9/11 Widow To Alec Baldwin: STFU

Alec Baldwin may have tried to apologize to his fellow American Airlines passengers delayed by his Tuesday tantrum, but now he's offended a 9/11 widow. Cheryl McGuinness Hutchins, whose husband Tom McGuinness was a pilot aboard AA 11, which hit the World Trade Center, told TMZ that Baldwin's reference to 9/11 was "inappropriate."

Before the LAX-JFK flight, Baldwin was upset that a flight attendant was singling him out for using the phone (the plane had not taken off yet but the plane asked passengers to turn off their electronic devices). According to American Airlines, Baldwin "declined to turn off his cell phone when asked to do so at the appropriate time. The passenger ultimately stood up (with the seat belt light still on for departure) and took his phone into the plane’s lavatory. He slammed the lavatory door so hard, the cockpit crew heard it and became alarmed, even with the cockpit door closed and locked."

Baldwin wrote yesterday:

I have learned a valuable lesson. Airlines in the US are struggling with fuel costs, labor costs, bankruptcies, you name it. It's no secret that the level of service on US carriers has deteriorated to a point that would make Howard Hughes red-faced. Filthy planes, barely edible meals, cuts in jet service to less-traveled locations. One of the big changes, in my time, is in the increase of the post-9/11, paramilitary bearing of much of the air travel business. September 11th was a horrific day in the airline industry, yet in the wake of that event, I believe carriers and airports have used that as an excuse to make the air travel experience as inelegant as possible.

McGuinness Hutchins explained to TMZ, "I absolutely think [Baldwin's statement] was an inappropriate comment to make... I believe airlines used what happened on 9/11 to increase security and protect passengers as much as possible -- not to make traveling inelegant." She added, "If [Alec] did something inappropriate ... he shouldn’t have to point the finger at a world tragedy. He should just take responsibility for his actions and admit he should have gotten off the phone.”

A source tells TMZ, "Alec had absolutely no intention of offending families, victims or anyone else associated with the horrible tragedy of 9/11. He only referenced that date in relation to discussion of the resulting impact on the airline industry." Hey, Alec—just restart your Twitter to explain this one!

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

By Jen Chung in News on December 8, 2011 6:50 PM

Comments [rss]

Eric Bringslid

I see many TSA cavity searches in Alec's future.

Eric Bringslid

AFAIK 9/11 widows are just as irritating as Hollywood celebs, they both seem to think their opinion holds more weight than everyone else's no matter what the subject matter.

kevd

Baldwin is a douche for acting like and entitled whiner who thinks he can do whatever he wants when a plane is trying to taxi for take off.
But he is 100% right about airlines and the fear mentality that has completely enveloped this country, especially air travel.

jfu222

Call me a lemming ... but I can't stand when passangers feel that they are above the rules in place when it comes to cell phones.

Whether it's a hoax or not (cell phone danger), it's pretty selfish.

pooppooppoop

fuck alex baldwin -most publicity he's ever gotten or will get. loser. shut off your stupid phone and shut the fuck up

masterjarvis

who is alex baldwin?

kevd

I know, I'd never heard of him before this incident.

adavis86

Im with Alec on this one

Steven Rawczak

Why are we supposed to care so much about what 911 victim families think? It was a horrible tragedy, no doubt about that, but lots of people die every day in lots of ways. Car crash victims' families don't get on the front pages of newspapers 10 years after the crash because they criticized someone for their comments about Honda.

nimbyist

Why are we supposed to care so much about what [survivors of Holocast victims] think? It was a horrible tragedy, no doubt about that, but lots of
people die every day in lots of ways. Car crash victims' families don't
get on the front pages of newspapers 10 years after the crash because
they criticized someone for their comments about Honda.

Greg Froober

I can't believe you are comparing 9-11 widows to people that were in concentration camps in Germany. fucking ridiculous

nimbyist

I'm comparing 9-11 widows to survivors of holocaust victims (and have edited above to reflect this) and drawing a parallel between holocaust victims and people who died in 9-11. It is an extreme parallel, but the point is where would you draw the line at deaths occurred in a tragedy before people get a soapbox to talk on? Should a family member of a VA tech victim STFU about what happened yesterday or on gun rights in general?

Politburo

It's not about STFU-ing. It's about using your status as a victim as an authority for your argument. That's where the backlash is coming from.

jfu222

is STFU-ing a double verb?

I like the sound of that.

"jfu222 spends all day STFU-ing anonymous people on Gothamist instead of doing his company succeed"

therealdeal80

Ian ...are you for real ?? 9/11 widows STFU ??? .. .....over Alec Baldwin you make that statement ?......OH your over it so fuck everyone else that lost loved ones ....you suck !!

Greg Froober

people lose loved ones every day in all types of circumstances. The 9-11 widows should not get an indefinite soapbox through the media. Their views are no more relevant than anyone elses

therealdeal80

Greg, Where do I say that the views of 9/11 widows are more relevant than anyone elses ??? Please point that out to all of us. I was responding to the asshole Ian, who made the comment that is was time for the 9/11 widows to STFU over alex " I am above all rules " baldwins plane fiasco. Do you really think everyone of the hundreds of widows deserves a STFU from some asshole on Gothamist comments ?? Really ??
Did anyone tell all these " people that lose loved ones every day in all types of circumstances" that you talk about to STFU ?? I did not see that ....please point that out to all of us. Cause I would also defend those people in their morning !!

nimbyist

no...i'd say their views regarding mid air security is more relevant than yours...unless you had a relative who was on a place that got hijacked and flown into a building, in which case I profusely apologize.

kevd

You might think that. But you'd be wrong.

Greg Froober

nope... their views regarding air security are no more relevant than anyone elses. In fact, their views regarding pretty much anything are no more relevant than anyone elses. Unless of course their job or education is involved somehow.