Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Flight attendant shares harrowing story of how passenger targeted her in road rage attack after flight

‘She saw that I was in uniform and just thought I was a target’

Josh Marcus
San Francisco
Thursday 27 July 2023 11:46 EDT
Comments
Solving the airline pilot shortage may require multiple solutions

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

An American Airlines flight attendant has gone viral on TikTok for sharing the harrowing story of an angry passenger who nearly ran her off the road in anger over the carrier’s alleged performance issues.

“I just had to worry about my life driving home from work,” Elizabeth Braley told viewers in a video posted on Monday, which has racked up nearly 50,000 views.

She described how after a recent flight, a female passenger cut her off multiple times at high speed driving down the highway.

After weaving across multiple lanes of traffic to avoid the aggrieved passenger, Ms Braley said the driver pulled up alongside her.

“My windows were down,” the flight attendant said in a follow-up video. “She saw that I was in uniform and just thought I was a target.”

The driver then proceeding to unleash a stream of insults at the flight attendant.

“She goes, f*** your airline and starts throwing s*** out of her car,” Ms Braley said, adding, “She tries to run me off the road.”

The flight attendant said in the video that she sympathises with passengers upset about delays or cancellations, but added that crewmembers have no control over this, and that delays impact them too because they aren’t paid until the flight doors are closed and a voyage is underway.

“We are so tired too, but like really?” she said. “It’s just like, I just don’t get why people are so cruel sometimes.”

The flight attendant also noted that crew members are upset that flight attendants are working on what they see as an outdated 2019 contract with American. The union representing the flight attendants is holding a strike authorisation vote later this month.

The viral video inspired words of support from fellow flight attendants on American.

“I’m so glad you’re ok,” one commenter wrote under the clip. “I’m also an AA flying sister. I wish the public could understand we don’t control the delays, weather, operations.”

“I’m so sorry that happened to you,” another added. “A passenger cursed me out in the terminal, 100s of flight were canceled that day. He wasn’t even on my flight.”

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in