CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte Douglas workers that have gotten attacked on the job said it’s now happening more often.
It has been such a big issue at Charlotte Douglas that one local worker testified in front of congress Thursday, pushing for more to be done to protect them.
Channel 9′s Ken Lemon also spoke with a gate attendant, who asked to remain anonymous, who is simply fed up. They said although people are stuck in lines, some facing delays and angry, there is no excuse for this.
After 9/11, gate agents were seen as protectors, assuring that any threat to airline travel is stopped on the ground, but the agent said that’s changed.
“They can treat you how you want, you’re not even a person. And that’s a scary feeling when people don’t consider you a human being,” they said.
The agent said they have been shouted at in the past, but more and more, they are experiencing aggression from travelers like one man who had been drinking seen attacking gate workers over the summer.
“Pushing, shoving, spitting, punching, all of that. They don’t have, there’s no boundaries,” the agent said.
The man, who was captured on video, was arrested for punching a gate agent.
The agent Lemon spoke to said just a couple of days later, he was back at the same gate to board a plane.
“Makes you think that at any time, this same person that you know, physically abused me can come back in here and do this again,” they said.
The agents said that’s not right.
“I feel like if you can be banned from a store, or you know, from a theater or a mall, then the same should go for an airport,” they said. “There’s no way that you can continuously think that people are going to come into work and not protect themselves.”
Channel 9 has reached out to Charlotte Douglas International Airport officials but have not heard back at this time.
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