iPhone Photo Gets Professional Photographer Escorted Off A US Airways Flight

A professional photographer was escorted off a US Airways flight last week after she snapped a picture of a gate agent's name badge with her iPhone. The agent subsequently convinced the captain of the aircraft the photog was a "security risk."

Sandy DeWitt and her husband were traveling from Philadelphia home to Miami last Friday when the incident occurred. According the the photography blog Pixiq, DeWitt said the agent, who's name is Tonialla G., had been rude to several passengers boarding the flight. She says she snapped the photo with her phone because she intended to file a complaint.

Unfortunately, the picture was too dark to see the name tag. But that didn't stop the agent from coming on the plane, confronting DeWitt, and demanding that the picture be deleted from the phone. DeWitt complied, according to an interview with Photography is Not A Crime, in which she said she would not have done so had the photo been usable. Since it was of no use to her, she deleted it.

But that didn't stop the apparently disgruntled gate agent from complaining to the pilot that DeWitt was a security risk. She and her husband were subsequently escorted off the plane. As she was being removed, she announced loudly that she was being taken off the flight because she had snapped the photograph.

A US Airways manager at Philadelphia backed up the employee, saying DeWitt could not re-board because she "was a security risk." But Supervisor Michael Lofton was perfectly willing to direct her to a Miami flight on American Airlines. Unfortunately, that flight had already departed.

Eventually, the DeWitts got as far as Fort Lauderdale on Southwest, where they had to call a friend at 0115 on Saturday and ask for a ride to Miami International where their car was parked.

FMI: www.photographyisntacrime.com