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Air Rage Advice
Err Travel · September 14, 1999

As noted in last week's column, governments are considering increasing the punishment slapped on unruly passengers and airlines are providing some aggression control techniques for their flight attendants.

But what about us? What can we do, as well-behaved passengers, to protect ourselves from some confrontational nimrod who is spiraling out of control?

Here are some survival techniques that you won't find printed on your boarding pass and are unlikely to hear as part of a flight attendant's pre-flight briefing.

Be alert during the boarding process. Many passengers who turn into big problems in the air, show signs that foretell their impending behavior while they are still on the ground. While you're waiting to board, measure the temperament of your fellow passengers. Take notice of those who could be troublemakers. Drunkenness is a clear and dangerous signal. Not many drunks become trouble, but many of the troublemakers are drunk.

Rely on your perceptive abilities. You've got more time and more reason to size up your fellow passengers than do the ground agents who won't be on the plane with you. Act on your suspicions, and report problem passengers to security. (Airline ground agents may not be of much assistance because they have little clout and can solve their problems with disruptive passengers by boarding them.)

Choose an aisle seat. If your seatmate goes bonkers, you don't want to be trapped between him and the side of the airplane.

Don't ignore commotion in the cabin. Sitting in an aluminum tube miles above the earth is not the time to ignore what's going on around you. Another person's nasty behavior can become your problem in a big hurry. Like it or not, your safety is tied to all the other flyers on board - the good, the bad, and the ones I usually get seated next to. When you see tempers start to flare, be prepared to take some action.

Distance yourself from a misbehaving passenger. You expose yourself to danger when you are near a really ticked-off traveler. Moreover, the presence of onlookers can embolden an already tanked-up dufus. Don't make a big deal about leaving, but do leave. Simply excuse yourself, and get the hell away.

Remain calm. Cooperate with the crew member who is calling the shots. His or her job is to get the aircraft on the ground safely. Dealing with a disruptive passenger is not about therapy, it is about control. You may hear a crewmember make all kinds of promises you know she can't keep. The important thing is that the troublemaker believe that, yes, when you land, he will be awarded free, lifetime, first-class upgrades. Assure him that he will.

Offer assistance. When bad turns to worse, flight attendants may need your assistance to physically subdue a violent passenger. If you can help, do. Remember, you're all in this together. If he goes down, well ....

Finally, keep in mind that most unruly passengers are brought under control before they do any serious harm. And none of these jerks has yet to cause severe mechanical damage to an airplane. And now you can help.

Dr. Terry Riley is a psychologist and travel security authority. Visit his site at http://www.appliedpsychology.com or e-mail him at riley@appliedpsychology.com.