Baldwin right to challenge air Nazis

Sorry Superman, but I have a new hero - Alec Baldwin.

The grumpy old man of Hollywood took on the "airline Nazis" (a.k.a. flight attendants) today and got tossed off a bankrupt American Airlines flight in Los Angeles for doing so. (Getting kicked off an AA flight is the good news - that way you never have to experience the airline's incompetent service and the flight attendants' arrogance; the main reasons why this pathetic carrier is now on the scrap heap of a once dignified industry).



Back on board today's flight with Baldwin: The star of 30 Rock and countless Hollywood flicks, Baldwin, the one actor every common man like me can connect with, got into a verbal sparring match with flight attendants after refusing to turn off his cell phone - he was apparently playing a word game at the time but the aircraft was still parked at the gate.



The always gruff Baldwin apparently told the attendants to take a hike and continued playing his game. According to a statement released later in the day by the bankrupt airline, they are accusing the actor of being "extremely rude to the crew" (good, maybe now they now how it feels) and says he called them "inappropriate names" and used "offensive language." (Who among us has not wanted to yell at a rude flight attendant?)

Thank you Alec for bringing this whole "please turn off your cell phones and electronic devices" nonsense to the forefront. We all know now that electronic devices like cellphones and computers do not interfere with communications between pilot and tower during takeoff and landing - just ask any industry expert of you don't believe. If that was the case, then satellite transmissions that feed on board entertainment systems (which are on during takeoff and landing) would have the same effect. Ditto for online feeds that are now provided to many planes.

Oh, I forgot, the airlines charge to use those electronic services so that makes it okay.

What a lot nonsense and good for Baldwin for standing up to the "airline Nazis." 

Of course, the attendants on AA flights are so old, which Baldwin pointed out in his Twitter comment after being tossed off, maybe they no longer have to eyesight to see the latest data on electronic devices. I swear, the last AA flight I took, I was sure two of the grossly overweight attendants would reach retirement age before we landed.

Please, dear God, let American Airlines go out of business!