There's Something in The Air

Last weekend, an American Airlines pilot used the PA system to discuss Christianity, namely, asking Christians on the LA-NY flight to raise their hands and suggesting that non-Christians aboard could ask them about their faith. This monologue, given right before takeoff, caused many passengers to call their families in fear and flight attendants had to reassure passengers that ground control knew what was said. An American spokesperson said, "It falls along the lines of a personal level of sharing that may not be appropriate for one of our employees to do while on the job." May not be appropriate? Yes, it's a pretty safe best that it's not appropriate to ask passengers to single out their religious beliefs on the plane. Hell, Gothamist just wants to throw a blanket over our heads and sleep most of the time. How about pilots just stick to jokes about the weather, giving us sports scores, and reassuring us while we passengers will try to behave?

The Advocate has an interview with the pilot, identified as Roger Findiesen. Findiesen explains that a braking problem that had been causing the crew some trouble prior to takeoff suddenly "disappeared," which then fueled his need to tell people about Christianity (he had also just come back from a mission in Costa Rica). Advocate's editor in chief, Bruce C. Steele, was on the flight and spoke to Findiesen after the flight; the Advocate stresses that Findiesen did not say anything about homosexuality or anything antigay, but notes that the in-flight movie was Under the Tuscan Sun, "with Diane Lane and Sandra Oh as Lane's lesbian best friend." [Thanks to reader M for telling about the interview]

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on February 12, 2004 2:51 PM

Comments [rss]

simon

"simon, i think they should have done the same to him, if not worse. would it be unreasonable to beat his ass? and is it wrong to want to do the same to those old ladies on the subway or bus that do the same thing?"

No shit, sherlock

a

what is it with these pilots lately? if they aren't drunk, they're getting sued for rhyming over the p.a. (the eeny meeny miney mo suit). OR, last night on the news there was a story about an american airlines pilot not wanting nuns to continue on a flight that was deplaned in dallas. apparently he said something about not feeling comfortable flying with them. is there something in the air? bad pun. sorry.

jen h.

Holy crap (no pun intended). I would be off that plane so fast it'd make your head spin.

He should've added something about preserving one's "vital fluids" from contamination by Communists and started the attendants passing around Kool-Aid, just to make the trip a little more uncomfortable.

pjh

and also...will all those Jewish passengers kindly place these tags on your clothing so it's easier to identify you when we disembark......and so the spiral of intolerance begins to repeat itself...yet again...

Lemonsoda

Liberty as practised by common consent in a classic democracy does not, in my opinion, encompass the right not to be offended. I think that free speech should to the widest possible extent not be abrogated - it is essential to our commonwealth.

There are better ways to protest unseemly behavior than by a muffling edict, namely, through personal intervention. Use your wallet or voice your discontent - that should make other pilots think twice.

Also, I think it would be highly inappropriate to go about physically threatening annoying old ladies for the very same reasons.

Islamofascists or whatever you find agreeable to call people of that bent can go preaching in our jails - let the religiously challenged pilot blab. They are, in essence, celebrating our constitution both by law as by individual bearing.

By the way - there are no miraculously resurrected brakes. The ready declaration of such an occurence seems to me - prima facie - quite a breach of airline safety.

optimus crime

sandra oh = SO good in Last Night.

jamie

i am so so so offended by this - i read about it a few days ago and wondered when it would hit the blogsphere.

This speaks to a MUCH larger issues that will continue to rear its ugly head as long as Dubya and his like are in office: the separation of church and state. It is one of the few things i value about this country. and it, along with the free speech i value, are in big trouble. it is clear that a born again un-treated "former" alcoholic is unable to guard this valuable separation. when a pilot can prostilitize over the PA it is only possible because the climate of the country which is set by the administration has made this permissible.

when he goes after a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage it may very well pass and we'll all be in a boat load of trouble.

and while i'm on this rant - xmas is not a US holiday it is a christian holiday, same goes for easter, etc.

ok, i'm shutting up now and going back to work. ugh.

corie

Sheesh. I hope there's no copycat occurances tomorrow when i fly off.

Max

I hope its not- otherwise I'm going to .... Jersey?

tien

simon, i think they should have done the same to him, if not worse. would it be unreasonable to beat his ass? and is it wrong to want to do the same to those old ladies on the subway or bus that do the same thing?

Simon

I bet that if he was a Muslim and started saying that kind of stuff, they would have dragged him off the plane in handcuffs and investigated him for possible terrorist ties.