Isnt It About Time Drunken People Were Stopped From Boarding?

[youngmafbog]

And once on board not given enough to make them drunk too of course.


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3826654/Ten-year-old-child-hit-flying-bottle-families-left-cowering-two-gangs-boozed-yobs-brawl-flight-Edinburgh-Alicante.html

[andy-hughes]

It's time to stop serving alcohol in airports and on planes.

There is no earthly reason why people need to drink in airports except simple boredom, which is capitalised on by airport owners, and then continually capitalised on by airlines.

Alcohol should be banned from planes and airports, and anyone who turns up drunk should be refused boarding

It's not difficult - well, if you put safety and comfort before profit it's not, anyway.

[ichkeria]

Drink people often are refused boarding I thought.

As long as the crew stay away from it though(! - remember The High Life with Alan Cummings???) then I think it's ok. A ban would be unenforceable. All those different airlines and different countries? All that money to be made

[murraymints]

can't understand how they were allowed to board !

[andy-hughes]

In the same way the cultures do not seriously address the issues caused by drug abuse - as in alcohol and nicotine - so this issue will not be addressed because there is too much money to be made.

The airlines and airports regard the amount of alcohol profit measured against the incident level is acceptable, and while they think that way, nothing will change.

[Gromit]

Of course andy-hughes is talking rubbish.
The vast majority of people who drink at the airport and on the plane cause no trouble at all. Stopping law abiding people drinking because of one or two idiots would be extremely unfair.
Fights and arguments break out amongst sober passengers too, what daft reason would you use for not allowing them to board?
Millions of people travel every year so you will never stop some having disagreements.
Existing laws and fines are successful in keeping this sort of thing rare, and not something that occurs on every flight.

[ummmm]

I need a drink before boarding a plane. I don't get drunk but I need a drink.

[Baldric]

No-one needs a drink, having said that, I enjoy one as well when possible, it's knowing when to stop that causes problems for some.

[chelle7272]

exactly ummmm I think a lot of people do just to get the nerve to get on!

I'd be more worried about the pilot and other air crew drinking all night- I've seen it - and flying the next day.

[youngmafbog]

Well I have not said no drink.

Serving on the plane is often not the problem, many are tanked up before they arrive.

There is a marked increase in this violence on flights, usually drink related.

Surely it would not be difficult to breathalyze anyone who appears to have had too much and if they have not allow them on? And I dont mean to such a low level as the drive limit.

And then, if you do cause trouble you should be marked as 'banned' for 10 years.

[Islay]

Why should the majority of air travellers suffer for a few knobs?

I'm not a massive drinker but I would not want to stop others enjoying theirselves - the issue here is why were they allowed to board in the first place.

[ivor4781]

when started flying in the mid 60s there was none of this on the many flights i had people were more dignifed, i have not seen this i have to say on recent flights to but i've never been on ryan air easy jet type of flights i find that carriers for one i use, KLM just as cheap as those,

[TWR]

I would think it's possible here to take the airlines to task for allowing these clown to board the flight & to ban the offenders from every airline for a period of time, why should the ordinary people be inconvenienced by these clowns.

[Elina]

Surely not Andy, incidents are on the rise, diverted flights, surely that can't be cost affective for airlines? I hope they do bring in an alcohol ban, stop the ######### boarding and making it uncomfortable for everyone else.

[Elina]

.. effective ..

[EcclesCake]

Stop drunk folk boarding is OK.

To stop serving alcohol airside and on board is an unreasonable punishment for the sensible many.

A glass of champagne and plate of smoked salmon is my traditional send off when travelling for pleasure and a drink on board is the norm too. Somehow I've managed to not kick off to date.

[Elina]

It is unfair eccles, but they haven't got a grip on the situation, zero tolerance is my way of thinking.

[Zacs-Master]

Let's be financially savvy here. The airports make far too much money from alcohol sales for it ever to be banned.

[andy-hughes]

Gromit - //Of course andy-hughes is talking rubbish. //

Well, I would take issue with your assumption that my argument is invalid as a given, but onwards ...

// The vast majority of people who drink at the airport and on the plane cause no trouble at all. Stopping law abiding people drinking because of one or two idiots would be extremely unfair. //

You could use that argument about drink-drivers, heroin addicts, people who punch people randomly in the street - just because the majority cause no hard doing something does not inherently make that activity desireable.

//Fights and arguments break out amongst sober passengers too, what daft reason would you use for not allowing them to board? //

I don't believe they do actually - and you are clutching at straws to think that an occasional disagreement over space or luggage stowing equates to the full-on violence engendered by putting drunken idiots in a confined space with a rarefied atmosphere, and then feeding them more alcohol - such as this incident referred to in the OP.

//Millions of people travel every year so you will never stop some having disagreements. //

Disagreements no, full-on alcohol-fuelled fights, quite possible.

// Existing laws and fines are successful in keeping this sort of thing rare, and not something that occurs on every flight. //

Statistics would argue with you on that point - it is acknowledged that air-rage incidents are on the rise, and alcohol is routinely at the root of them.

So I think your defence is seriously flawed - but not 'rubbish' - just difficult to maintain in the light of statistics.

[TWR]

Zac, if Airlines can be sued for lateness I'm sure if this practice continues it will not belong before someone would sue the airline for the problems caused by diverting the plane, it's a wonder this has not happened in the US as they will sue for anything

[andy-hughes]

I believe we have to look at the culture that has been allowed to develop here.

Why do people feel they need to drink alcohol while waiting for a plane?

Bus stations and taxi ranks don't have bars adjoining them.

It is not necessary, and it should be stopped, because it causes potential harm and disruption.

Non-one 'needs' a drink' to get on a plane - if you are a nervous flyer, two milligrams of Diazipam taken an hour before you fly will sort that out for you, with no lasting effects, certainly not ones that could lead to the police greeting you on landing.