With 800 dollars and a hotel room as leverage, UA could have handled this over booking situation in a whole different way. Mind you, they wanted the passengers gone so they can accommodate their own crew. Meaning, they gave preference to their freaking crew over their paying customers. On top of that, they waited for the passengers to board the plane, and make themselves comfortable, and thinking they are just an hour away from home. The poor doctor was right to be stubborn about not leaving the plane, to an extent. But, that assole attendant has no business laying hands on him, without prior warning. Almost like throwing a drunk out of a bar. He gave him no warning, didn’t explain what will happen to him, just dragged him out like he is nothing, and the man is a doctor.
This is just a cascade of one poor decision after another leading to this end result. United needs to fix their attitude big time.