By now you may have heard that actor and outspoken liberal Alec Baldwin was thrown off an American Airlines flight at LAX yesterday. Details were somewhat sketchy, but it appeared that the television and movie star was removed following a row with flight attendants over turning off an electronic device at the required time. Since this story has gotten a lot of play, American Airlines has posted an account of what actually happened on its official Facebook page. What a peach, this guy:
Since an extremely vocal customer has publicly identified himself as being removed from an American Airlines flight on Tuesday, Dec. 6, we have elected to provide the actual facts of the matter as well as the FAA regulations which American, and all airlines, must enforce. Cell phones and electronic devices are allowed to be used while the aircraft is at the gate and the door is open for boarding. When the door is closed for departure and the seat belt light is turned on, all cell phones and electronic devices must be turned off for taxi-out and take-off. This passenger declined to turn off his cell phone when asked to do so at the appropriate time. The passenger ultimately stood up (with the seat belt light still on for departure) and took his phone into the plane’s lavatory. He slammed the lavatory door so hard, the cockpit crew heard it and became alarmed, even with the cockpit door closed and locked. They immediately contacted the cabin crew to check on the situation. The passenger was extremely rude to the crew, calling them inappropriate names and using offensive language. Given the facts above, the passenger was removed from the flight and denied boarding.
Man, I knew Liz Lemon's pilot boyfriend, Carol, was a strict enforcer of "sky law," but I never imagined he'd cross Donaghy like this. If that sentence is incomprehensible to you, I'd recommend picking up some 30 Rock DVDs. This isn't the first time Baldwin's infamous temper has gotten the better of him. He famously left a vicious voicemail for his estranged daughter, and his "short fuse" reportedly played a role in his divorce from Kim Basinger. And who could forget this "joke" on Late Night with Conan O'Brien during the Clinton impeachment proceedings:
Death by stoning: Hilarious! I think Baldwin is a good actor and his portrayal of pompous and self-absorbed NBC executive Jack Donaghy on 30 Rock is pitch-perfect. Too bad he's such an insufferablem entitled jerk in real life.
UPDATE - Baldwin has apparently deactivated his heretofore very active Twitter account.