Grandmother arrested after refusing to delete JetBlue fight video

Marilyn Parver filmed an altercation between two passengers on a recent JetBlue flight. When she refused to delete the footage from her video camera, she says the airline threatened to blacklist her and accused her of interfering with a flight crew, which is a federal crime.

You can read the account of Parver’s flight and subsequent arrest here. And look for Parver on ABC’s Good Morning America, along with the incriminating footage.

Parver contacted me yesterday to, as she put it, “get the word out.”

I am a 56-year-old grandmother who has never had so much as a speeding ticket. But on July 26th, I was taken by armed officers, in handcuffs, off JetBlue flight 195 for refusing to delete a video I had taken of a minor altercation between passengers over a screaming kid.

The flight crew made up a charge of interfering with the crew. My recording proves I did nothing wrong. I never even stood up. I was left with the threat that I will never be able to fly on JetBlue, that I will go on the no-fly list, and have a report written about me filed with the FAA.

I only refused to delete a legal short video. This is a complete misuse of power and what happened to me could happen to anyone.

I’m not a lawyer, but I can’t find any rules that would prohibit a paying passenger from filming the interior of a JetBlue aircraft or of any commercial plane. Parver said she phoned JetBlue later, and that a representative told her she could tape whatever she wanted.

My reading of the law — and again, I’m no expert — suggests the JetBlue flight crew overstepped its boundaries. In a big way.

I asked Parver if she would consider posting her footage to the Web so that we could see what the fuss was about. She said the JetBlue crew specifically told her they didn’t want the material posted on YouTube, which is why they were so insistent that she delete the videotape.

Instead, Parver is taking her case to ABC News, where its legal department can fend off any attack from JetBlue. I think that’s probably a smart move. YouTube might delete the footage, anyway.

This case underscores the travel industry’s sensitivity to the growing influence of social media, and particularly to viral videos. Makes me wonder how many other passengers have been asked to delete images that were not flattering to an airline.

Update (12/2/10): Parver has sued JetBlue.

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  • Michele

    Just wondering what ever happened here? Any updates?

  • http://larryrharrisonjr.blogspot.com Larry Harrison

    First-off, it is perfectly legal to film and photograph anyone in public, including children. Parents who oppose this have no legal footing. It’s called candid/street photography and it’s actually a legitimate art-form (although I doubt I’d call this “art”). I engage in it sometimes myself, parents need to lighten up–by the way, I’m a parent.

    Second, I agree 100% that a flight should be free of the noise of a crying child. It is an extremely annoying sound and parents need to control it. Instead they too-often think it’s their God-given right to take 30-11 children on the plane with them and the disruption that occurs and the disrespect to other fliers that results from it–too bad. That is a wrong attitude. I can tell you, I’d never take my 2-year old on a plane with me unless she could behave–and if she didn’t, I’d take her to the bathroom and whip her hind-end good.

    Third, kudos to the grandmother for refusing to delete the footage. She did nothing wrong and there is way too much of an anti-photography/filming sentiment going on these days.

  • Lisa S

    Thanks for letting us know about this incident, Chris. And thank you everyone for letting me know about how terrible JetBlue employees are.

    Flight staff can make a flight miserable. In this case, flight staff allowed a child to impose upon other travelers for TWO HOURS by doing nothing, they then threatened and LIED to a passenger, and when the flight landed, they continued the harassment of Ms. Parver by LYING REPEATEDLY. I can’t imagine why a LVMPD officer decided to be verbally threatening and physically abusive in what was obviously a baseless claim by the flight attendants. Perhaps the officer was a friend or relation of one of the JB employees? It would be interesting to know.

    I do know JB has lost my business. Flying is enough of a hassle without having to worry about threatening FAs. I hope that both JB and LVMPD face consequences for the actions of their employees and that the employees involved are all fired. I doubt that will happen, but I hope it does. And, I hope we hear about it because knowing that bullying individuals do experience negative consequences for their abusive actions would help people feel safer.

  • Melnik

    No more JetBlue for me neither. Black list? Ha-ha! Oh, that’s treatening. Like there are no other airlines around. What if those employees would ask her to undress completely and she would refuse to do that? Interfering with the crew? Yeah, right! It’s just very stressful to go in courts and everything… And… the airline, of course, will have a good lawyer to fight. Good luck grandmother, we are with you!

  • http://jeffreyrasley.com/ namaste

    Go Granny go! JB hasn’t given a damn about customers and it shows in many ways. This is just the latest example. namaste

  • http://www.InsideTheCourt.com John Adams

    Supervisor to JetBlue Flight Attendants: Will this video increase the number of customers that fly with us? Help our profits (of lack of)? Will it show JetBlue in a positive light? If NOT then insist that they delete it. Threaten them with arrest if they refuse.

  • http://prometheefeu.blogspot.com PrometheeFeu

    (Disclaimer: I am no legal expert) As I understand it, when you are on board an aircraft, the crew can basically do anything they want and if they ask you to do something you have to comply. (That’s more or less to allow the crew to keep order in the plane) So technically, I think there is a legal argument for the grandma being required by law to delete the video if the crew asked her to do so. Of course, in this case it flies in the face of the First Amendment and so we might see a constitutional ruling.

  • Bentor Tazenda

    While this is not an American airline – We took some pictuers of ourselves and the EVA Air flight attendant was worried that we could not be all in the same picture together so she obliged and took a nice group picture.

  • Random Fandom

    Jetblue is seriously deluded about passenger rights, and is THE MAJOR REASON over 100,000 people pressed Congress to create a “Flyer’s Rights” bill, which stops JetBlue from continuing to strand people on un-airconditioned, toilets overflowing planes for 10 to 12 hours at a time. If you’re curious, here is the video which got grandma arrested: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QF9zHyQQD-I

  • test

    The crew telling you to delete the video may be the Crime of Tampering with Evidence, or at least attempted.
    Contact an attorney and sue if you choose to. You might win a just settlement.
    Both the airlines and the TSA seem oblivious to rational behavor.

  • http://courseworks.info/ Adrian23

    During their questioning of you, they made clear, direct
    threats to your livelihood, and seized your property without a
    warrant, using the invalid subpoena as a basis for their entering
    your home

  • http://profiles.google.com/kfredies ALFRED KUSI

    I agree with you bob!

    Fred

    http://www.I-VolunteerAfrica.org

  • http://www.market.travel Market.Travel

    Ridiculous abuse of power. Absolutely ridiculous. The flight crew has no right to treat this lady in the manner that they did. An altercation in public can be filmed by anyone. If someone was going to ask that the footage be deleted, it should be to two involved in the incident…not the cabin crew. I think the cabin crew will have to answer for this because they obviously overreacted…handcuffs? really? JetBlue is going to have a lot of defending to do…let’s see how well they can spin this into a positive.

  • Azuaralamb

    on September 30 2011 I was flying to Michigan for my brothers funeral and a 3 hour flight was turning into a 7 hour ordeal resulting in me being threatened with arrest in Cleveland Ohio airport.  I too was falsely accused  intimidated ridiculed  pulled from my flight I was totally humiliated for asking for alternative routes  I will admit  I was not at my best this day  But the treatment I received was both a overkill and waste of security as well.  the first flight  was delayed  due to no  crew then the second flight delayed due to no pilot after 2 hours they called for another pilot because the first one didn’t show  then pulled from  my flight after i asked the stewardess for a list of names  and told taking pictures on a plane is a federal offense..they went so far as to tell me if I didn’t do what I was told they would make sure I would not see a judge until Monday morning. This is just a very sketchy outline of what happened and I am not sure who to contact to help me . I have written it out in full and am having anxiety issues being alone  after the treatment  I received from these people  and really don’t want to see this happen to anyone else .

  • Anonymous

    The lady is not a busybody.  The people imposed their conflict on her.  She is as entitled to privacy as they may want for themselves.  Did the crew do anything to end the conflict to allow her to enjoy privacy and the flight in peace?  If not, she may have been recording the incident to later complain to the company.  Perhaps the crew did not want that to happen and to reflect on their failure to end the conflict.

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