Just another day at the airport turned into a nightmare for Tara Crenshaw and her family. The wife of Texas Rep. Dan Crenshaw, Tara Crenshaw, was traveling from Houston to D.C to visit her husband with her two-month-old baby daughter and their small dog. However, things took a turn for the worse when they tried to check in at United Airlines.
A video posted by Rep. Crenshaw on social media shows a United Airlines employee, later identified as Angela, being verbally aggressive towards Tara and trying to grab their dog out of its carrier. As a result, Crenshaw took to social media to share their experience and demand justice from the airline.
In the video, Tara can be seen trying to protect her baby and de-escalate the situation as the United employee, Angela, raises her voice and attempts to grab their dog. It is unclear why Angela behaves this way towards the Crenshaw family, but it is clear that her actions were uncalled for and unacceptable. Tara even offered to change their flight to Southwest Airlines but that was not enough for Angela, who decided that the Crenshaws should never fly with United again. To make matters worse, Angela insisted on taking a photo of the dog for no apparent reason.
Rep. Crenshaw shared the video on social media and expressed his disappointment with the airline. He also revealed that Tara has a good reputation and does not create drama, making it even harder to understand why Angela was being so aggressive towards her and her family. The incident gained traction on social media, putting United Airlines in the spotlight.
In an effort to right the situation, Rep. Crenshaw arranged a meeting with United Airlines’ vice president for airport operations, Phillip Griffith. However, things did not go as smoothly as expected. In the recording of the meeting, Griffith can be heard saying “I deal with you and people like your wife every day” in a condescending tone. He defended Angela’s actions by saying that she remained calm and did not lay her hands on anyone, despite the video evidence showing otherwise.
The meeting only added insult to injury for the Crenshaws. Not only did United Airlines fail to acknowledge their mistake, but they also showed disrespect towards a congressman and his family. The tension escalated when Rep. Crenshaw used an f-bomb and the United VP told him to “shut up” and even went as far as grabbing his computer. Rep. Crenshaw then revealed that the airline’s lawyers threatened to ban him from flying with United in response to his language.
The incident has propelled Rep. Crenshaw to support a Passenger Bill of Rights, typically associated with Democrats. He argues that airline passengers deserve better treatment, especially when the industry received a $10.9 billion bailout during the pandemic. This is just another example of how major corporations tend to cater to the political class, even when they mistreat their customers.
Rep. Crenshaw’s experience has also sparked support from several Republican colleagues, who usually do not align with him on certain political issues. His fight for consumers’ rights and protection will benefit all airline passengers who have had similar experiences or fear of flying in the future. As the congressman stated, “hitting us was a bigger mistake than you will ever understand” and United Airlines will have to face the consequences of their actions.
This is one of the more aggressive videos I’ve ever had to post. You really need to see it all the way to the end. You’ll see a United agent grab the dog and personal property, and you’ll hear the shocking recording of my conversation with that agent’s supervisor (the VP of… pic.twitter.com/xhK0v4zQzw
— Dan Crenshaw (@DanCrenshawTX) January 21, 2024