Air Rage: Crisis in the Skies (Paperback)

~ Anonymous (Author), Andrew R. Thomas (Author) "Abnormal, aberrant, and abusive behavior on the part of thousands of airline passengers each year-known as air rage-is by far today's greatest threat to the..." (more)
Key Phrases: United States, New York, Los Angeles (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Air rage is the biggest threat to safety in the skies, the authors argue in this glimpse into the dangers caused by aberrant behavior in the skies. Indeed, "Air Rage poses one of the most serious threats to the safety and security of the flying public today," they write. The authors (Anonymous is described as an "expert in a top-level aviation-oversight organization"; Thomas is a journalist) list a number of causes for passenger aggression: flight delays, alcohol or drug abuse, mental illness or just plain anxiety. They're persuasive that the number of incidents are underreported, mainly because the "reporting procedures are woefully inadequate." And they highlight a number of important public health and policy issues, most notably that in the U.S., jurisdiction for air rage cases needs to be transferred to a criminal court. But many of the authors' arguments are uneven. The number of incidents do appear to be on the rise although this appears to be the result of an increased number of flights, not because of increased passenger aggression. The numerous illustrations that buttress their argument heighten the drama in one incident, an unruly passenger was suffocated by his fellow travelers after he attempted to enter the cockpit but give the book the feel of a local news broadcast trying to entice an audience with tragedy (along with the mystery of an anonymous writer). And more than one-third of the book is an appendix listing current FAA regulations about the problem. There's little doubt that air rage is a problem that needs to be addressed. Unfortunately, this book is a tentative first step.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Review

"A long overdue, authoritative account filled with actual incidents that vividly reveal the most pervasive threat...of air travelers..." -- Captain Steve Luckey, Chairman, National Security Committee, Airline Pilots Association, International

"AIR RAGE strikes at the heart of the challenges facing today's airlines and passengers." -- Robert Spitler, Director of Security, American Trans Air

"Air rage ... may yet be today's greatest threat to the safety and security of the flying public." -- Psychology Today

"The nature and causes of the problem are thoroughly reviewed." -- Professor Gerald P. Chubb, P.E., Ph.D., Department of Aviation Engineering and Aviation, The Ohio State University

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Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Prometheus Books (September 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1573929174
• ISBN-13: 978-1573929172
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,828,101 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a timely and incredible book!, October 23, 2001

By	Sandra (Santa Monica, CA United States) - See all my reviews

These two men cover the spectrum! This is an unbelievably timely and well-positioned book, especially considering events of 9/11. This is high level expertise on a critically important subject. Read it. Your eyes will be opened.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Issues with Publishers Weekly review, September 19, 2001

By	Robert K. Liese (Akron, OH USA) - See all my reviews

How ironic that following the Publishers Weekly review indicating that the content was sensationalistic that we come to experience this horrible act of terrorism. It appears to me that the subject of cockpit intrusion as stated in the book is only too real and easily accomplished. I would only hope that Publishers Weekly retract their statements against this book and try to appreciate the candor and all of the facts as expressed within the content of this book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Should be required reading . . ., November 9, 2001

By	kellytwo "kellytwo" (cleveland hts, ohio) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

This is one scary book.

If you have any intention of flying anywhere in the next few years, you owe it to yourself to read this book first. It won't increase your comfort level at all, but it will leave you with a sense of being forewarned, just in case . . . I wouldn't recommend reading it just before bedtime, however, as it might prompt unhappy dreams.

As an American, I found the most astonishing discovery of this book to be that air rage is not an American monopoly. We may have invented this malaise, but we are by no means the only perpetrators. It's little comfort that none of the other countries seem to have a handle on the situation, either. The skies are not only becoming more crowded, they're also becoming downright unfriendly.

The authors have clearly done their homework, and the research is very evident. The facts are lavishly interspersed with anecdotes. Something must be done, and be done quickly to prevent future episodes of air rage and/or air terrorism. As well as illuminating the problems connected with this fairly recent development, the authors also outline several possible remedies, which, if enacted on a global basis, could do much to make the skies at least reasonably safe once again.

Just as the appearance of Sky Marshals and global penalties for hijacking helped to reduce that threat, a good case is made for such actions to reduce this new one. People everywhere have to realize that the day of the 'cheap' flight to anywhere may well be in the past; added costs to implement these safety measures should be shared by passengers and airlines alike. Their concerns are mutually shared regardless of the nationalities involved. Tough laws need to be implemented by every country and rigidly enforced with serious penalties for infringement: penalties that are not eligible for appeal or compromise. Perpetrators are not the victims here, after all; we, the passengers are. Until this fact is recognized and dealt with universally, we're all at risk whenever we decide to board an airplane.

Approximately one-third of the book is in the Appendix category, and should not be ignored by the reader. It's really too bad, however, that such rules and laws have to be in legalese rather than ordinary language. Unless one is an attorney, many of these pages may be at least partly incomprehensible, even to the frequent flier.

As a not-so-frequent flier, I'm not convinced that deregulation was such a good thing for the passengers of the airlines who were given a reprieve from standards that made flying an exciting adventure. The authors liken today's coach section to the 'cattle class' or steerage sections of the ocean liners of yesteryear. I'm not so sure I wouldn't rather be on the sea rather than in the air, if one of my fellow passengers went beserk.

This book should be required reading for everyone, everywhere--from corporate presidents to air crews to the person who flies--nervously--once every five years. I can't imagine, however, that the airline executives would happily embrace the book. But if they're honest with themselves and their employees and their customers, they'll admire it, regardless of how much they might also loathe it! It is unfortunate that a bit more attention wasn't paid to the editing and proof-reading of this book. But that's a minor quibble, compared to the valuable information imparted in its pages. It's a real eye-opener, believe me.