R. RobotDec 30, 2022
mekka okereke 

So Southwest Airlines cancelled the flight of passengers that were waiting at the gate, and then called the police on them to threaten them with arrest for "trespassing." Southwest claimed that the passengers were trespassing because they had gone through the security checkpoint, but didn't have a valid ticket. They didn't have a valid ticket, because Southwest had just cancelled it🤡

https://www.tiktok.com/@a.ndreart/video/7181960518243011886

In the USA, calling the police on someone, especially a Black person, is a violent act.

Dec 29, 2022 at 5:50pmWeb
Show threadmekka okereke Dec 29, 2022

Let me know if you notice the difference in the way this cop talks to the Black woman (who is an attorney!), and the way he talks to everyone else. Let me know if you notice how extra polite and precise her language is.

My family has tickets on Southwest and will be in a US airport soon.

US racism means that when there are problems affecting everyone (flights cancelled, hurricane, blizzard), systems that are supposed to help (police, EMS), often make life harder for Black folk.

Show threadstephen judkinsDec 29, 2022
@mekkaokereke wow you are not exaggerating there, this is pretty fucked
Show threadTrillion ByterDec 29, 2022
@mekkaokereke Yep. And the *local* cop becomes such an ardent spokesperson for... airline policy? Federal TSA rules? All things that aren't his jurisdiction. But he's ready to recite (shaky/unfounded) chapter and verse to the Black lady? Oh no.
Show threadRobert LinkDec 29, 2022
@mekkaokereke How can this still be news to some people? How can anyone not know this by now? It makes my head hurt thinking about it.
Show threadUnprecedented 2023Dec 29, 2022
@mekkaokereke 😪😪
Show threadSean Lake: famous ballet Dec 30, 2022
@mekkaokereke Yeah, I see it. I see how he picked her as the person at whose expense he would assert his authority, despite being fully aware that the instructions he was given were stupid. I see how she had precious little choice but to act perfectly calm and polite as he escalated the situation. I see his constant threats of violence, and the increasingly hair trigger readiness to act on those threats. It’s terrifying, and it’s unjust.
Show threadDr. Eric J. Fielding, PhDDec 30, 2022
@robotrecall @mekkaokereke I wonder if the cop would have behaved even more aggressively to that Black woman without the person following him taking video.
Show threaddeafboyDec 30, 2022

@mekkaokereke From the my european point of view, in cases like this I often feel like everyone involved in the conflict is trying to escalate.

1. Who in their right mind calls the cops on their customers?
2. Why would the cop threaten to arrest people for what's essentially a non-issue?
3. Why would the passengers stay there with "why should I?" attitude, when it's clear at that point they're not going to fly anywhere.

Maybe it's just a selection bias, but I wouldn't feel safe there.

Show threadAgnes of the DogsDec 30, 2022
@deafboy @mekkaokereke Welcome to America. This surprises me not *one tiny bit.*
Show threadManitcorDec 30, 2022
@deafboy @mekkaokereke #3 is the result of a growing understanding that cops make things up and will pull all kinds of crap just to show thier "power". Really not surprised to see people question anything they do out of the norm.
Show threadWrldVoyagrDec 30, 2022
@deafboy @mekkaokereke @deafboy Regarding point #3, the passengers were staying there as they were in line to talk to Southwest staff to solve their reticketing issues.
Show threadRDS (shawphd on Twitter)Dec 30, 2022
@deafboy @mekkaokereke Passengers *normally* stay near the gates of cancelled flights in order to get help rebooking or transferring. This is bizarre.
Show threadtoxtethogradyDec 30, 2022
@mekkaokereke It all comes down to the types of people police departments are recruiting, hiring and promoting. One wonders why those standardized tests each department uses fail to weed out the racists and fascists who tried to join law enforcement (and a side benefit of improving the tests would be to recommend more persons of color for positions in law enforcement)...
Show threadJDPilleyDec 30, 2022
@toxtethogrady @mekkaokereke The people doing the hiring hire people that are just like them! Uneducated bullies hire more uneducated bullies. There are good cops, it’s just that bad cops seem to have the power.
Show threadIncorrigible Maker for HARRISDec 30, 2022

@mekkaokereke
This is "white privilege", it is endemic, and protecting it is the root agenda of the GOP.

Rooting out white privilege and destroying it should be the single most urgent priority of every American until it is totally eleminated

Show threadLa NégresseDec 31, 2022
@mekkaokereke
Police act as agents that enforce white supremacy and its systems of race based oppression. The Black woman attorney knew this and acted accordingly because has the legal power and standing to make life miserable for that police officer. In fact, every tax paying voter has the same power.
Show threadÇ'thûłhů👾Rants! 🇺🇦 🇵🇸 🇨🇦Dec 29, 2022
@mekkaokereke
This is fucked.
Show threadLibertyForward1Dec 29, 2022
@mekkaokereke Well, that should help out with their reputation rehabilitation game..
Show threadRik  🇵🇸 Dec 29, 2022
@mekkaokereke totally insane
Show thread🦄 I Make Robots 🦄Dec 29, 2022
@mekkaokereke Jesus Christ. Just an amazing 180° on the SWA image.
Show threadNeysa NevinsDec 29, 2022
@mekkaokereke the police officer clearly states that #SouthwestAirlines called him to remove passengers from the secure side of an airport after SW canceled their tickets. I’m not sure what airport this is but for ones like Philly there are no amenities outside the secure area. If one has to wait many hours/days it matters
Show threadNeysa NevinsDec 29, 2022
@mekkaokereke We now know the airport was Nashville. SWA should coach their employees not to call the police on their customers https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/29/us/southwest-traveler-records-airport-police-nashville.html
Their Flights Canceled, Southwest Travelers Were Threatened With Arrest

A police officer at Nashville International Airport told travelers whose Southwest flights had been canceled that they would be arrested for trespassing if they did not leave a secure area, a video shows.

Show thread🌊Ann Morris🐕🍀🌎🌊🌊Dec 29, 2022
@mekkaokereke That cop was an a$$hole. EVERYONE STOP FLYING SOUTHWEST!!!
Show threadDouglas E. WelchDec 29, 2022

@mekkaokereke

I think they are far too late for any recovery.

Sometimes companies, and people, make a mistake large enough that we should preclude them from ever making that mistake again.

Southwest needs to shut down and allow someone else to try.

Show threadKLBDec 29, 2022
@mekkaokereke what in the WORLD!!!
Show threadBen RosengartDec 29, 2022
@mekkaokereke @adrienne Really hard for me to imagine what sequence of thoughts led someone to this decision. Just appalling on every level.
Show threadBen RosengartDec 29, 2022
@mekkaokereke @adrienne And thank you for that last comment, because it’s the kind of thing that’s obvious once you see it, but there’s a lot of infrastructure devoted to ensuring people don’t see it.
Show threadOld Hippie ⓋDec 29, 2022
@mekkaokereke no one should ever fly on this airline again. #BoycottSouthwest
Show threadS3r1ous BlackDec 29, 2022
@mekkaokereke
Calling the police on a person in America is ALWAYS a violent act....
Show threadKenny MayneDec 29, 2022
@mekkaokereke hmmm now flying while black is a potential crime? When will the systematic harassment of non-white Americans end? She handled herself well and good for her for standing her ground and asking the right questions. I am booked for California on Southwest January 9. I hope they get their 5#!+ together by then.
Show threadfridrikr.tomassonDec 29, 2022

@PlayItSlow @mekkaokereke

I have to wonder why you haven't changed carriers for your flight to California. Hasn't #Southwest shown their true self by now? Why continue to support them, financially or otherwise?

Show threadKenny MayneDec 29, 2022
@fridrikrtomasson @mekkaokereke a fair question, but unfortunately not as easily done as said in our situation.
Show threadcestmoiDec 29, 2022
@mekkaokereke This fiasco get worst and buttigieg, the worst secretary of transportation ever is doing NADA about it. 🤔🤔🤔$$$$???? Get off your arse and do something and stop the blah blah blah
Show threadGrant WilliamsDec 29, 2022
@mekkaokereke I watched that yesterday. Pretty wild - the No Valid Ticket rationale was peak corporate and cop bullshit.
Show threadenmodo ⚛️ 🧬 🇺🇦 🍉Dec 29, 2022
@mekkaokereke sounds like the airline equivalent of an "offside trap" in football (soccer to Americans).
Show threadLindaNYC2VT Ⓥ 🌊🐖🐄🐓🦃🐬🐝🦋🦇Dec 29, 2022
@mekkaokereke Elon Musk took over SWA didn’t he?
Show threadVoronDec 29, 2022
@mekkaokereke If corporations are people southwest is a major asshole
Show threadIdealistic Pragmatist Dec 30, 2022
@mekkaokereke holy SHIT that’s evil.
Show threadPamela Barroway – Biz EditorDec 30, 2022
@mekkaokereke jfc
Show threadKarlDec 30, 2022
@mekkaokereke what a clusterfuck
Show threadRalph058 (S/he/it) AF4EZDec 30, 2022
@mekkaokereke I think that Southwest committed corporate suicide last weekend.
Show threadJames GuilfordDec 30, 2022
@mekkaokereke They just keep making it worse, not only on their customers but on themselves! #southwest
Show threadTony “Abolish ICE” Arcieri🌹🦀Dec 30, 2022
@mekkaokereke hopefully Southwest goes the way of US Airways over this, i.e. extinct
Show threadbbennettesq Dec 30, 2022
@mekkaokereke well, that's a(nother) lawsuit southwest will be facing. Real smart.
Show threadDarwin WoodkaDec 30, 2022
@mekkaokereke the hell is this nonsense.
Show threadAutisticMumTo3Dec 30, 2022
@mekkaokereke
And in that case just plain wrong. They had done nothing wrong. The airline was in the wrong treating them like that. I hope they get sued for a lot of money or done for their treatment of these people.
@Lazarou
Show threadBeeksDec 30, 2022
@mekkaokereke ACAB is a universal law.
Show threadKel StewartDec 30, 2022
@mekkaokereke the USA is surely close to revolt with this kind of behaviour?
Show threadRDS (shawphd on Twitter)Dec 30, 2022
@KelStewart @mekkaokereke It’s hard when our cops have arsenals equivalent to small nations’.
Show threadKel StewartDec 30, 2022
@shawrd773 @mekkaokereke very true. I’m sorry it sounds awful.
Show threadKerryBostonFan42Dec 30, 2022
@mekkaokereke wow that's pretty bad customer service especially when you've just screwed up everyone's holiday. That's just messed up.
Show threadScott Williams 🐧Dec 30, 2022
@mekkaokereke I made the very unfortunate choice of reading the discussion about this on Twitter and very much regretted it. The discussions are going far better over here than all the victim blamers trying to one up each other for shock value over there.
Show threadBiggieJohnDec 30, 2022
@mekkaokereke they cancelled ALL flights across their entire network because almost all their ramp crew walked off the job in Denver, causing a cascading staffing disaster. SW is still down as of thurs night, all staff are being "timed out" so they can reset friday morning and attempt to resume normal operations.
Show threadAgnes of the DogsDec 30, 2022
@mekkaokereke This whole episode was ridiculous. I’ll avoid flying Southwest as much as possible, despite the fact they’ve got the most flights in our area AND being an A-List SW customer for years. Will now go with Delta instead.
Show threadVincent Hayes🌹Dec 30, 2022
@AgnesoftheDogs @mekkaokereke Delta's probably not much better from what I've seen, none of these corps care about people. https://www.inc.com/jason-aten/an-upset-customer-reached-out-to-delta-on-twitter-its-response-was-1-thing-no-company-should-ever-do.html
Show threadAgnes of the DogsDec 30, 2022
@Neybulot @mekkaokereke They don’t, but at least they’ve got a decent on-time record.
Show threadPaul GowderDec 30, 2022

@mekkaokereke

United: has guy dragged off plane
Southwest: hold my beer

Show threadSiunDec 31, 2022
@mekkaokereke Enraging … and more enraging that give US reality, the attorney cannot even express her outrage. The racism inherent in our police and the unquestioned power they wield is maddening —- so often tied to preferential hiring treatment of veterans trained to consider brown people of Iraq and Afghanistan as expendable at best, an attitude brought home and turned on people of color here. Infuriating toothe no intervention by those with privilege watching this all go down.