Listen Here
By: Grant Goetcheus
What seemed to be a normal flight quickly changed when Dr. David Dao was dragged off United Express Flight 3411, according to USA Today. The 70-passenger flight was overbooked and the airline asked for four volunteers to exit the plane, in order to make room for four United Airlines workers. Dr. Dao suffered a concussion, broken nose and lost two front teeth when he was forcibly removed from the plane according to USA Today.
All passengers were offered $400 dollars in vouchers, which later doubled to $800 dollars and a paid hotel suite for the next day when the next flight was. When no one volunteered, the airline decided to have a machine randomly select four passengers to leave the plane, according to ABC 13 in Houston. According to Fox News, the three other passengers who were selected got off the plane without incident.
Dr. Dao refused to get off the plane, so airport police were called. Recently a new video has surfaced on the China Global Television Network, or CGTN YouTube page that show the moments before Dr. Dao is pulled from his seat and dragged down the aisle. Dr. Dao is telling the airport police that he will not get off the plane and that they will have to drag him off the plane. Dao got what he asked for when he disregarded what the authorities were telling him to do. He was refusing to cooperate and thus force was needed to move things along.
I do not believe that Dr. Dao is entitled to the word “victim.” He got what he asked for and when you choose to disrespect and ignore the authorities, unfortunately force will be used. I do understand that maybe the force used was a little bit over the top. However, force is still necessary and it is hard to feel bad for him when the other three passengers got off the plane without any incident and they acted like adults. Dr. Dao did not act like an adult. I also want to add that the idea of overbooking is something that needs to be overhauled. When that issue is fixed, then we will not have to see these stories again.
