Passenger, Claiming Allergy To Animals On Board, Pulled Off Flight From BWI To LAX

[timosman]

http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2017/0...er-pulled-off/

September 27, 2017



BALTIMORE (WJZ) – A passenger on a flight from Baltimore to Los Angeles was pulled off a Southwest Airlines plane on Tuesday night by police.

It happened after the customer apparently refused to leave the aircraft on her own.

Reports say 46-year-old Maryland Institute College of Art professor, Anila Daulatzai, was complaining about an emotional support animal on board, claiming she was deathly allergic to the pet. Southwest officials say she was unable to provide a medical certificate necessary to prove the allergy.

An official from Southwest said that a customer without a medical certificate may be denied boarding if they report a life-threatening allergic reaction and cannot travel safely with an animal on board.

They say after explaining the situation, the passenger allegedly refused to leave the plane, and law enforcement was forced to step in and removed her.

“Come on, lady let’s go,” the officer can be heard saying in a video recorded by another passenger.

“My dad has a surgery! What are you doing?” Daulatzai responded. “I will walk off! Don’t touch me! Don’t touch me! You have ripped my pants off.”

She can be heard screaming as others urged her to walk out on her own.

“She just lost control of the situation and she was way in over her head by the point that the police were trying to take her out,” passenger Bill Dumas said. “It really looks like police were being overly aggressive, but really she wasn’t giving them much of a choice.”

“It’s a complicated situation because if she needs to get somewhere, it’s too bad that she’s required to leave when there’s pets on board,” one person said.

“It just seemed like she wanted to make a fuss about it, and she wanted to cause a scene,” another person said.

“I’m a professor! What are you doing?!” Daulatzai shouted.

WJZ confirmed that the professor teach at MICA in the humanistic studies department. The college says they are not commenting about the incident at this time.

“It’s like really disturbing. You can see that she was trying to move,” said MICA student Kaia Adams.

Southwest released this statement regarding the incident:

“We are disheartened by the way this situation unfolded and the Customer’s removal by local law enforcement officers. We publicly offer our apologies to this Customer for her experience and we will be contacting her directly to address her concerns. Southwest Airlines was built on Customer Service, and it is always our goal for all Customers to have a positive experience.


Initial reports indicate the Customer in the video stated that she had a life-threatening pet allergy, but she was unable to provide the medical certificate necessary to complete travel. There was one emotional support animal and one pet onboard the aircraft. Our policy states that a Customer (without a medical certificate) may be denied boarding if they report a life-threatening allergic reaction and cannot travel safely with an animal onboard. Our Flight Crew made repeated attempts to explain the situation to the Customer, however, she refused to deplane and law enforcement became involved.”

Daulatzai was arrested and now faces a number of charges including disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, obstructing and hindering a police officer.

[Cissy]

If I had a life-threatening allergy to dogs or cats, I would not board a plane with them and would change my flight (more accurately, I would drive myself to Point B, knowing I would have zero risk of being exposed to dogs or cats in my own vehicle.)

It doesn't seem *this* woman had a life threatening allergy as she magically *needed* to be on the same flight with said canines to fly to see family. More likely, she hated the liberty of the other passenger who brought their dogs along and was trying to get the dog owners and their dogs removed from the flight.

[angelatc]

She's Muslim. Lots of people are speculating that she didn't have an allergy - Muslims just think dogs are filthy and refuse to be near them.

[Cissy]

She's Muslim. Lots of people are speculating that she didn't have an allergy - Muslims just think dogs are filthy and refuse to be near them.

More importantly, she's controlling. She thinks other people should curtail their liberties (traveling with their dogs) to accommodate her demands, rather than her controlling her personal (perhaps religiously based, perhaps not) dislike/mistrust/fear of dogs.

What happened to her was ironic, and hopefully will put a stop to any further tantrums.

[timosman]

She's Muslim. Lots of people are speculating that she didn't have an allergy - Muslims just think dogs are filthy and refuse to be near them.

Maybe she's a cat lady and was upset that cats, unlike dogs, are not allowed to travel on planes. Dogs seem to be privileged pets.

[angelatc]

Maybe she's a cat lady and was upset that cats, unlike dogs, are not allowed to travel on planes. Dogs seem to be privileged pets.

Pretty much any animal can travel in the cabin if you can fit the carrier overhead or under the seat.

[angelatc]

It doesn't seem *this* woman had a life threatening allergy as she magically *needed* to be on the same flight with said canines to fly to see family.

That's the thing. After she told them about her allergy, there was no way they could let her fly on that plane. She told them her allergy was literally life-threatening.

[Ender]

Simple solution:

Airlines designate flights that allow animals and people can make choices on whether to travel on flights that might have animals- or not.

Have a friend that is very allergic to cats- a flight with one would be extremely difficult- especially if he had a family emergency to get to.

[Danke]

Simple solution:

Airlines designate flights that allow animals and people can make choices on whether to travel on flights that might have animals- or not.

Have a friend that is very allergic to cats- a flight with one would be extremely difficult- especially if he had a family emergency to get to.

Shouldn't be a problem unless you happen to be seated close to the animal.

[Danke]

Pretty much any animal can travel in the cabin if you can fit the carrier overhead or under the seat.

Pretty sure no one is allowed to put a pet in the overhead.

[angelatc]

Pretty sure no one is allowed to put a pet in the overhead.

you could be right

[Origanalist]

She's Muslim. Lots of people are speculating that she didn't have an allergy - Muslims just think dogs are filthy and refuse to be near them.

I was thinking she was one of those whackadoodle PETA people and thought the dogs rights were being violated.

[phill4paul]

Since she is the one with the "special" consideration it falls on her to plan accordingly.

[timosman]

Since she is the one with the "special" consideration it falls on her to plan accordingly.

How exactly would this work?

[Brian4Liberty]

“I’m a professor! What are you doing?!” Daulatzai shouted.

"Oh, ok lady, we didn't know, guess we'll do whatever you want. Would you like to fly the plane?"

[phill4paul]

How exactly would this work?

Any number of ways. Choose another mode of travel. Visit a doctor before hand and explain the situation so that you can be medicated properly and have an epi-pen handy. Practice holding your breath for hours on end.

[timosman]

Choose another mode of travel.

BWI to LAX?

[phill4paul]

BWI to LAX?

My sister just drove from Colorado to N.C. I have driven from N.C. to Montana and Arizona.

[timosman]

My sister just drove from Colorado to N.C. I have driven from N.C. to Montana and Arizona.

In 6 hrs?

[phill4paul]

In 6 hrs?

Plan accordingly.

[timosman]

Plan accordingly.

Keep a fast running horse in your stable? Maybe a camel?

[timosman]

Ship your pet with Delta cargo - https://www.delta.com/content/www/en...ons.html#cargo

[euphemia]

As an allergy patient myself, if I was that allergic to animals, I would never get on a plane. Pet dander is very hard to remove. It doesn't go away simply because the animals have moved on. The woman doesn't seem very educated about her allergies. If she was that sick she would have already been reacting to the dander and would not have been able to breathe enough to scream and fight. Some think cat dander lingers in a carpeted home a full two years after the animals are gone. Even with diligent cleaning, it's hard to get rid of.

[timosman]

As an allergy patient myself, if I was that allergic to animals, I would never get on a plane. Pet dander is very hard to remove. It doesn't go away simply because the animals have moved on. The woman doesn't seem very educated about her allergies. If she was that sick she would have already been reacting to the dander and would not have been able to breathe enough to scream and fight. Some think cat dander lingers in a carpeted home a full two years after the animals are gone. Even with diligent cleaning, it's hard to get rid of.

LOL

[euphemia]

LOL

This is why I almost never read what you post. There is always some kind of snarky, sarcastic comment. In this case I saw news reports and know the rigorous education allergists put their patients through because it is a life management issue.

What this woman has is a fear of dogs. I have seen this kind of behavior just once in a teen I was close to at one time. She had a bad experience with some dogs as a child and it left her with a hysterical fear of dogs.