face trying to make you more upset, that doesn't help things at all. And it is no surprise this woman broke and cussed.
leon Mar 8th 2012 1:44PM
Was she doing toe nails too?
DARLENE Mar 8th 2012 1:49PM
This is a bunch of bull the airlines are not being fair to people anyway they want to much control over people and what they do they make money (greedy) u pay more get less and the stewards are very insensitive to the needs of the passengers they dont pay attention to someone going thru painful situations if the altitude is affecting the passengers ears but they have time to confront a passenger coming from the lavatory who painted their nails. The regulations had no restrictions for nail polish being in the ladies bag she just happen to use it what if she had broke wind or passed gas who would have known it was her then what? the shit sounds stupid people need to be involved in bigger and better things and people need to govern them accordingly whose law is it where does it come from?
chris Mar 8th 2012 1:54PM
painting your nails is not a crime and even though she was verbal with abusive and profane language, she still has rights under freedom of speech..she broke no law and was illegally detained...i would sue the pants off the airline. it is bad enough we have to be abused by the tsa and everybody else that makes up laws as they go along, next there will be no talking,breathing or restroom breaks on an airplane. i am done with airlines... if i can't drive i don't need to go.
MIKE Mar 8th 2012 1:56PM
Thank you Robin Lee - It's bad enough that women (mostly) are responsible for billions of tons of toxic and noxious waste every year with all the "beauty" products they can't seem to live without, but using then in an obviously confined, essentially public space like an airplane is extraordinarily inconsiderate and possibly dangerous. No doubt it was immediately obvious to anyone on the plane whose nose still works - admittedly not many these days when so many have killed their olfactory sense by hiper-exposure to disgusting manufactured "scents." It could easily trigger asthma attacks and possibly even a fire. I guess folks should be free to expend such great effort and expense to make themselves look awful, but not when it means that the rest of us can't even breath the little bit of air available.
And why do so many people who routinely overdo the "beauty" products also seem to use such beautiful language when senselessly justifying their bad behaviour?