American kicks off passenger for refusing to wear a mask

yep as long as it was not against the law

Considering that 500 Delta employees tested positive recently, which has set off mass testing of all Delta employees, people like this guy can walk wherever they need to go. Flight attendants don’t need to give their lives for jerks.

This was not the first passenger kicked off of a flight for not wearing a mask. There was a passenger kicked off for not wearing a mask on an Air Canada flight sometime last week.

Got not one scintilla of sympathy for him. That they rebooked him later is more than he deserved. I'm getting soooooo tired of these whinners.

Yeah, and funny thing that he just happens to be a conservative blogger. Could it be for the publicity? No, of course not.

Glad they kicked him off / his right to freedom of choice does not extend to putting others at risk.

Some airlines are starting their own "no fly list" of passengers who refuse to wear masks. This is not the first time. It's only one of the first times that garnered publicity. The blogger probably notified the media himself.

What these idiots don't realize is that their rights are not being violated. Airlines, like stores, are private businesses and can make rules on what you must wear to do business with them--shop, fly, etc. As long as they don't break any discrimination laws they are fine. Insisting someone wear a mask is not breaking any discrimination law. There is no law discriminating against stupid or selfish.

Some cities and towns are making it mandatory to wear a mask but if you don't, you won't get in trouble. Then why bother making the rule? People break it all the time because they know nothing will be done.

Someone, anyone, please help me understand people not wearing masks other than those with respiratory issues.

I've read about people resisting due to the mask look being "unmanly" and "weak." Others have mentioned their "rights." For the life of me this seems absurd.

I wear a mask not for me, but out of consideration for others. I realize the mask won't do much to keep me from catching the virus, but I could be asymptomatic and shred the virus without knowing it. What does it say about someone who won't wear a mask either out of ignorance, laziness, or just not giving a damn about anyone else? It's a small sacrifice.

Now, I do find it funny when someone is out walking outside with a mask when there is nobody nearby. I don't think COVID is blowing around in the wind. That seems a crossover to paranoia.

Eric, maybe we should keep politics out of this. There are a proportional amount of loons on each side of the political spectrum.

A WestJet flight from Vancouver to Toronto last week had to make a stop in Winnipeg to kick a guy off. He wouldn't wear a mask and then lit up a cigarette.

https://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/guest-smoking-not-wearing-mask-forces-westjet-flight-to-land-in-winnipeg-on-weekend-1.4989896?cache=enzvogqbavvrgvzn%3FcontactForm%3Dtrue%3FcontactForm%3Dtrue%3FautoPlay%3Dtrue%3FautoPlay%3Dtrue%3FclipId%3D89563

This is good news as I am flying American next week.

Big Mike, I think the infectious disease experts are now saying that any barrier between you and the virus in the air could also lessen(but certainly not eliminate) your risk. There appears to be a relationship between the dose of virus you get and whether or not you get the disease and how serious it is.

Edited: I confess that my daughter and I(who don't wear masks outdoors when we can social distance) were amazed at people walking around an outdoor garden center with masks on.

The blogger probably notified the media himself.

And maybe in advance.

What he tweeted was different from what the person sitting next to him recorded, who happens to be a NY Times reporter.

American Airlines Bans Conservative Activist Who Refused to Wear a Mask
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/18/us/american-airlines-mask-brandon-straka.html?referringSource=articleShare

Though probably less than being inside, you can absolutely pick up the virus when outside. I have been walking daily. I can be alone on the path and then someone approaches me from the other direction. Often they are not wearing a mask. If I have I mask on, often the oncoming person will make more of an attempt to move 6 feet away. Further, there have been studies that when someone is running and perhaps breathing harder, they can spray the virus farther. (similar to someone shouting or singing)

Our family just took a camping trip to Grand Teton National Park. We drove straight thru to avoid hotels and camping is quite safe. In the Tetons fellow travelers were very COVID aware and made every attempt to stay 6 feet away and many were wearing masks.

Yellowstone was another story. People seemed to be flaunting their lack of interest in the virus. I found that wearing a mask helped me to remind myself to stay 6 feet away from others and sometimes it also sent a signal to others to keep their distance.

I honestly don't know why it is such a big deal to wear a mask. It is thoughtful to others in the same way as covering a cough or sneeze. It is too bad that it has become so politicized and divisive. There have been added advantages for me. It keeps the sun off of my easily sunburned face and seems to filter allergens such that my seasonal allergies are diminished.

I am very happy to avoid businesses not encouraging masks and likewise, happy to frequent places that want to protect their employees and customers. Thank you American airlines.

Now, I do find it funny when someone is out walking outside with a mask when there is nobody nearby. I don't think COVID is blowing around in the wind. That seems a crossover to paranoia.

I would do this in crowded trails. Then I realized that the mask was also filtering out pollen. My allergy symptoms were reduced. I discussed this with friends and they noticed the same thing.

I found it odd when some people on the trail were deeply offended that I was wearing a mask. They tried to convince me to take it off.

Often they are not wearing a mask. If I have I mask on, often the oncoming person will make more of an attempt to move 6 feet away.

I noticed this too. Bonus points.

But yeah. I think it’s hilarious that the blogger was seated near to a NY Times reporter. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

@Cindy, yes, I have also noted eye rolling, etc., when people see me with a mask. Like, "here's another paranoid one". Before COVID, people were wearing gator type coverings over their face to protect from sun. Who really knows the motives of others?

As my daughter reminds me when I grumble, "you can only control yourself". Seems like her mom used to say something like that. . .

Just imagine people wearing masks when they are sick or in the middle of flu season. What a concept.

Not only pollen, but here in NM we've been getting a constant flow of smoke haze from wild fires in AZ and southwestern NM since last week. Very happy to wear a mask outside. Praying for rain.

A couple of fyis,

The woman who designed the face mask pattern on craftpassion.com did so long before covid19 entered our lives.

Watched the TV series World Without End on Sat ( middle ages time frame) and during the plague a healer recommended wearing masks. There was a battle between her and an evil priest who thought only sinners would get the disease so "good" people didn't need a mask. Sad.

cala, yes, I take your point. Seems logical.

I understand the wearing of masks outside in certain situations. Thank you for the education. The important thing is what makes that person feel more secure, and just as importantly the potential impact upon others. Consideration for others is a waning characteristic.

Ada County, Idaho, Boise, has seen a 500% increase in positive tests over the last 5 days and today, 2020.06.22, has regressed from Stage 4 reopening conditions back to Stage 3.

Me: Mask, home, tightly restricted interactions. Probably till September or January.

Thats what happens when measures are relaxed too early! Caution is key!

I agree with Frank II. Yes Americans have their rights, but, airlines, stores, franchised restaurants, corporations - anything that is privately owned - owners have their right to refuse entry. Some people do not understand that.

Girasole, yes, but once again the question of enforcement comes up. Any Joe or Jane Blow can walk into Wal Mart without a mask. Who is going to stop them? The 80-year-old greeter or some poor college kid making some extra money? Ain't gonna happen.

Also, people either ignore the warnings or if confronted claim a health issue. What do you say then?

Absent enforcement a large percentage of Americans are going to do whatever they hell they want, and a lot of people don't really give a damn about anyone else.

That is true big Mike.

When the pandemic got into full force a few months ago, there were problems with some customers at certain Walmarts. You are right - when a greeter told a customer that they should be wearing masks, the customers in question just mouthed off and said some less than complimentary remarks.... Let me put it that way.

a couple of Walmart's had to have actual police detail inside the stores from morning until they closed.

Some people also took to openly carrying a firearm. It got out of hand apparently in one or two Walmart's where Walmart had to put up a sign stating no open carry firearms.

I have stayed out of Walmart for weeks now. I am getting to like Target more and more, lol.

And their POS is getting comparable to Walmart. I'd rather pay $0.50 or $0.75 more for something right now than worry about a scuffle going on in Walmart from a bunch of nuts.

I do my best to stay out of Walmart every day, always have. They have nothing I can't get anywhere else and the price isn't that much less than at other stores. And the added benefit of not having to deal with the "People of Walmart" makes me even happier.

Of course I know that not everyone who shops there is what you see in the online videos poking fun at them, and most of the people working for them are serious about doing their job. I have just not found any compelling reason to need to go there with the variety of stores surrounding me. Maybe if I lived somewhere in a retail desert and only Walmart was around, I would shop there.

And yeah, just wear the dang mask. It isn't going to kill you to have it on and might just save your life.

Any [one] can walk into Wal Mart without a mask. Who is going to stop them? The 80-year-old greeter or some poor college kid making some extra money?

There are numerous videos on Youtube and other internet sites showing people being thrown out of Walmart for refusing to wear a mask. So, yeah, it happens. Walmart doesn't care if it looses those people as customers, there are thousands others ready to fill the empty spot.

Agreed with Mark's above post too. I have noticed that most of Target's customer base is very different than a lot that go into Walmarts. As I mentioned, their pricing is pretty comparable to Walmart for a lot of things.

Another incident that stands out is a customer wanted to return a BB gun and they were not allowed to. Apparently there were no refunds on BB guns. The guy wanted to start a fight with the manager. they had to have five guys up front and ready to call the police. The guy left the store with his BB gun.

I know a couple of people that work at Walmart and they have many stories....

And yes there is also a nice mix of Walmart customers that go in, get what they need, follow the guidelines, pay for the stuff and get out.

I got curious from what Mark of Colorado/TX wrote about people getting kicked out of Walmart for not wearing a mask.

Checked out YouTube and there are some crazy crazy crazy people out there.

Brother. I am embarrassed that fellow Americans act this way during a pandemic! No wonder Europe thinks we are crazy or have that entitled attitude.

Adding: wow there was even a video about target and some transient people starting a fight over mask-wearing 😷😲

Some of the major retailers around here are enforcing the mask requirement, but most are not. In our city, Walmarts have been the hotspots for police activity for years, and some have a permanent police presence. Its also where the repo-men (car repossession) go to look for their targets in the parking lot. I know people who have worked in Walmarts that have stories much worse than the ones that make the internet. Last time I was in one, I saw a guy trying pants on in the middle of the aisle. I told a clerk who said "welcome to Walmart". Yeah, that's the back door America that the tourists don t see.

Right Stan. I also think police presence in a lot of Walmarts are for lessening stealing or fighting to grab the last roll of paper products. There have been less employees on the floor and in departments; more self check outs available which can sometimes be hard to monitor with just one employee.

The good thing is that recycle bags are not allowed in the stores right now. That will cut down some theft. You must use the "new" bags at check outs.

Adding:

Last time I was in one, I saw a guy trying pants on in the middle of the aisle.

On a humorous note, back when Filene's Basement was the store to shop in (on the way to the Orange Line trains) at Downtown Crossing for bargains on clothes -- dress, coats, suits, dress shirts, ties, etc., - shoes, handbags, accessories including jewelry, perfume, makeup, home goods, or that unique gift. A lot products and clothing were imported from Italy. Women would try on clothes in the middle of the dress department.

Now it is a Roche Bros owned market -- similar in size and goods of a Simply or maybe Carrefour Market in Rome.

I told a clerk who said "welcome to Walmart". Yeah, that's the back
door America that the tourists don t see.

Oh, we see it. https://www.peopleofwalmart.com/

Allen, My daughter and one of her friends go to Wallmart just to people watch.Cheap entertainment.

lol. Yep some characters for sure.

On another note, Target has been revamping some of its stores. The beauty sections for women and men resemble a "salon style" if you will. Special lighting, peg shelves and "beauty tables for women and men." < Although those are closed off right now of course.

They have shelving in the main aisle to promote certain products like hand sanitizer, etc. But you can still get by without knocking things over or waiting for someone to pass so you can go down the aisle. Wally's jam packs every single inch of their aisles (and shelves) to the point of claustrophobia.

Oh and in the past, I have seen in Walmart, empty containers of popcorn chicken thrown on a shelf with tee shirts or empty bottles of soda or empty containers of milk just left - no care about it going bad or it has to be marked out. I have also seen packs of meat left on shelves in the clothing department or underwear department - disgusting and low class and lazy.

Wal Mart is OK around 7 a.m. or earlier if you can make it. I'm 59 and for whatever reason I wake up at 5:30 or 6:00 no matter what, so a cup of coffee or two and I'm ready to go by 7. It's almost pleasant. In some ways it's better than Versailles on a July afternoon. Actually, it's much better... kidding, maybe.

There's a "beauty section" for men?

Anyway, if you want to see the "real America" go to Wal Mart or a football tailgate. As for stores throwing people out, well, that might work for some people. What is someone is 400 pounds and in a scooter? How do you throw them out? A work colleague is a former offensive lineman for a college football team. I would like to see someone try to force him out of anywhere short of gunpoint.

I am glad passengers are being required to wear masks and they cannot comply they need to live with the consequences.

As for masks in general, I have posted several times this morning about this. We wear them anyplace we are indoors, except for at home. For outside on a walk we do not need to because our neighborhood is awesome at distancing! Seriously, some amazing people here and people are happy to distance and smile. However we went hiking yesterday and omg, what a disaster!!! We have been hiking that trail every year for over 25 years and I have never seen it like that. Absolutely mobbed and we counted, on 6 others in masks out of over 100 people. We have never seen more than 15 people on that trail ever over the years, so the amount yesterday was shocking. But then the total disregard of distancing at all, and no masks ,and yes a couple groups did laugh at us. But seriously , what the heck is wrong with people that they are so selfish that they cannot abide by the rules, which state outside if you cannot properly distance, which was exactly the case yesterday. Even at garden centers I wear a mask because people do not distance and often times they are somewhat enclosed. It literally is so easy to wear a mask and do your part to be a contributing member of society. People are just selfish if they are not doing their part, IMO.

mikliz, that is a shame. One victim of the pandemic is the trust we should have in our fellow citizens to do the right thing. Shame on the politicians and their social media hyenas who have turned masking and everything else into a political contest instead a common sense public health measure. We have very low compliance in my city, which is about to impose a masking requirement for public spaces tomorrow. Enforcement? unlikely.

I've had to wear a mask for extended periods of time, and it is not fun. I'm not sure how well I would handle it for the length of an overseas flight. But if thats what it takes I'm going to try.

I try to wear a mask when I'm walking on a crowded trail. The only times I have been mocked it's been by a group of young women or men all running together with no social distancing. Just sad that our country now mocks public health initiatives. Am old enough to just remember when buckling up became the law and all the crazies who thought it was dictatorial to make them wear seat belts. Of course we now know that these laws have saved countless lives. But there's always a few.
I've been happy to see that most people wear masks when requested at stores or markets by me. Hopefully when people find out that they can't travel out of the country because the Covid rate is too high they will understand why they have to wear masks.

Bravo to American Airlines!

Stan--That's the problem, the lack of enforcement. It is a shame that that is even needed, but unfortunately a sign of our society, IMO.

Heather--You pretty much described the two groups that laughed at us. The ironic thing is, I was with our daughter who is 29, so is the same age range as these two groups. I am not sure which of us was more livid, but probably her since her degree was Public Health and she studied epidemiology so she knows much more about this stuff than I do. I too remember when seatbelts became law here. I was a teenager and we all complied without complaining, so I am not sure why people can't do the same thing with masks, distancing etc.

One more time: Rules without enforcement are suggestions. But what are you going to do if someone claims they have some sort of health or respiratory issue? Nothing.

Young and healthy people, among others, look at mask-wearing as weak, fearful, and timid. To them, it's funny. I'm not among that group but I remember feeling that way at one time. Invincible.

Apathy, ignorance, and laziness are powerful forces leading to so many people not wearing masks. Oh, and, "Myyy righhts," too. "Gubmint don't tell me what to do."

I have to respectfully disagree with Big Mike, or maybe we are all just different in Minnesota. I am the proud parent of four young people in their 20s. They are all extremely careful. They all wear masks when they are near people. They are disgusted when they go places and the employees and others are wearing masks but some customers lack empathy and respect and go without masks. My kids are also very careful about where they go. They limit shopping trips, do a bit of take out and when they have gatherings they make a large circle and wear masks. In my community, I have noticed that others in that same age group are wearing masks as well.

It of course depends on where I go, but I see a lot of the 60-70 age group without masks. I have stopped going to stores that do not have strict safeguards in place for employees and customers. I am frequenting Trader Joes and Aldi because I have found the employees and customers in those stores to be most responsible.

We went camping in Grand Teton at the beginning of June. Most people hiking were wearing masks. Park employees were all wearing masks. We took a short boat trip to the start of a long hike. Again, all the park employees were wearing masks, yet the couples in the 60-75 age group were not! I noticed that of those on the boat that just took the short walk to the waterfall, none wore masks. Young couples and families with plans to hike well into the canyon wore masks. Interesting. We did make a daytrip to Yellowstone where we were completely dismayed by the lack of masks and physical distancing. There were reminder signs everywhere! Again, it was a certain age group, and honestly, the people in the large mobile homes without masks. And it seemed to me that in general, it was the healthy people wearing masks. Less mobile, heavier, older people were the ones less likely to be wearing masks.

Now, before I get pushback, it is absolutely correct, that generalizations are dangerous. But my point is, that in my experience in Minnesota and then our travel to Wyoming, it is not the young people and healthy people without masks.

jules m-- I agree. Our kids are in their mid-late 20's and take this very seriously, as do their friends. A couple weeks ago our son and his gf went to a small wedding reception in a very rural part of the state. They pretty much just showed their faces to the B&G to say hi and left a few minutes later. They said most people there were not wearing masks, and that was the case when they stopped at the grocery store and bakery to get food for in their hotel room. Our son made the mistake of replying to a comment made to them about wearing masks, and he saw that there was no reasoning with the person, so gave it up. Every age has their share of idiots.