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Woman’s tweet criticizing jam-packed American Airlines flight backfires

The woman, who was traveling from New York, posted a video of the packed plane, writing, ‘I’ve never felt less safe or cared for in my entire life.’

Photo of Tiffanie Drayton

Tiffanie Drayton

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On Saturday, Erin Strine sat aboard an American Airlines flight traveling from New York to Charlotte, North Carolina. She became concerned by the airline’s lack of adherence to social distancing guidelines after noticing how packed the plane was.

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She quickly voiced her concern on Twitter.

“Well silly me thinking that an airline would adhere to social distancing guidelines. Currently abroad a nearly full @AmericanAir flight and I’ve never felt less safe or cared for in my entire life,” she tweeted, along with a video of the plane.

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Strine’s tweet received dozens of comments.

Many admonished the travelers for flying during a pandemic; others shared Strine’s concern over the airline’s full flight allowance.

But the overwhelming response was to roast Strine for having the audacity to post the tweet. Most users did not understand Strine’s inability to see the irony of her concerns and questioned why she herself was on the plane.

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“Why are YOU on the plane?” users asked.

https://twitter.com/AImighty_Papa/status/1254806898064457731
https://twitter.com/damndascrazyy/status/1254810880648327169
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Many even questioned her purpose for flying when the trip can be made by car.

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https://twitter.com/elsievanhelsing/status/1254732197610823681

Some users posed as media outlets—to continue the lashing—after it appeared Strine only replied to the press.

“Hi Erin, I’m with common sense TV. Can we use your video to broadcast idiots who are concerned about social distancing for their ‘health and safety’ yet pay to jump in a metal tube with limited space and complain about it,” Twitter user @808Jets joked.

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After authentic media outlets covered the video in the news, American Airlines responded with a statement.

“The safety of our customers and team members remains our top priority. We are in close contact with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and public health officials and will continue to coordinate with them on any required health and safety-related measures,” it stated.

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