United New-Hire Severely Beaten in Training
 

Just think, for $26K a year you too can pay for your own hotel while in training and "roll the dice". It's amazing to see good pilots and good people apply at this crumbling house of cards. UA invests in things, not people.....and it shows.

You guys be careful out there.

************************************************** ********

To: United Pilots

From: Captain Steve Wallach, Chairman, United MEC

Re: Security Incident Around Training Center

On Thursday evening, one of our new hire pilots was brutally assaulted by three men on the west side of Quebec Street across from TK. He was returning from that day's training when he was beaten and robbed. The pilot may have been spared further harm when a driver of an approaching automobile pulled over to assist him.

The pilot, who suffered a broken jaw and injuries to his eyes, is recuperating at home and the company is keeping him on pay status until he is able to return to training.

United pilots in training staying at the Doubletree Hotel on Quebec Street are advised to NOT go out alone at night to the restaurant area just north of TK. I also urge you to become aware of the security situation in the neighborhood around TK.

For more information regarding personal security issues at and around the training center, we urge you to contact MEC Training Committee

That is absurd. Even at my lowly regional we're put up in a hotel in a decent neighborhood.

I'm going to assume that he's new enough that health bennefits have not kicked in. If there's anything that can be done via to help if this is the case, please let me know. Nothing worse than seeing a brother/sister in need.

It's a pretty rough area down there. It's just north of Martin Luther King, Jr. BLVD, which hasn't always been the nicer side of town. The area where the hotels isn't bad, but a block south you gotta watch yourself.

I hope the guys ok. I didn't realize the United training center was in a bad part of town.

Luckily he wasn't a Continental newhire (No Insurance for 6 months).

In all fairness, UAL guys aren't the only ones with this problem.

As I understand, a couple of Delta guys were held up at gunpoint on the main drag no more than a couple of blocks from the Delta hotel a few weeks back.

Where we(EGL) and AA stay, at the Admiral in Arlington TX isn't the nicest area either. I wouldn't go out at night. There have been vehicles stolen in the parking, somebody held up at gun point across the road at the gas station/subway, and there is a reason that there is a police presence there in the wee hours of the morning. I have personally been chased back across the road to the hotel from a friendly visit, during the day, to the subway. Guess it could be worse though.

Newhires are insured from day one at UAL.

I'm all about joking around, but that's a pretty cheap shot and extremely sophmoric. The poor kid was beaten and I can assure you that if that circumstance happened at CAL training, CAL would certainly take care of him - insurance benefits or not.

Insurance benefits for the first six months - CAL 0 / UAL 1

Being at an airline with documented growth, new airplanes over the next few years, making money AS OPPOSED to bleeding money profusely, Forbes #1 airline the past 5 years straight, semi-decent quality customer service, and better pay rates (not that either are great) - CAL 1 / UAL 0

I'll take the second bullet anyday.

Great point - unfortunately the rest of UAL is heinous.

I lived in Aurora (next to Stapleton) for two years in the late 70's while in college and that whole area was touch and go. Colfax Ave was lined with strip clubs and apartments in that area were "low rent" in every sense of the word.

But the "personal safety" lesson this young man has had to learn is also a strong reminder to all of us everywhere we go, especially on trips. All this cost cutting directed at air crew has placed us all at increased risk. We can't even carry pepper spray anymore, so my advice it to learn how to "use your hands" for your defense, should it come to that.

It's really not that hard to learn, requires some practice, and may make the difference one dark night. Some close quarter combat knowledge is also a good idea for crew while on the airplane. I know the company is supposed to hit on this stuff at recurrents, but most are simply checking the box. Check with a local martial arts school and pay someone to train you, it will be much superior to anything recurrent has to offer.

It happend to a Colgan guy in St. Louis a few years ago as well.

I certainly second that motion. Well said Scrapdog!

Buddy of mine from DAL said that he was robbed with his girlfriend and their parents at gunpoint in St. Louis when he was at Trans States. I think we can all agree that the neighborhoods around most major metropolitan airports are shady. Million dollars homes are not taking in the constant jet noise with a few exceptions of course. Take the shuttle back to the hotel if you can. Crashpadders be careful. Bribe the shuttle driver if your pad is close enough or just cab-it. Makes me want to go to the FFDO program and cap a few punks. If word on the street was that some pilots are packin then they may leave all alone.

..........

"On Thursday evening, one of our new hire pilots was brutally assaulted by three men..."

It was probably Tilton and two buddies...

I can think we all agree that safety on layovers is a concern.

Be aware of your surroundings, be safe.

This assault happened in front of crew hotel that several large airlines use. It's not just a UAL threat.

I went to high school (Manual) in the area, and it was shot down a couple of years ago due to the type of people that live in the neighborhood.

Correct. It is regularly used for crew overnights. It is closer (than downtown Denver) to the airport.

The area around the DAL training center is no better! Many attempted robberies, assaults, muggings, etc...

Agreed on all points. CAL has done very well while UAL struggled just to creep out of BK. Too bad all that greatness has yet to filter down to the people that had to help pay for it, is it not? Still pretty pathetic they can't provide a new hire with insurance.

As far as CAL taking care of him, who knows? It's no secret that (insert specific airline) crew members have slipped while getting off a hotel van (or something similar) and the company didn't consider it an OJI. What would make you think that CAL would take care of him if it didn't happen while he was ACTUALLY at the training center or serving in some other job specific task?

The sad part is, it's actually better than what it used to be. Right before Stapleton closed a friend of my Dad's was leaving the employee lot. It used to be just north of the TK before they expanded it. Anyway, he heads toward Quebec and three "youths" in a car ran a red light and T-boned his car. He was pretty stunned from the impact. To top it off, the three "youths" got out of the car and proceeded to beat the crap out of him, then drove off. Bad enough that he had to have his jaw wired.

It was also pretty common to have "youths" throwing rocks at the TK windows at night. When I was a kid, my dad showed me some bullet holes that had been left there one night. Who knows, maybe there were left over from the strike.

Please Don't

do you mean like the way CAL treated the jumpseater who caught fire on the md80 a few years back. he had 3rd degree burns on his shoulder and CAL said he didn't pay for his seat so he isn't a passenger and doesn't have the same rights. (we're not paying) yep they really took care of him, CAL management is a real class act :rolleyes:.

If word on the street was that some pilots were packin, the muggers will come packin as well, and some will be shot and killed as opposed to given cuts and bruises.

Hate to break this to you, but most of them are packing -- especially in dangerous metropolitan areas. Go back and read what happened to this guy -- it wasn't just "cuts and bruises." It sounds like they would have beat the guy to death if the car hadn't came along. The fact of the matter is that these kinds of animals look for the easy prey. It's never going to happen, but if it was known that pilots might be carrying weapons, these POS sub-human animals would look for easier prey. They get their jollies hurting others, not risking having someone pop a cap in their a--! It's not a "I love you, you love me" world out there fellas!

Maybe you should apply for a job at UAL.......:eek: Hard to believe you think Tilton is a real class act. :rolleyes:

Good God, just how many times were you turned down at UAL? Always harping on them. SWA pilots and F/A's stay at that same hotel along with many other major airline crews. It is a tragic event, lets not turn it into fuel for your personal vindetta. Jeees.

I grew up on a farm Northeast of DEN about 40 miles, and everytime we drove through that area, it gave me the heebyjeebies. Living isolated and quiet isn't a bad way to go.

QOL, CAL pilot bases 0 / Any other place 1

United is hiring? Noted...

Did you guys ever notice that every single martin luther king jr. road/blvd/street is always the "rough part of town"...It's uncanny, almost every city i've been in that has one..

I wish the pilot a quick recovery.

I'm embarassed and find it absurd you gentlemen can turn a note about a poor guy getting assaulted into a CAL/UAL thread. Shame on you talking about CAL growth, Forbes status, etc.
This ghetto violence happens everywhere. It happend in the small towns my regional flew to, in the big cities, etc. It is easy to forget what a jungle it is out there coming from our quiet pilot houses in our easy pilot neighborhoods and towns. That is the point of the thread. Be aware of your surroundings.