JetBlue flight attendant incident
Encyclopedia
The JetBlue flight attendant incident was an altercation that occurred after JetBlue Airways
Flight 1052, a flight from Pittsburgh to New York City
on August 9, 2010, had landed. The incident garnered significant media attention when, upon landing, Steven Slater, a flight attendant
, announced over the plane's public address system that he had been called an obscenity by a passenger, quit his job, deployed the evacuation slide
at the terminal gate, and slid down it. Slater claimed to have been injured by a passenger when he instructed her to sit down. Slater's account of the event was not corroborated by others.
. Port Authority Police concluded Slater's initial account of a confrontation was fabricated. As early as August 13, investigators stated none of the dozens of passengers interviewed about the incident had corroborated his account.
Hilary Baribeau, a 21-year-old student, has denied reports she is the passenger. She claims that the only incident she recalled had involved a man a few rows back who tried to retrieve his case early, stating: "I saw the male steward get up and say, 'please sit down and wait', and then the female stewardess, said 'Please wait, please wait until the light has turned off.'"
A passenger reported that Slater went on the plane's public address system and used his own profanities, concluding, "I've been in this business 20 years. And that's it, I'm done." He then activated the emergency inflatable slide
and exited the plane.
Later that day, Slater was arrested and charged with criminal mischief, reckless endangerment, and criminal trespass, to which he pled not guilty.
The district attorney pursuing the case said Slater's actions were serious and could have killed or grievously injured anyone below the inflatable plastic chute.
The Federal Aviation Administration, which certifies flight attendants, is also investigating the incident. "Clearly, you're not supposed to pop the slides unless there's an emergency in the aircraft", says FAA spokesman Les Dorr. "We're continuing to investigate circumstances as well as any violations that may have occurred".
Reversing his original declaration ("I'm done."), Slater indicated that he had not resigned, and sought to continue his employment by JetBlue. On August 12, he announced through his attorney that he would seek to return. At some point prior to September 5, Slater formally resigned from JetBlue, although it is disputed if he was terminated by JetBlue prior to this.
Investigators believe that Slater was drunk and suffering mental problems. A later mental health evaluation found that he had a clinical disorder and alcohol-abuse problems.
or videos of the incident. JetBlue has since handed over the flight manifest, but not the videos.
Bill Briggs of MSNBC
said that the incident "launched a fresh examination of the two-faced persona all flight attendants are asked to master: grinning snack server one moment, frowning rules enforcer the next." Corey Caldwell, a spokesperson for the Association of Flight Attendants
, said that the association did not condone Slater's behavior, and that it expressed concern for flight attendants working longer hours for lower wages and for passengers carrying heavier bags due to fees on checked luggage. Sarah Keagle, a flight attendant who writes in the blog The Flying Pinto, said "Hopefully," the incident "was an 'Aha' moment for the traveling public." Keagle argued that while flight attendants like dealing with most passengers, a few disruptive passengers make the job difficult. Kathy Sweeney, a flight attendant who worked for America West Airlines
, said in a AOL
Original article that "While I don't agree with Steven Slater endangering passengers by 'blowing a slide' (let alone forcing JetBlue to pay about $10k to repack the slide), I can see how he snapped."
Rich Lowry
has written that the incident represents "the value our culture puts on emotional expressiveness" drawing parallels with Capt. Chesley Sullenberger
's "unadorned professionalism" when he landed US Airways Flight 1549
in the Hudson River
with no deaths, and Slater's "tantrum" which escalated into "an act of reckless endangerment".
In Froma Harrop
's syndicated column, she says that if there had been an unruly passenger, Slater should not have abandoned his fellow flight crew. She says that even if his story is true, he was just an angry person acting out and not a case of "a working-class hero".
Arthur G. Schoppaul, a retired airline pilot has said that Slater's actions cost the airline a lot of money; these expenses would have included not only the cost of replacing the deployed chute and the costs associated with delayed passengers, but also cost associated with the disrupted utilization of the airplane down the line. He also doubted that passengers and crew would feel safe flying with a crew member "who is subject to an act of hysteria". It has been claimed that as a result of his action other flights might have been affected.
The memo also explained the apparent 25 minute delay in informing the police of the incident: "It isn't our policy to call police on a slide deployment; our policy is to treat the event as an emergency and implement our emergency response plan. The moment we confirmed the safety of the Customers and Crew — both on board and on the ground — it became a matter for the police."
JetBlue suspended Slater and initially refused to comment on his future with the company. Later, the company indicated that Slater was no longer among its employees.
JetBlue CEO David Barger
has said of Slater, "[He] is not a hero in my book," Barger called Slater's actions "an egregious act" that defied safety. He also said that the incident was costly to the airline as it delayed other JetBlue flights and the plane had to be taken out of service for "a couple of hours", adding that his own flight had been delayed and saying that he was "disheartened to think that so many people would call him [Slater] a hero."
In an interview with the SunSentinel.com Dave Barger said that Slater's actions reflected poorly on Slater and that his actions did not represent the values and practices of the company. Barger went on to describe Slater as a coward.
-related health problems, as well as his terminally ill mother's health issues. JetBlue continues to operate Flight 1052 on its Pittsburgh to New York-JFK route.
magazine rated the incident as its second Top 10 Travel Moments of 2010. The Daily Mail
nominated it as one of the top 5 bizarre news events of 2010. ABC
affiliate television station WFTS-TV
put it in the top 10 most captivating stories of 2010. The New York Daily News listed it as no. 8 of the 15 news stories of the year. The New York Times identified it as no 6 of the things New Yorkers talked about in 2010. The City Room section of the New York Times reported it was the story of its 2nd,3rd, and 9th most viewed posts in 2010. The Week
rated it amongst the 7 most overplayed media stories of 2010.
Time
magazine in its List for 2010, put Steven Slater both as the top Fleeting Celebrity of the Year and separately, the top person with 15 minutes of fame
. Liz Jones
in the Mail on Sunday nominated him as Man of the Year. The Dallas Morning News named him Traveler of the Year. Steven Slater was included in ABC
's Good Morning America
s "A year in review" as one of its top stories of 2010. Joy Behar
on CNN
speaking to Steven Slater on a panel discussion of the top stories of 2010 said "You`re one of the biggest news makers of 2010 believe it or not."
JetBlue Airways
JetBlue Airways Corporation is an American low-cost airline. The company is headquartered in the Forest Hills neighborhood of the New York City borough of Queens. Its main base is John F. Kennedy International Airport, also in Queens....
Flight 1052, a flight from Pittsburgh to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
on August 9, 2010, had landed. The incident garnered significant media attention when, upon landing, Steven Slater, a flight attendant
Flight attendant
Flight attendants or cabin crew are members of an aircrew employed by airlines primarily to ensure the safety and comfort of passengers aboard commercial flights, on select business jet aircraft, and on some military aircraft.-History:The role of a flight attendant derives from that of similar...
, announced over the plane's public address system that he had been called an obscenity by a passenger, quit his job, deployed the evacuation slide
Evacuation slide
An evacuation slide is an inflatable slide used to evacuate an aircraft quickly. An escape slide is required on all commercial aircraft where the door sill height is such that, in the event of an evacuation, passengers would be unable to "step down" from the door uninjured An evacuation slide is...
at the terminal gate, and slid down it. Slater claimed to have been injured by a passenger when he instructed her to sit down. Slater's account of the event was not corroborated by others.
Incident
Slater claimed that as JetBlue Flight 1052 taxied to a stop, a passenger stood up to retrieve her bag from the overhead compartment, despite being instructed repeatedly to remain seated. As the passenger removed the bag, it hit Slater in the head. When asked for an apology, the passenger responded with profanityProfanity
Profanity is a show of disrespect, or a desecration or debasement of someone or something. Profanity can take the form of words, expressions, gestures, or other social behaviors that are socially constructed or interpreted as insulting, rude, vulgar, obscene, desecrating, or other forms.The...
. Port Authority Police concluded Slater's initial account of a confrontation was fabricated. As early as August 13, investigators stated none of the dozens of passengers interviewed about the incident had corroborated his account.
Hilary Baribeau, a 21-year-old student, has denied reports she is the passenger. She claims that the only incident she recalled had involved a man a few rows back who tried to retrieve his case early, stating: "I saw the male steward get up and say, 'please sit down and wait', and then the female stewardess, said 'Please wait, please wait until the light has turned off.'"
A passenger reported that Slater went on the plane's public address system and used his own profanities, concluding, "I've been in this business 20 years. And that's it, I'm done." He then activated the emergency inflatable slide
Evacuation slide
An evacuation slide is an inflatable slide used to evacuate an aircraft quickly. An escape slide is required on all commercial aircraft where the door sill height is such that, in the event of an evacuation, passengers would be unable to "step down" from the door uninjured An evacuation slide is...
and exited the plane.
Later that day, Slater was arrested and charged with criminal mischief, reckless endangerment, and criminal trespass, to which he pled not guilty.
The district attorney pursuing the case said Slater's actions were serious and could have killed or grievously injured anyone below the inflatable plastic chute.
The Federal Aviation Administration, which certifies flight attendants, is also investigating the incident. "Clearly, you're not supposed to pop the slides unless there's an emergency in the aircraft", says FAA spokesman Les Dorr. "We're continuing to investigate circumstances as well as any violations that may have occurred".
Reversing his original declaration ("I'm done."), Slater indicated that he had not resigned, and sought to continue his employment by JetBlue. On August 12, he announced through his attorney that he would seek to return. At some point prior to September 5, Slater formally resigned from JetBlue, although it is disputed if he was terminated by JetBlue prior to this.
Slater's account of the events
Slater's attorney has said that at the beginning of the flight, two female passengers had argued over the allocated bag space in the overhead bin. Once the plane landed, the dispute flared again when one of the women was told that a bag she had checked at the gate would not be immediately available. She then began to curse at Slater. According to a Port Authority police officer quoted by the Wall Street Journal, no passenger or other crew member has corroborated Slater's account of a confrontation with a passenger.Investigators believe that Slater was drunk and suffering mental problems. A later mental health evaluation found that he had a clinical disorder and alcohol-abuse problems.
Third party reactions
Aviation experts and officials have said the Slater incident exposes gaps in the aviation security system that could be exploited by someone seeking to cause real harm. For instance, after deplaning, Slater was able to run through secure zones near planes while towing two carry-on bags. Some Port Authority police officials have criticized JetBlue for waiting 25 minutes before informing them of the incident. Some of the delay may be attributed to the fact that police radios do not work inside JetBlue terminal. The Port Authority also criticized JetBlue for refusing to give them its flight manifestFlight manifest
A flight manifest is a list of passengers and crew of an aircraft compiled before departure based on flight check-in information. It is securely guarded to protect passengers' privacy.- References :...
or videos of the incident. JetBlue has since handed over the flight manifest, but not the videos.
Bill Briggs of MSNBC
MSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
said that the incident "launched a fresh examination of the two-faced persona all flight attendants are asked to master: grinning snack server one moment, frowning rules enforcer the next." Corey Caldwell, a spokesperson for the Association of Flight Attendants
Association of Flight Attendants
The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA is a union representing Flight Attendants in the United States. In 2011, AFA represents nearly 60,000 Flight Attendants at 24 airlines, making it the world's largest Flight Attendant union. Focused 100% on Flight Attendant issues, AFA has been the leader in...
, said that the association did not condone Slater's behavior, and that it expressed concern for flight attendants working longer hours for lower wages and for passengers carrying heavier bags due to fees on checked luggage. Sarah Keagle, a flight attendant who writes in the blog The Flying Pinto, said "Hopefully," the incident "was an 'Aha' moment for the traveling public." Keagle argued that while flight attendants like dealing with most passengers, a few disruptive passengers make the job difficult. Kathy Sweeney, a flight attendant who worked for America West Airlines
America West Airlines
America West Airlines corporate offices were in Tempe, Arizona and the main hub was at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. The airline became part of the US Airways Group after a merger in 2005....
, said in a AOL
AOL
AOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
Original article that "While I don't agree with Steven Slater endangering passengers by 'blowing a slide' (let alone forcing JetBlue to pay about $10k to repack the slide), I can see how he snapped."
Rich Lowry
Rich Lowry
Richard A. Lowry is the editor of National Review, a conservative American news magazine, and a syndicated columnist.-Career:...
has written that the incident represents "the value our culture puts on emotional expressiveness" drawing parallels with Capt. Chesley Sullenberger
Chesley Sullenberger
Chesley Burnett "Sully" Sullenberger III is an American airline transport pilot , safety expert, and accident investigator from Danville, California...
's "unadorned professionalism" when he landed US Airways Flight 1549
US Airways Flight 1549
US Airways Flight 1549 was US Airways' scheduled domestic commercial passenger flight from LaGuardia Airport in New York City to Charlotte/Douglas International Airport, Charlotte, North Carolina...
in the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
with no deaths, and Slater's "tantrum" which escalated into "an act of reckless endangerment".
In Froma Harrop
Froma Harrop
Froma Harrop is a liberal writer and author.She is best known for her twice-a-week syndicated column which appears in about 200 newspapers including the Seattle Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, Denver Post, Dallas Morning News, Houston Chronicle, Detroit News, and Miami Herald...
's syndicated column, she says that if there had been an unruly passenger, Slater should not have abandoned his fellow flight crew. She says that even if his story is true, he was just an angry person acting out and not a case of "a working-class hero".
Arthur G. Schoppaul, a retired airline pilot has said that Slater's actions cost the airline a lot of money; these expenses would have included not only the cost of replacing the deployed chute and the costs associated with delayed passengers, but also cost associated with the disrupted utilization of the airplane down the line. He also doubted that passengers and crew would feel safe flying with a crew member "who is subject to an act of hysteria". It has been claimed that as a result of his action other flights might have been affected.
JetBlue's response
JetBlue first discussed the incident with a post on JetBlue's blog, BlueTales. In a memo to employees, they have said that "If Mr. Slater's story proves to be accurate, and even if there was a precipitating event that motivated his behavior, that still doesn't excuse his actions." In the memo it was stated, "Let me just say this: JetBlue will always seek to prosecute people who physically harm or threaten to harm a crew member or customer. Period."; in their view the most "distressing aspect" of the coverage was that press reports did not take the chute deployment seriously enough. "Slides deploy extremely quickly, with enough force to kill a person," the memo read. "Slides can be as dangerous as a gun." adding that "It is an insult to all aviation professionals to have this particular element of the story treated without the seriousness it deserves."The memo also explained the apparent 25 minute delay in informing the police of the incident: "It isn't our policy to call police on a slide deployment; our policy is to treat the event as an emergency and implement our emergency response plan. The moment we confirmed the safety of the Customers and Crew — both on board and on the ground — it became a matter for the police."
JetBlue suspended Slater and initially refused to comment on his future with the company. Later, the company indicated that Slater was no longer among its employees.
JetBlue CEO David Barger
David Barger
David J. Barger is the current President and the Chief Executive Officer of JetBlue Airways. He was part of JetBlue's founding team and is on the corporation's board of directors.- Career :...
has said of Slater, "[He] is not a hero in my book," Barger called Slater's actions "an egregious act" that defied safety. He also said that the incident was costly to the airline as it delayed other JetBlue flights and the plane had to be taken out of service for "a couple of hours", adding that his own flight had been delayed and saying that he was "disheartened to think that so many people would call him [Slater] a hero."
In an interview with the SunSentinel.com Dave Barger said that Slater's actions reflected poorly on Slater and that his actions did not represent the values and practices of the company. Barger went on to describe Slater as a coward.
Timeline
- August 9
- 10:35 AM – Scheduled departure from Pittsburgh International AirportPittsburgh International AirportPittsburgh International Airport , formerly Greater Pittsburgh Airport, Greater Pittsburgh International Airport and commonly referred to as Pittsburgh International, is a joint civil–military international airport located in the Pittsburgh suburb of Findlay Township, approximately west of...
- 11:59 AM – Scheduled arrival at JFK. According to Slater, he gets into an argument with a passenger over a package. Slater tells the passengers to "go fuck yourselves," grabs two Blue MoonBlue Moon (beer)Blue Moon, a Belgian-style witbier brewed by Coors Brewing Company in Golden, Colorado, was launched in 1995. In Canada it is marketed as the beer Rickard's White and is brewed in Montreal, Quebec. Originally called Bellyslide Belgian White, it was created by Keith Villa, a brewer at Coors Field's...
beers, and deploys the escape chute, slides down and then drives home from his car parked at the airport. - 12:07 PM - ET and L-1 door is opened without incident and customers begin deplaning
- 12:12 PM - the flight crew reported that the slide was deployed. Three minutes later the crew reported that the deployment was intentional and asked that corporate security be notified
- 12:29 PM or 12:34 PM – JetBlue reports the incident to police.
- 1:30 PM – Slater arrested at his home in Belle Harbor, QueensBelle Harbor, QueensBelle Harbor is an upscale neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. It is a tightly-knit, upper class community located on the western half of the Rockaway Peninsula, the southernmost area of the borough. While there are no formal boundaries for the area, Belle Harbor is often used to...
. At his arraignmentArraignmentArraignment is a formal reading of a criminal complaint in the presence of the defendant to inform the defendant of the charges against him or her. In response to arraignment, the accused is expected to enter a plea...
he fails to post bail of $2,500 and is removed to the Vernon C. Bain Correctional CenterVernon C. Bain Correctional Centerthumb|Entrance in [[Hunts Point, Bronx]]The Vernon C. Bain Center is an 800-bed jail barge used to hold inmates for New York City as part of the New York City Department of Corrections as part of the vast Rikers Island jail complex...
, a South BronxSouth BronxThe South Bronx is an area of the New York City borough of The Bronx. The neighborhoods of Tremont, University Heights, Highbridge, Morrisania, Soundview, Hunts Point, and Castle Hill are sometimes considered part of the South Bronx....
jail on a floating barge. - August 10
- Incident on front page of New York tabloids with New York Post proclaiming “Freakin’ Flier” and New York Daily News proclaiming “Planely Nuts”
- Slater, with a court appointed attorney, posts $2,500 bail and is released from custody.
- Next Media AnimationNext MediaNext Media Limited , founded by serial entrepreneur Jimmy Lai, has more than 3,600 employees and is the largest-listed media company in Hong Kong....
in TaiwanTaiwanTaiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
produces animation of the event. - August 11 – USA TodayUSA TodayUSA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
proclaims, “JetBlue flight attendant strikes a nerve with stressed workers” - Wall Street Journal/NBC poll suggests the event reflect broad public anger. Peggy NoonanPeggy NoonanPeggy Noonan is an American author of seven books on politics, religion, and culture and a weekly columnist for The Wall Street Journal...
writes in the Wall Street Journal that the event has struck a chord. She says "Once we were a great industrial nation. Now we are a service economy. Which means we are forced to interact with each other, every day, in person and by phone and email. And it's making us all a little mad." - August 14 – Stone Stanley EntertainmentStone Stanley EntertainmentStone Stanley Entertainment was an American television production company founded by TV producers David G. Stanley and Scott A. Stone, who both began their careers working at Lorimar-Telepictures in the 1980s....
reported to have offered Slater a reality show. - August 15 – New York Times and Washington Post proclaim that Slater has become a folk heroFolk heroA folk hero is a type of hero, real, fictional, or mythological. The single salient characteristic which makes a character a folk hero is the imprinting of the name, personality and deeds of the character in the popular consciousness. This presence in the popular consciousness is evidenced by...
in some quarters. - August 16 – New York Post reports that investigators are "definitely leaning toward" a conclusion that Slater’s claims about being assaulted by a passenger are bogus.
- August 17 – Slater hires publicist Howard BragmanHoward BragmanHoward Bragman is an American public relations practitioner, television pundit, writer and lecturer.- Career :Bragman was born and raised in Flint, Michigan and graduated with a B.A from the University of Michigan in 1978...
. - August 18 – Republican National CommitteeRepublican National CommitteeThe Republican National Committee is an American political committee that provides national leadership for the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican political platform, as well as coordinating fundraising and election strategy. It is...
evokes Slater in television advertisement depicting Democrats abandoning Air Force OneAir Force OneAir Force One is the official air traffic control call sign of any United States Air Force aircraft carrying the President of the United States. In common parlance the term refers to those Air Force aircraft whose primary mission is to transport the president; however, any U.S. Air Force aircraft...
via a chute after a Barack ObamaBarack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
speech on the public address system. - August 19 – ForbesForbesForbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
publishes article headlined, “How To Head Off The Steven Slater In Your Organization.” - August 22 – The New York Times points out that the incident shows that being a flight attendant is no longer glamorous.
- August 23
- Angus Reid Global Monitor publishes poll that says 52 percent of flying Americans had followed the case "very closely" or "moderately closely" with 25% believing Slater's actions were justified and 32% believing they were unjustified.
- Heather Robinson, a former writer for the New York Daily NewsNew York Daily NewsThe Daily News of New York City is the fourth most widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 605,677, as of November 1, 2011....
, who was on the flight publishes an article headlined “From a Passenger on Jet Blue Flight 1052: Why Steven Slater Has Gone From Working Class Hero to Public Enemy Number One” on the Huffington Post questioning why the police have not contacted her. She says she was one of the first people on the plane and reports that Slater was not rude at the start of the flight and that she did not notice any injury to Slater. She speculates that the incident may have occurred early in the boarding before many of the passengers boarded. She also stated that she herself had not witnessed the incident. - September 1 - Slater resigns as a JetBlue employee.
- September 4 - JetBlue announces that Slater is no longer employed by the airline.
- September 7 – Slater appears in Queens Criminal Court. His attorney and the prosecutor agreed to an adjournment until October 19. District Attorney Richard Brown stated that Slater will undergo mental health evaluation and if admitted for an alternative sentencing program it would mean attending a treatment program that could allow Slater to avoid imprisonment.
- November 2010 - Slater is recruited by Line2 for their MileHighText Club.
Aftermath
Slater agreed to a plea bargain in October 2010 where he would plead guilty to one of the lesser charges, be on probation, receive drug testing, undergo counseling and avoid prison. He will also pay Jet Blue $10,000 for restitution. On October 19, 2011, Slater withdrew his guilty plea to a felony charge of attempted second-degree criminal mischief and will serve a year of probation on a misdemeanor charge of attempted fourth-degree criminal mischief. He also appeared in a taped message at the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear, apologizing for his actions. Slater also later blamed his actions on stress related to HIVHIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
-related health problems, as well as his terminally ill mother's health issues. JetBlue continues to operate Flight 1052 on its Pittsburgh to New York-JFK route.
Media notability
TimeTime (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine rated the incident as its second Top 10 Travel Moments of 2010. The Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
nominated it as one of the top 5 bizarre news events of 2010. ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
affiliate television station WFTS-TV
WFTS-TV
WFTS, virtual channel 28, is the ABC affiliate television station for the Tampa-St. Petersburg, Florida market, owned by The E.W. Scripps Company. It broadcasts its digital signal on UHF channel 29. Its transmitter is located in Riverview, Florida.-History:...
put it in the top 10 most captivating stories of 2010. The New York Daily News listed it as no. 8 of the 15 news stories of the year. The New York Times identified it as no 6 of the things New Yorkers talked about in 2010. The City Room section of the New York Times reported it was the story of its 2nd,3rd, and 9th most viewed posts in 2010. The Week
The Week
The Week, styled as THE WEEK, is a weekly news magazine.-History:It was founded in the United Kingdom by Jolyon Connell in 1995. In April 2001, the magazine began publishing an American edition; an Australian edition followed in October 2008. Dennis Publishing publishes the U.K. and Australian...
rated it amongst the 7 most overplayed media stories of 2010.
Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine in its List for 2010, put Steven Slater both as the top Fleeting Celebrity of the Year and separately, the top person with 15 minutes of fame
15 minutes of fame
15 minutes of fame is short-lived, often ephemeral, media publicity or celebrity of an individual or phenomenon. The expression was coined by Andy Warhol, who said in 1968 that "In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes." The phenomenon is often used in reference to...
. Liz Jones
Liz Jones
Elizabeth Ann Jones, known as Liz Jones , is a British journalist and writer.She originally followed a career in fashion journalism, but her work has broadened into confessional writing. Jones divides opinion...
in the Mail on Sunday nominated him as Man of the Year. The Dallas Morning News named him Traveler of the Year. Steven Slater was included in ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
s "A year in review" as one of its top stories of 2010. Joy Behar
Joy Behar
Josephina Victoria "Joy" Behar is an American comedian, writer, actress, and a co-host of the talk show The View. Behar has a commentary program, entitled The Joy Behar Show, on CNN's sister network, HLN...
on CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
speaking to Steven Slater on a panel discussion of the top stories of 2010 said "You`re one of the biggest news makers of 2010 believe it or not."
External links
- "Sometimes the weird news is about us." – BlueTales (JetBlue blog)