'Photography is not a Crime of the Day'

Philadelphia International Airport is already pretty dreadful to begin with, but it was especially horrific for this US Airways passenger:

Commercial photographer Sandy DeWitt was recently escorted off a Miami-bound US Airways flight for taking the photo of a rude employee’s nametag for use in a future complaint.The employee, Tonialla G., reportedly chased DeWitt aboard the plane, and confronted her after the latter was already in her seat. DeWitt told Ms. G. that the photo was unusable, having turned out too dark, and attempted to further placate her by displaying the offending photo and deleting it on the spot.

This was apparently not enough for the irate boarding area agent, who barged into the cockpit and demanded DeWitt be branded a “security risk.” Her wish was granted, and DeWitt was promptly removed from the plane by two flight attendant as passengers looked on. “I announced to the other passengers that I was being removed because I took a photo,” DeWitt is quoted as saying. “I announced that photography is not a crime.”

Back at the Philadelphia International Airport terminal, DeWitt was informed by US Airways manager Michael Lofton that she would not be allowed to replane, as she was considered a security risk. Adding insult to injurious labels, the American Airlines flight she was directed to had already departed, and no additional Miami flights were scheduled for that day.

The post goes on to note that “Luckily, Southwest Airlines managed to get DeWitt and her husband seated on a flight to Fort Lauderdale,” so evidently DeWitt wasn’t reported to the TSA by US Airways — or was, correctly, understood to be only a risk to US Airways’ reputation.

Which is descending further and further every day.