`christmas Carol' Scrimps On Energy

911 May Save Time, Lives -- But Not Jobs 
As The Final Hearing On Adopting 
The Streamlined Emergency Service 
Arrives, The Best Aspect Is Its Ease 
To Remember. The Worst Is The Jobs That Could Be 
Lost

Thursday, December 01, 1994 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 3A 





I hate to fly, and it shows &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Did somebody say, ``hysterical stewardesses?'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; One woman on Sunday night's Delta Flight 1957 to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 International Airport wondered if she'd ever see another white-knuckled
Delta dawn. Janet Neuman's claims against the airline are scary enough to make
the &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Wright Brothers go GreyhoundDelta, however, disputes the Shavertown woman's
characterization of what happened. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Admittedly, the flight was far from being a breeze. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Passengers got tossed around and some got airsick, said Clay McConnell, a
supervisory spokesman at Delta corporate headquarters in Atlanta. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But Neuman's accusations of "hysterical stewardesses" is bunk, he said. Nor
was the airline able to corroborate Neuman's statement about people passing
out from the heat while waiting on the runway in Allentown, he said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Also, said McConnell, only four people called Delta's customer service line
to comment on the flight. Three of those complimented the pilot and crew, he
said. The other call was from Neuman, whom McConnell called "the lawyer." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 So what gives? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 First, let me say that I'm afraid to fly. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 And I have caused my share of terror on domestic flights that have
originated from and landed at our local airport. Twisting rosary beads in my
fingers, I have all but shouted, "We're going down" before regaining my
composure and getting a firm grasp on myself and my drink. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 So I'm not the most stable frequent flyer. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 I'm not a flight attendant, either. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 That's why Neuman's allegation about hysterical stewardesses unnerved me. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Nowadays, air passengers need all the security we can get. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 This really is a bad time for complaints. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 USAir is trying to salvage its reputation in the wake of too many fatal
crashes while just last weekend about a dozen American Eagle pilots refused to
take off from Chicago because they believed their planes were unsafe. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The chairman of the board at USAir even wrote a nice letter that costs
loads of money to print in major American newspapers and reassured USAir
customers who were still alive that their lives are not in danger. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 That made me feel good since I'm a regular USAir customer and like the
airline. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Occasionally, though, I fly Delta, whose slogan, "We Love To Fly And It
Shows" is hokey but comforting. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But hysterical stewardesses? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Because I wasn't on the flight I don't have first-hand knowledge of what
happened. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Neither does McConnell, for that matter. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 And, perhaps an outside inquiry is warranted. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But considering the dread that many people experience in extreme
turbulence, perhaps Neuman's perceptions were compounded by duress and
honest-to-goodness fear. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Seeing tears on the face of a flight attendant doesn't necessarily mean
what you might think it means. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "The one who was crying bumped her head," said McConnell. "She was crying
because her head hurt." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 All four flight attendants agreed that none of the crew panicked or was
"hysterical," McConnell said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 This all started when Sunday's Delta Flight 1957 from Atlanta was diverted
to Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton International Airport after the pilot decided
that wind shears were too powerful to land here. After two attempts, the pilot
decided to forget Wilkes-Barre. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Then, according to McConnell, the pilot made a "by-the-book landing that is
routine in rough weather." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Make no mistake about it. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 It was a rough flight. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 To be fair to everyone involved in this debate, maybe nobody is wrong here.
Each person on that plane saw and sensed exactly what they thought they saw
and sensed. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 All I know for sure is that I'm glad I was on the ground Sunday night as
Flight 1957 passed over my house. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 With all due respect, I'll bet McConnell's glad that he was, too. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Steve Corbett's column appears Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

I Hate To Fly, And It Shows 
Did Somebody Say, ``hysterical Stewardesses?'' 
One Woman On Sunday Night's Delta Flight 1957 To The Wilkes-barre/scranton 
International Airport Wondered If She'd Ever See Another White-knuckled Delta 
Dawn. Janet Neuman's Claims Against The Airline Are Scary Enough To Make The 
Wright Brothers Go Greyhound.