Finding the comment Alec made following his removal from American Airlines flight 'inappropriate', Cheryl McGuinness Hutchins says, 'He should just take responsibility for his actions.'
- Dec 9, 2011
AceShowbiz - Alec Baldwin is facing one backlash after another after issuing a sarcastic apology for his on-flight disturbance. Having angered Greyhound Bus Lines with the comparison he made of the bus company and American Airlines, the "30 Rock" star found himself being criticized by a 9/11 widow for his reference to the fatal day in his Huffington Post blog.
"I absolutely think [Alec's statement] was an inappropriate comment to make," Cheryl McGuinness Hutchins, whose husband was the co-pilot of an American Airlines plane that hit the World Trade Center, told TMZ. She was referring to the actor's piece that read, "I believe carriers and airports have used [9/11] as an excuse to make the air travel experience as inelegant as possible."
"I believe airlines used what happened on 9/11 to increase security and protect passengers as much as possible - not to make traveling inelegant," Cheryl continued voicing her mind. "If [Alec] did something inappropriate ... he shouldn't have to point the finger at a world tragedy. He should just take responsibility for his actions and admit he should have gotten off the phone."
In defense of the two-time Emmy Award winner, one inside source said, "Alec had absolutely no intention of offending families, victims or anyone else associated with the horrible tragedy of 9/11." The insider added, "He only referenced that date in relation to discussion of the resulting impact on the airline industry."
Meanwhile, Greyhound President and CEO Dave Leach has issued an open letter to Alec on Thursday, December 8. "I was disheartened to hear about the comments you made regarding our company," he wrote. "Now I'm the first to admit that Greyhound has had some challenges with brand perception, so I understand that you probably were basing your comments on that alone."
"We have hundreds of new buses in our fleet where we've added more legroom, leather seats, power outlets and free Wi-Fi," Dave further explained. "I think you especially would find the latter two amenities exciting, because we don't require our customers to turn off their electronic devices...ever. You could therefore play Words With Friends during your entire trip and nobody would give you any grief over it."
"Should you still decide not to try us, even after I've shared with you all of the exciting changes we've made here at Greyhound, all I ask from you is a simple apology. We are not the same company we used to be. We are better, providing a safe, affordable and modern travel alternative to other forms of transportation."
