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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 4 of 8)
JMSJR Mar 8th 2012 2:14PM
Should have happened a long time ago. People suffer from asthma. People are rude and pass it on so you all can reap what u sow.
Yon Mar 8th 2012 2:15PM
"an anodyne statement" from the airline company? Where did electrophoresis get into this obnoxious convoluted mess? Terrorists use nail polish as a weapon now?
Sherri Mar 8th 2012 2:10PM
Now days it doesn't surprise me on the reasons passengers are being thrown off flights and arrested. Last July an attendant from United Airlines tried to throw me off the flight from Hawaii because I was tearfully struggling with my crutches and a flimsy air splint to get to my seat at the back of the plane. I had broken my foot in two places while on vacation, so my husband had called United when I returned from the hospital to see if they would move us closer to the door. The man he talked to just moved us further to the back on the plane. We got to stay on the flight, but not without arguing about the situation. I guess I was lucky to not be handcuffed and hauled off the flight.
MKR Mar 8th 2012 2:11PM
To those who are saying the woman broke no law, you are wrong. There is a federal law that requires all passengers to follow the instructions of the flight attendants. Pilots even have the right to turn a plane around and take it back to the terminal if a passenger isn't doing what they are asked.
To me it is simple. If a person in authority on an airplane (flight attendant, pilot, co-pilot, air marshall) tells you to do something or in the case don't do something, just do what they say politely and you'll be fine. If you don't like the laws, or the rules either work to change them or don't fly.
fred Mar 8th 2012 2:23PM
so they can tell you to do anything whether its against the law or no? they can just make uo laws as they go along?
keymach1 Mar 8th 2012 2:13PM
Well, nail polish IS a highly flammable liquid. And, if she spills it is she going to pay the several hundreds dollars to replace the damaged seat/floor coverings, etc.?
She should have kept the stuff in her pocketbook.
ebop Mar 8th 2012 2:15PM
Has any one who said its ok to paint your nails on a plane smelled nail polish. Just because the person next to her said it was ok you would need to ask the other ten rows of people in each direction from her. that is were the crew used there common sense by not allowing the self centered idiot to smell up the plain with an obnoxious odor that might make one sick. Kind of like smoking as I see it.
CASON360 Mar 8th 2012 2:15PM
The Point is this her rights were violated peorid she had permisson by the people next to her their was no rule against it and at the end of the day the charges were droped because even the Judge seen this as stupid now if this happens again they will think twice before calling the police on something which will go no where I hope she sues the pants off the flights atendents! I glad to see a individual win one against the Airline industrudy!
rita nell Mar 8th 2012 2:13PM
I've sat next to a woman doing her nails before and the smell was sooooo obnoxious I had to get the flight attendant to get her to stop. It is not safe to be breathing those chemicals in an airtight space. She was completely oblivious of anyone around her
taurus7125 Mar 8th 2012 2:23PM
The woman asked the passengers sitting on either side of her if they minded and they said no then she went into the bathroom to do them anyway, listen to the whole story before you comment. The flight attendent was wrong and should apoligize and be retrained of fired.
rita nell Mar 8th 2012 2:28PM
she did not ask everyone on the plane and that is who will be breathing the air
mindbender48 Mar 8th 2012 2:16PM
Southwest needs to retrain or fire the flight attendant, I am hoping the passenger gets a lawyer.
Sarah Mar 8th 2012 2:15PM
Are so many are ignorant about fumes yet? Nail painting is not the issue, there is just so much oxigen in the plane and it gets sucked up by the fumes of this ignorant and abusive passenger depriving other respectful passengers from it. If you don't know why no one should paint their nails inside a plane, or smoke, etc. Just don't fly, maybe Greyhound will let you paint your nails if you open your window and put your hands out. I agree and support the flight attendants response to the misbehaved woman, hope she never ever sits next to me. The fumes she exhudes dispersed all over the plane not just to the person sitting next to her. ^5 to the flight attentdants.
gregg Mar 8th 2012 2:19PM
POLICE STATE. OUTRAGEOUS.
keymach1 Mar 8th 2012 2:19PM
Anything I want to do I should be able to do, right, bubba?
betty Mar 8th 2012 2:42PM
some people can become sick by smelling fumes from nail polish- she was very disrespectful! anyone with asthma or copd could experience terrible breathing problems from this!
MeMe Mar 8th 2012 2:29PM
No painting nails on Airplanes, cars, busses anything closed in, I think it rude to make everyone sit thur a nail painting because of the toxic fumes, can cause headaches, allergic reactions in some people. I think she should be fined for it, she won't do it again!!!!!
james russell Mar 8th 2012 3:43PM
The smell the nail polish gives off is bad enough in a home but in a confined space of an airliner is even worse. Some people have no consideration of others.
Brenda Mar 8th 2012 2:36PM
This is just typical of people's behavior now. Whether it is driving, shopping, on an airplane people think only of themselves.
Not everyone wants to smell nail polish and she was asked to stop. Her response should have been, "I'm sorry, I did not know I was bothering someone." and asked if it was alright to finish in the bathroom.
Nail Polish Fan Mar 8th 2012 2:42PM
Years ago I was asked NOT to polish my nails on a plane too. The flight attendant explained that NAIL POLISH IS FLAMMABLE, and therefore considered a hazard on an airline flight. I promptly put my nail polish away HAPPILY, since I'd rather wait to do my nails than have to face the possibililty of causing a fire, explosion, etc. Really...was doing her nails then absolutely necessary???