14 DAY TRIAL // A forty-nine-year-old blind man was booted off a U.S. Airways flight on Wednesday evening over a quarrel with a flight attendant.
The man from Bellport, New York was returning home when he was forced to get off in Philadelphia.
The attendant confronted Albert Rizzi about his guide dog and asked if he could place the animal under his seat.
"The flight attendant wanted me to put my dog under the seat, and I did the best I could. A passenger even sat Indian style to make room for my dog Doxy," Rizzi describes.
The other passengers supported Rizzi after witnessing what they describe as mistreatment on part of the crew member.
Rizzi was booted off the flight and descended with an escort. The other travelers walked alongside him on the terminal and contested the decision.
"I felt validated. We had made a statement together," he tells ABC News.
U.S. Airways spokesperson Liz Landau explained that the dog was not sitting still and it was causing problems.
"When the flight attendant reminded the passenger that the animal needed to be seated in one specific place to ensure the safety of the flight, he became disruptive," she said.
However, passenger Kurt Budke argues that it is not the case.
"The training of the dog was amazing. To say this dog couldn't be controlled is false. This dog was more controlled than the people onboard," he says.
Budke drove Rizzi home, and defended him by describing that the dog was sitting still at his feet, as it is required.
The visually impaired man describes that this is the second time that he has this problem with U.S. Airways in just six months.
"I want to educate U.S. Airways on how their staff can better support blind passengers. That dog has to be with me. It's as if you were asking someone with a prosthetic or a wheelchair to leave that at the door," he says.