Man Booted Off Flight After Confronting Texas Governor On Marriage Stance

Via the Austin American-Statesman:

As he was waiting with family and staff to board a flight back to Austin on Tuesday night after two days promoting Texas in New York City, Gov. Greg Abbott was approached by another passenger who shook his hand and then loudly and profanely expressed his unhappiness with the governor’s opposition to gay marriage. “I hope you … go to hell because of your stance on gay marriage,” the man told the governor, using an epithet for emphasis, according to Abbott communications director Matt Hirsch, who was with the governor. The man, identified only as a 32-year-old male by Port Authority police, was asked to step back by Texas state troopers traveling with the governor.

As he walked away, Hirsch said the man, dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, directed a parting shot at the governor: “I’m going to see you on the plane.” As it happened, he didn’t. After the tense scene — which was loud enough to be apparent to the crowd of passengers awaiting Jet Blue’s last flight of the day from John F. Kennedy International Airport to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport — Jet Blue security told the man he wouldn’t be flying back to Austin on Tuesday night but would be put on the first flight back Wednesday morning. He was given a hotel room for the night, Hirsch said

The passenger was not arrested. Abbott later expressed his gratitude to airport officials.

Tweets Of The Day

From JetBlue's Facebook Page

Nike and Absolut Vodka have also expressed support on social media. Details.

Live Free Or Fly

JetBlue is running an election contest: "On November 6th, America will elect the next U.S. President. If things don't go your way, don't worry. Here's your chance to get a free flight out of the country with JetBlue. Participate in our poll and login to Facebook to enter. If you change your mind you can always come back. Or not. It's a free country."

Mark Bingham's Mom Fires Back

TMZ interviews Alice Hoagland, the mother of openly gay 9/11 hero Mark Bingham.

"Yes, my gay son was known in our family for bringing me flowers on my birthday and Mother’s Day. He also was known for careening down the rugby pitch, and, on the morning of September 11, 2001, for charging unarmed down the aisle of a doomed Boeing 757 to face knife-wielding Islamist thugs in a hijacked cockpit."

She adds, "No one among his pick-up team of fellow passengers was asking 'Are you straight? Are you gay?' No one doubted that a guy who weighed 220 and stood 6’4” tall - who could run over a charging opponent on the field, and ran with the bulls in Pamplona earlier that summer - would be an asset to a desperate group trying to overcome a threat onboard an airliner."

"The world has its share of strong, heroic gay men. Gay men in sports uniforms and military uniforms have been winning America’s games and fighting America’s battles for a long time: quietly, humbly, and in the face of vicious bigotry." "I hope you and I may have an opportunity to talk sometime. I prefer to believe you didn’t mean to offend. Good luck to you."

BAM! Also: Suh-NAP!

Carson Daly Apologizes To GLAAD

"We live in a time where gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals find courage every day to overcome adversity, stand up to bullying and find equality. I'm truly saddened that my words today suggested otherwise. I've long been a supporter of Gay and Lesbian rights, and I'm saddened that my comments, however unintentional, offended anyone, specifically members of the LGBT community. The fact that I have hurt anyone is devastating. I'm not that guy. I'm proud to be an ally of the LGBT community and will continue to fight with them." - Carson Daly, in a statement delivered to GLAAD.

Asshat Of The Day - Carson Daly

TMZ reports:

It all went down on Daly's L.A. radio show this morning ... when he was talking about the flight and said, "Most of the people were on their way to some sort of security conference in Las Vegas ... it was like a bunch of dudes and well trained dudes ... thank god." He laughingly continued, "With my luck, it would be like ... 'this is the flight going to [the gay pride parade] in San Francisco ... I mean, that would be my colleagues." Then, changing his voice to sound like a gay stereotype, Carson said, "Uh, we're headed down to Vegas for the floral convention."

Just now on Twitter...Clearly Carson Daly never heard of Mark Bingham.

NYC Tabs On JetBlue Pilot Meltdown

JetBlue is based in NYC and the pilot lives in Queens.

JetBlue Pilot Goes Nuts

The second time for this kind of thing this month.

A JetBlue captain went berserk on a flight from Kennedy Airport to Las Vegas today in an incident that forced the plane to make an emergency landing, passengers and authorities said. “Say your prayers!” the crazed pilot screamed as he ran up and down the aisle, a passenger told The Post. “Someone next to me said he was saying something about bombs,” recounted the passenger, Tiffany Lee, a 26-year-old Las Vegas resident. The Amarillo Globe-News also quoted passengers on board saying the pilot was screaming about al Qaeda. Laurie Dhue, a former FOX News Channel anchor who was on board the flight, told the network passengers could hear the pilot using the words "Afghanistan" and "Israel" during the tirade. The crazed captain’s outburst came after he was booted from the cockpit, passengers said. He banged on the cockpit door asking to be let back in before passengers subdued him, said authorities.

At least he was forced out of the cockpit in time.

JetBlue Gets Dough For Fast Lane

Yesterday the feds gave over $4M to NYC-based JetBlue so that the airline can transition away from ground radar and towards using GPS for its flights from JFK to Florida and the Caribbean. The new system means JetBlue flights so equipped will be shorter and faster.

Years in the planning, the system known as NextGen is expected to deliver an unprecedented level of precision that the FAA says will relieve air traffic congestion, allow more direct routing on flights, reduce flight delays and promote fuel efficiency. "This is just good business, really, independent of the FAA investment," JetBlue Airways chief executive Dave Barger said Thursday. "I'll be delighted to make the rest of the investment."

All commercial aircraft are required to be on the new system by 2020.

No No No No No No NO!

Former JetBlue flight attendant Steven Slater fancies himself a rapper. Here's a snippet of his single, I'm Steven Slater, Bitches. Make it stop, please.

Steven Slater Pleads Guilty

Famed/infamous JetBlue flight attendant Steven Slater pleaded guilty today to one count of felony attempted criminal mischief and one count of misdemeanor criminal mischief. A one to three year sentence was suspended with the agreement that Slater enter a year-long mental health program. Slater also agreed to begin substance and alcohol abuse counseling and to pay his former employer $10,000 for the cost of the emergency chute he deployed to make his dramatic exit. If he successfully completes the terms of his plea bargain, his felony conviction will be expunged and replaced with a misdemeanor. Let the TV movie begin!

Best Facebook Page (So Far)

Team Slater

On sale now. His Facebook fan page has 137,000 members already.

Tweet Of The Day - Roger Ebert

Rush Limbaugh On Steven Slater: America Would Like Its Own Escape Chute From Barack Obama

The Ballad Of Steven Slater

The chorus is pretty catchy!

The Animated Steven Slater

Taiwan's Apple Action News' specialty is computer animations of breaking events. Here's their take on JetBlue folk hero Steven Slater, complete with that "sexual embrace" with his boyfriend.

FreeStevenSlater.com

Already. And Facebook too. Slater was arraigned on charges of criminal mischief and reckless endangerment in the Queens Supreme Court. The judge set bail at $2500. Letterman and The View are doubtlessly next.

UPDATE: There's also a legal defense fund.

A Hat, A Brooch, A Pterodactyl

Over at Boy Culture, Matthew Rettenmund thinks JetBlue flight attendant Steven Slater could play Johnny in a remake of Airplane! Below is Young Turks host Cent Uygur's take on the incident.