Passenger: Slater Gave Impression He Was Drinking

Many Now Pointing Out JetBlue Attendant's Odd Behavior

August 12, 2010 11:55 PM

Stories are beginning to come out that are casting flight attendant Steven Slater into a different light. His folk hero status is now being questioned.

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BELLE HARBOR, N.Y. (CBS 2) – On Thursday afternoon flight attendant Steven Slater came out of his house and thanked his supporters.

But, as CBS 2′s Pablo Guzman reports, where he has told ”one” story, passengers are saying there was a whole other side of him that’s quite different from the folk hero and victim he’s been made out to be.

After some brief words from his attorney, Slater stepped up to the microphones and said: “Thank you all so much. It’s been amazing, the support, the love and everything that’s been brought to me and given to me by the community and my friends and the industry at large. It has been absolutely wonderful.”

Many, if not most, of the passengers who are now being interviewed by Port Authority detectives about what happened on Monday on that bizarre JetBlue flight with Slater seem to be giving a very different version of his behavior during the flight, than the picture most people have of him — who were not there.

Howard Deneroff, for example, is a producer for CBS Radio’s Westwood One. Slater, he said, got pretty aggressive about Deneroff not having his seat in the upright position.

“He did hit the back of my seat and said, ‘Pull your seat up. It can’t be reclined.’ It was not reclining and I indicating it to him and then he says, ‘Pull your seat up.’ I said I didn’t recline the seat and he leaned over, hit the button to try to pull it up himself. He hit the back of the seat, but it didn’t move,” Deneroff said.

It didn’t move because it was already up, Deneroff said. Then there’s passenger Kati Doebler. She said that Slater’s story about getting the cut on his head when a passenger dropped a piece of luggage on him from the overhead compartment at the end of the flight — the incident that triggered the cursing on the PA system, and the escape on the chute — may not be true.

In fact, Slater’s legal aide attorney, Howard Turman, told the media on Thursday Slater actually suffered the injury in Pittsburgh, before Flight 1052 even took off.

“They were shoving the bags around attempting to get it in. Steven came over to assist and either the bag or the overhang hit him on the head,” Turman said.

Doebler said passengers saw the bleeding cut as soon as they boarded, and she said Slater never pu on a bandage. And, she said, there was that drink he always seemed to be carrying.

“One of the times he passed by me he was carrying what could either have been a drink for himself, and that was a little bit of the impression I got, as he was kind of waving it about like it was his own cocktail,” Doebler said.

Investigators are looking into claims by several passengers that Slater seemed to be irritable and unsteady, as if drinking, even throwing the mask and life jacket to the ground, some said, during the demonstration.

Detectives are continuing to hear a lot about Slater’s behavior during the flight, the types of things that could continue to erode his stories, like the one CBS 2′s Guzman heard from passenger Lauren Wood.

“He came up and he had a bunch of sodas in his hand and he looked at me and was like, ‘Would you like a soda?’ And I was like, ‘Can I have a water?’ And he just glares at me and walks away. And I was kind of like oh my gosh I really upset this guy,” Wood said.

Wood also said the notion that Slater is some kind of saint is ridiculous.

“It makes me so mad, because he’s not a hero. He was rude,” Wood said.

Slater said he wants to get back to work in the airline industry. His mother, after all, was a flight attendant and his father was a pilot, but with the dramatic exit he made Monday — that’s going to be tough.

Passenger: Slater Gave Impression He Was Drinking

pmp

This fruit-cake is repulsive! Throw him in jail!
Eric

mlb won’t show an on field streaker on camera so as not to encourage that activity. this should get that same treatment
DM

I couldn’t finish reading this story because it annoyed me so much. This is a completely manufactured story about a non-story. 70% of passengers have been interviewed, nothing has been determined yet, but here you are reporting on it like there’s something to say already, just to get a jump on other media outlets. I’m ashamed of myself for even reading half of this garbage.

Please just send this guy to jail for 7 years. We don’t need flight attendants and other service employees thinking they can become celebrities by quitting their jobs in dramatic ways that endanger peoples’ lives.
H.M. Phobe

He’s got a boyfriend? That definitely makes him a drama queen.
Jeb

You know what….. I think this is a publicity stunt from Jet Blue. Nothing else makes sense. People have outbursts ……EVERY DAY and no one cares. this was national news minutes after it happened.
Yikes

Give it a Break – First he didn’t endanger anyone or anything as the aircraft was parked on the ground. Next how many of you have read the many stories about flights having to divert to throw people off the plane or have them arrested or people being subdued by passengers on the flight. How would you like to spend everyday confined in a sardine can with a handful of nuts everyday. How long do you think you would last. At least the pilots have a bolted door between them and the wackos. Why do you think that’s there? Flight attendants can’t get away…Yikes

Frequent Flyer

no.. that’s not right.

1. he put a whole plane in danger..
first of all I would be extremely anxious to see an emergency chute deployed.. it could have caused panic.

2. The chutes use explosive charges to quickly fill.. that is why they say disarm the doors when you arrive at a terminal.. which is what is should have been doing

3. The chutes fill with force and are heavy, any ground personnel in the way could have been seriously injured or even killed.

His action was reckless both reckless and dangerous.. he will be charged in a federal court and his chances of jail time are pretty near 100%.. not so funny now..

GC

For 20 years he’s thought about it? Huh? I’m so glad I never got on a plane with this nut job on it. He obviously needs help. His behavior is more than just being fed up with one’s job.
RazorsEdge

DRAMA QUEEN
fredbob

This sad individual failed to DWI. Yes, he failed to man up and Deal With It.
AN

Why would it surprise anyone that 70% of the passengers didnt see it? If I was in the back or middle of the plane, I would have no idea what happened in front, and vice-versa. Who cares about passengers far away, what do the passengers sitting close to the scene say?
Tovarishch

How on Earth do you know he has never had a wreck?
Skipped those English classes in High School, eh?
bluebear

Actually, the losers are the Media who pick such a story to push and the people who take the time to read it (that would be all of us). I should stick to the Wall Street Journal.
Ned Schnittt

1 Cor 6:9-11

Zaire67

Exactly
John RK

Absolutely!

http://www.talkdrudge.com/2010/08/12/slaters-story-raises-suspicion/ Slater’s Story Raises Suspicion…

[...] Statistics Follow the original link Last Updated: August 12, 2010 0 Comments [...]
RobbieK

The death of a former railroaded U.S. Senator happened this weekend; our economy is crumbling; Michelle Obama just spent nearly 1/2 million taxpayer dollars on a trip to France; and this garbage get news time??? Wake up people!!!! Turn off Hollywood and turn on FOX News and take this country back, or you won’t have a country soon!

RobbieK

It was actually a trip to Spain, so wanted to correct.

Jean

In 2007 what country did Laura Bush take her two daughters?
Carl Z.

The trip in 2007 was to various parts of Africa, and it was a working trip to help people.

Darn Facts!

Jean

“Take this country back” Who took it away? Those who voted in Nov. 2008.

michellehellgeth

were we in a depression in 2007?
Barney Phrankenphag

Yeah…we made the mistake of thinking you were just leftists Americans. Come to find out you are all progressive anti-Americans. No worries though. All will be fixed come Nov 2012.

michelle hellgeth

sthat’s ok, they’re neighbors! Yes, TURN ON FOX

Jean

Laura Bush still spent tax dollars on her trip!
JBar595

Get a life
roger

america was not in a depression in 2007 but we are now under obama huessan

Kathy

Amen, brother!!!

Doug

Maybe the witnesses “don’t want to get involved” or have lied to protect themselves or a friend. Or just maybe, the other 30 percent of the passengers know something. Why the rush? Let the police finish their work.
Nunz

what a L O S E R !!!!
Oh Please

First, I have had enough of this story. This guy is not a hero or a loser, just a guy who needed to handle things differently. Stop paying so much attention to him, offering him reality shows and making him the face of honest, hard working Americans. He did something STUPID and now will have to pay for it. People make STUPID decisions, even it if sounds cool at the time. Leave him alone and the newcasters should start reporting on the real news that affects all of us.

RobbieK

I totally agree. Law enforcement should verify this man isn’t mentally disturbed by ordering a psychiatric evaluation before they incarcerated him. Because if they don’t now and they just keep questioning passengers, Jet Blue could face a very big lawsuit that could actually put them out of business. Now move on to taking your country that is on fire back!

keith

the guy was drinking. Are people unstable when they have too much to drink?

JD Jones

Best comment I have EVER read. Good job!

keith

Thank you!

michellehellgeth

how do you know he is hiv positive

Hello Sailor

It was widely reported that he told the police he was HIV+. Read the papers.
Jean

FOX NEWS implied it. Must be true.

roger

thats correct unlike if it was on msnbc or cnn

evb

Totally agree that he should be accountable for his actions. I’m ready to be done with this story as well. I have flown Jet Blue many times and they are better than most. This man may need some help, but the people who jump to conclusions so soon before hearing all the facts, are likely to have egg on their face as the real details come to light. I think flight attendants have a very tough job and people who are rude on flights suck. They should be videotaped and publicly humiliated from it. That would cure much of the problem.

Nunz

your in the line of customer service ,deal with it jerk

Jack Reacher

You’re an illiterate idiot

Justin

And you’re an alliterate idiot.

Good luck figuring that one out.

NYC

How could they all see what is going on when everyone is scattered over the plane and most were not paying attention being that they all just want to get off the plane as soon as it landed??

keith

apparently this was even going on before takeoff and all during the flight.

Ravan

If Slater is unstable, then everybody that drives a car in New York needs a Psychotic Endorsement on their driver’s license.

BackToBasics

If he’s unstable?? I guess everyone pulls the emergency shute and exits the plane that way. The equivalent in driving would be do drive around with your driver’s side door open. Everyone does that too!

Get real!

http://grupo-media.net/?p=8445 Slater Calls Media Attention A Bit Much « Grupo Media

[...] more from the original source: Slater Calls Media Attention A Bit Much Tags: attendant-made, brought-quite, former-flight, homecoming, Media, quite-the-homecoming, [...]
http://grupo-media.org/?p=8122 Slater Calls Media Attention A Bit Much « Grupo Media

[...] Slater Calls Media Attention A Bit Much Tags: attendant-made, brought-quite, former-flight, homecoming, informação, quite-the-homecoming, [...]
Steve M.

“Both his mother and his ex-wife have been speaking up in his defense” Wow; what exactly is the defense of an unstable individual? It’s everyone else’s fault?

Jimmy13

It’s Bush’s fault.

GT

What a stupid comment. If you referring to the mess the country is in now then yes it is, but not what happened to slater idiot
Cromwell

LOL … the guy below you and his reaction … what a bone head. He just replied by basically doing exactly what you’re making fun of.

Some people just don’t get why they are THEY are the brunt of this kind of joke.

This guy was obviously a child left behind. (zzzing)
Beads

NO really- it is all Bush’s fault. Really. All of it. Seriously.

ARE YOU KIDDING?!?!
IO

GT, nice try. 2 years and NOTHING from the current administration, only the audacity to blame the previous Pres…
DK

don’t worry about it jimmy13, gt’s comment is Bush’s fault too
keith

no doubt!
Jason

You do mean Bush the elder, or does that take the joke too far?
Bob

Actually, it’s Obama’s fault. Everything is Obama’s fault.
Weak Democrat

Let’s blame Barney the dog too and see if it sticks. Anything to divert attention from Obama, that immature child afraid to man up and take responsibility for the mess he’s given us.
voteNoForObama

GT, you haven’t heard??? It’s always Bush’s fault, everything is!! you need to listen to CNN more!

emeryboard

And you look like a sick homophobe to me

jimbolini

oh oh someone needs a nap!

BWAHAHHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

Allsane

Will you all please settle down, return your seats to the upright position and fasten your seat belts.

elkin patino

good for him, i simpathize with him

Sammy

I said it the way news broke; all flight attendants suck. They are almost always rude. Actually only thing I dread about flying is having to deal with these ungrateful people, god forbid I ask for a second glass of water!

keith

if this is true, you fly thye wrong airline…
Greg Rath

my wife is a flight attendant and i get to hear storys almost daily about the rudeness of people today. it is hard for them to keep smiling and be nice when people today are so rude. and as for your second glass of water…come on…its a 2 hour flight. people always want several beverages each while on a short flight because its free…no way could i ever do her job
Bruce

I have seen plenty of rude passengers on flights.
Flying used to be something people dressed up for as a special occasion – but now most domestic flights are just Greyhound in the sky!
http://gromico.wordpress.com gromico

this is making me lose interest in flying because customer care is what drives me to go public and easily blend with people….wonder what my 1st flight will be like…

Ed

Does he have a rainbow flag sticker on his Prius?

kevin benoit

it’s not a Prius…it’s a pious

stop2think

Why do you sympathize with this drama queen (and no, I am not referring to his sexual orientation)? What if your surgeon had a “bad” day and decided throw his dirty gloves in your incision before storming out of the OR? What if he was a pilot and decided to park the plane into the side of the terminal? Would you sympathize with him then? You’re an idiot. Get a life and learn to think for yourself

JA

I think “drama queen”– and his orientation has a lot to do with it– is right.

elph

He’s dangerous not cute. Fire him.

BackToBasics

Right on! Right on!

Mike

What is wrong with people. Do they no longer teach spelling and grammar in school or all you all just so lazy you simply do not care that you look like illiterate losers.

afton

all you all just so lazy…..

I guess you already know you look like an illterate loser. lol Loosen up. You made a mistake but I still got your point. I know your not an illiterate loser. Let’s not call names.
GabrielK

Kettle meet pot.
JC

I count four grammatical errors in your comment.
John

Apparently, they don’t teach punctuation, either.
grmofasheville

What is wrong with people?

Grammar, you have no room to talk.

Walter

I was on a flight with this guy last year and he and I had words. As soon as I saw his picture, I knew it was him (as I am not the type to fight with people, ever).He insisted on gate checking my carry-on because of limited overhead bin space. I had Rx drugs and a lot of jewelery I wasn’t willing to part with. It escalated quickly and was very upsetting to me. The other flight attendant expressed his extreme displeasure with his colleague’s attitude and diffused the situation. More will come out…just wait and see.

lenapequaker

Funny how this creep gets all the attention.

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Passenger: Slater Gave Impression He Was Drinking

Many Now Pointing Out JetBlue Attendant's Odd Behavior

August 12, 2010 11:55 PM

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