Summer travel is ramping up - planes are packed again - the roads are crowded - and more than temperatures are rising. The number of air rage and road rage incidents is shocking.
One of the most recent in-flight incidents involved a Delta Airlines off-duty flight attendant who grabbed the PA and told passengers to sit down and prepare to use their oxygen masks. The off-duty flight attendant was physically overtaken by on-duty flight attendants and passengers. The flight from Los Angeles to Atlanta was diverted to Oklahoma City where the unruly passenger was taken into custody.
This is one in an alarming number of air rage incidents that are making traveling on airlines increasingly tense. The Federal Aviation Administration reported to The Washington Post that it has received about 2,900 reports of unruly passengers since January 1. About 2,200 of the reports involved passengers who refused to follow the federal mandate to wear a mask, which remains in effect until at least September 13th.
Since America is so deeply divided politically and the refusal to wear masks has been driven by politics, are some Americans motivated to not wear a mask as a way of protecting their political ideology?
As the number of air rage incidents is spiking - so are the number of road rage incidents involving gun violence. One recent heartbreaking road rage incident involved the shooting death of a 6-year-old boy in Orange County, California, stemming from what authorities say was a “perceived unsafe lane change.”
The young boy’s mother was driving her son to kindergarten when shots were fired from another car along the interstate. The mother said her son said, “Mommy, my stomach hurts.” Aiden Leos, 6, died from the gunshot wound. With the help of the community, California Highway Patrol arrested a 24-year-old male and a 23-year-old female, and they are expected to face murder charges. The two suspects are being held on $1 million bail each.
Recent studies from the Harvard Injury Control Research Center reveal that drivers who have a gun in the vehicle with them are more likely to be involved in aggressive behavior on the road. Furthermore, the chances that a road rage incident ending in a deadly shooting increases if a gun is available.
As freedom reins in the wake of the strict pandemic restrictions, the increase in air rage and road rage incidents seems to contradict the joyful feeling that should follow the long haul of the pandemic lockdown. But the opposite appears to be the case.
The excuse that there is general confusion over where masks are required now that so many mask mandates have been lifted is NOT an acceptable excuse.
When you board a flight you must abide by certain regulations. If you are not willing, regardless of your motivation, you should not fly. Period. You wear a mask just like you fasten your seatbelt, and there is NO excuse of failing to follow all of the rules that apply. Flying is a privilege - not a constitutional right.
The number of road rage shootings has been increasing even prior to the pandemic, and this is just another indication that some Americans do not have an intelligent understanding of the fundamental rights guaranteed under the Second Amendment. Nowhere is it implied in the Second Amendment that the presence of a gun should inspire more aggressive behavior.
Anyone who is more likely to become aggressive behind the wheel because they are carrying a gun in their vehicle is a wreckless gun owner and no better than the criminals who steal guns.
The trends in air and road rage are disturbing, and there is nothing on the horizon to suggest that both trends will not continue. Just imagine if people could travel on flights with their guns!
