United Tells Employees Not to Duct-Tape Passengers

Yeah, um, about that whole duct tape phenomenon going on in the airline industry? Let’s avoid that.

That’s what United Airlines is telling employees in a memo.

At a time when duct tape is trending on social media after a handful of high-profile incidents in which passengers were restrained, United is telling its crew members to avoid using duct tape as a way to dealing with unruly customers, according to the aviation blog One Mile At A Time.

Flight attendants who received the memo are being asked to follow this procedure:

– To address situations calmly, and to deescalate situations as much as possible

– There are designated items on board that could be used in difficult situations that can’t be deescalated

– To consult United’s safety manual to guide decision-making if a customer isn’t behaving well

– To complete an incident report in the event things go wrong, with as many details as possible

As One Mile At A Time pointed out, United, more than any other airline, is likely particularly sensitive to the idea of restraining customers. Remember, four years ago, United forcibly dragged a doctor off a plane who refused to be involuntarily bumped from an overbooked flight.

It was an ugly incident that drew all kinds of backlash for United.