By: LaVie Saad
Sha’Carri Richardson, star professional track and field athlete was allegedly forced off of an American Airlines flight after she refused to hang up a phone call. She claimed that a twenty-two year old flight attendant asked her to leave a call after she boarded the aircraft. Though she did hang up as she was told, she told the attendant she did not like his tone and that he should be more respectful. He then proceeded to ask her to show him proof that her phone was on airplane mode and continued to hover, as she describes, over her phone. After she began to record “herself”, the flight attendant backed away (since he was caught in the video as well). He told her she was not allowed to record, to which she replied she believed she felt harassed. Plenty of passengers jumped into the situation, and some even told Richardson she needed to stop. She quickly became defensive and told other passengers that they should not be involved in her business.
I am slightly conflicted about whether or not to support Richardson, since the article paints her as a difficult passenger who is unwilling to follow the rules of the aircraft. This article is from CNN, but it surprisingly does not provide background information or prior context. CNN is known for its reliability (despite its tendency to typically present liberal opinion), which is why I am inclined to trust the article. However, it is important to check both sides (which is why I am curious about what Richardson posted on her Instagram). If I were to only consider the context that we are given in the article, I would say it was reasonable of the flight attendant to ask her to leave her phone call. Knowing that phones that are not on airplane mode before takeoff may interfere with radio and navigation instruments (which can be detrimental and highly dangerous). However, the flight attendant removed her from the plane (which I believe is a mild overreaction, since her phone should have simply been confiscated).
Another issue I see is Richardson’s career. Since she is a major athlete, any “scandal” that comes her way may damage her career quite a bit. I personally do not believe it is fair when athletes, actors, or even successful businessmen are heavily impacted by insignificant events. However, an issue such as this may be noteworthy to remember. Once again, I believe it all depends on the context.