The Roon for Holding Blind People More on Airline Safety

The Roon for Holding Blind People More on Airline Safety

Braille MonitorApril 1986
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The Roon for Holding Blind People

More on Airline Safety
As we said in the January, 1986, Monitor, NINNESCAH is a magazine which
is published primarily for the airline
industry. Its editor is Ellis Reida.
The November-December issue of
NINNESCAH carried an interview with
President Jernigan and was largely
taken up with the airline controversy.
The January-February, 1986, issue of
NINNESCAH continues the discussion.
Among other things, Mr. Reida has some
comments about a new policy by one of
the nation's airlines. Although he does
not name the airline or the city in
question, he is referring to United
Airlines and to Chicago. As is so tiresomely
true, United is undoubtedly doing
it in the name of safety. It is enough
to make one change the ancient proverb:
"The road to hell and insanity is paved
with nonsense about safety." Here is
what Mr. Reida says:
Administrative Convenience Rules
Dr. Oral O. Miller, at the end of his
comments in the interview with him in
this issue, cautions air carriers
against indiscriminately applying "administrative
rules," as often such rules
are "an inconvenience and even an embarrassment
to someone else."
Air carriers must establish administrative
rules to facilitate operations
and control passenger flow. However, a
danger can exist when rules are established
to control a class of passengers
who are "different" in some way.
Perhaps the point is best illustrated
by an example. One United States airline
has an excellent record over the
years offering services to the handicapped.
Disabled passengers routinely
had rated it as the best U.S. airline in
such services.
However, with its development of the
"hub and spoke" traffic system, the
carrier found itself with a great number
of flights in and out of one airport.
It noticed that it took a lot of staff
time just to move disabled passengers
between flights.

Then someone had a bright idea. All
transferring disabled passengers would
be gathered in a central location, from
which they could be more "conveniently" dispersed to their continuing flights.
Suddenly incoming disabled passengers
have found that they cannot meet
friends, shop, make a phone call, or
just "kill time" in the terminal as
other passengers. They are forcibly
placed in a room, and airline personnel
actually mount guard to insure that the
passengers don't stray. It even has
been seen as a further "convenience" to
make everyone wear badges or buttons to
help personnel sort them out.

The above system is a good one for
baggage, and evidently those who have
devised the administrative convenience
rules tend to see passengers who are
"different" as somewhat like baggage.
There has been an uproar from disabled
passengers, their families, and friends
who have the holding room experience of
the above airline at the described airport.
It is in danger of losing the
good will which has been so carefully
built over the years.
Dr. Miller's caution about such rules
should receive careful reflection by air
carrier executives, especially when they
are applied only to one class of passenger.
Ellis
Reida

Managing Editor
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