Frederick Joseph says the woman refused to move her feet, then demanded to be accommodated for accommodating him. (Image courtesy of Frederick Joseph/Twitter)
A Black airline passenger was left flustered after a less than enjoyable flight with a woman who refused to mind her manners. What’s worse is the flight crew did nothing — while the woman walked away with a generous voucher.
Frederick Joseph, creator of the viral #BlackPantherChallenge, took to Twitter on Tuesday to share his horrid experience on a United Airlines flight on March 13. The chaos unfolded when Joseph said the woman seated next to him removed her shoes and propped both her feet on the food tray. He said he waited patiently for the flight crew to take notice but to no avail.
The audacity of white privilege:
This woman next to me took her shoes off and placed both feet on the table. So I’m waiting for flight staff to say something… pic.twitter.com/ldOIgwiPWi
— Frederick Joseph (@FredTJoseph) March 13, 2018
“…Flight staff walks by numerous times without saying anything, and I’m irate because no Black person would ever get away with this shit,” he wrote. “So, I start looking at the staff noting that there’s an issue. You know, giving them the snitch eye …”
After several failed attempts to get the flight staff’s attention, Joseph said he finally decided to address the woman himself, saying, “Ma’am, I’m trying to eat and your feet are next to my food.”
“What do you want me to do? The seat are small,” she replied.
Joseph said he explained to the entitled woman that there was plenty of room for her feet and legs under the seat in front of her, asking again for her to please move her feet.
“This is why I fly first class,” the woman said. “And I don’t come back here with everyone else.”
So I’m like “I understand, which is why there is room for your feet and legs under the seat in front of you”
So she says “this is why I fly first class, and I don’t come back here with everyone else.”
So I’m like “that’s great, so are you going to put your feet down?” pic.twitter.com/u3ZAOsrnxB
— Frederick Joseph (@FredTJoseph) March 13, 2018
Joseph’s repeated complaints were enough for the woman to flag down a flight attendant and accuse him of disrupting her flight. Joseph made his case too, pointing out the woman’s feet.
“The flight attendant says … ‘well what if she puts her feet closer to the window and or puts one down?'” he wrote, after which the woman demanded she be “accommodated for “accommodating him.”
What happened next was a doozie.
So the flight attendant speaks to the person in-charge on the plane and they give promise this woman a fucking $1000 voucher … ONE.THOUSAND. DOLLAR. pic.twitter.com/0DEZKKDU1e
— Frederick Joseph (@FredTJoseph) March 13, 2018
When Joseph asked what kind of voucher he’d be receiving for his suffering, the flight attendant balked, saying there were only so many accommodations the airline could make. Joseph reportedly then hopped on the phone with a customer service agent, where he received more resistance.
Now I’m on the phone trying to explain how problematic this all was to a white woman in customer service who doesn’t get my issue. pic.twitter.com/3lVxeqfVrC
— Frederick Joseph (@FredTJoseph) March 13, 2018
Joseph’s story garnered several reactions from users who were equally outraged by the incident.
Every black person knows that if the races had been reversed, it would have gone very differently. You can’t see it bc that’s not your life’s experience.
— Erna (@ernasheree) March 13, 2018
Truthfully, this nasty bitch probably would have done this if her seat mate was white, the problem comes when she gets indignant when asked to put her feet on the floor where they belong, then the steward decides to side with the nasty bitch because race.
— Ellen Leigh (@Ellenleigh3) March 13, 2018
Every black person knows that if the races had been reversed, it would have gone very differently. You can’t see it bc that’s not your life’s experience.
— Erna (@ernasheree) March 13, 2018
Jaime Primack, who works for Will Packer Media, caught wind of Joseph’s experience and decided to take her complaints straight to United. Users figured the company would listen to her because she’s a white woman. So, she used her privilege and here’s what the airline had to say.
One privilege call coming right up. Stand by. It’s a 29 minute wait time 😏
— Jaime Primak (@JaimePrimak) March 13, 2018
Okay – so William or Bill as he preferred – was actually appalled when i explained the situation. (He couldn’t believe it) i had to read him the thread.
I explained that as white people with a voice we had an obligation to speak up and out.— Jaime Primak (@JaimePrimak) March 14, 2018
He agreed and was taking my complaint and those on twitter to his supervisor and higher.
Bill was woke y’all and not at all here for the mayonnaise mascre of that man’s in flight personal space.
— Jaime Primak (@JaimePrimak) March 14, 2018
