From: Gary S. Gevisser
Sent: Wednesday, May 09, 2007 5:08 PM PT
To: Peter Bowler - President and
CEO, American Eagle Airlines
Cc: rest; Karaleen Eichorst
Subject: PROTOCOL... RE: American Eagle
Dear Mr. Bowler,
This matter involves not only
the use of an aircraft in the commission of a crime, theft of approximately
$35,000 in valuables, mostly gold grain also known as gold shot that was taken
out of my hand luggage, on
the ground at San Diego commuter airport on April 3rd, flight 3086, departure time 5:55 PM PST, but
after I reported the crime to American Eagle I received a retaliatory
threatening phone call from your San Diego General Manager.
I have considerable amount of
“back up” material including emails
starting on April 12th to
AmericanAirlines.wecaare001@aa.com,
confirmation # I2007/04-22134-00008-001 which I don’t have easy access to
currently.
I can, however, provide you
with the essence of my “complaint” by having you look at a series of emails
between myself and Mr. Steve Terry, General Manager of American Eagle, San
Diego that began on Friday, April 27th,
continued in to the weekend, ending Monday,
May 1st after I responded to Mr. Terry with straightforward
follow up questions resulting from Mr. Terry’s last email where he described a
bizarre breakdown in protocol.
There can be no mistaking the
purpose of Mr. Terry’s ill-conceived decision on Tuesday, May 1st to call me on my cell phone
[1-858-735-6398], the call beginning at 8:56 AM PST and lasting 2 minutes and
56 seconds.
It was crystal clear that Mr.
Terry had no purpose to call me other than to intimidate me to “cease
and desist”, letting me know in no uncertain words that that he and his
superiors had taken the decision, in his words,
“to
now hand this matter over to the TSA for them to investigate why it is that you
are traveling outside of the country with so much money?”
Below are the emails between
myself and Mr. Terry:
From: Gary S. Gevisser
Sent: Monday, April 30, 2007 5:07 PM
To: Terry, Steve - [mailto:Steve.Terry@aa.com]
Subject: Why
weren't the passengers notified immediately while the plane was still on the
ground that there was a "problem" with valuables separating from
their hand luggage?
Bear
in mind the passengers numbered no more than 20 and were seated very patiently
having never been advised until we got to the steps of the plane that our hand
luggage would be taken out of our possession, not to mention hand luggage that
had been passed through x ray machines which would have kept a digital photo
for how long you think?
Why weren’t the passengers notified if not in flight then
immediately when we arrived in
Furthermore,
I assumed that since you emailed me on Saterday you were focused as I am in
getting to the bottom of this rather unfortunate incident.
Did you ever receive an “incident report” I filed with your parent
company, American Airlines over the Internet?
Did you file any report with your superiors?
Did your baggage handlers tell you how much money was “returned
to the only bag that was unzipped”?
How much time would you say was spent going through all the
passengers’ luggage to make certain that no other bags were unzipped?
Please run by me, since you were on the scene picking up the gold,
what thoughts were going through your mind as the best and most efficient way
to notify the passenger who you would have assume was oblivious to all the fuss
going on below, of their “misfortune”?
Have you thought to ask me how much gold as well as a 1909
In all the years you have worked for both American Airlines and
American Eagle have you ever come across small gold nuggets just lying on the
Tarmac?
Have you read the most current editorial in the back of American
Airlines’ in-flight
From: Terry, Steve - [mailto:Steve.Terry@aa.com]
Sent: Monday, April 30, 2007 3:26 PM
To: Gary S. Gevisser
Subject: RE: Why is it taking so long for you to respond to these
straightforward questions?.... steve
Mr. Gevisser,
With all due respect I talked to you on Friday April 27
consequently I am off on weekends and returned today Monday April 30th.
As you probably know when you take off for two day’s there is two day’s of work
piled up waiting to be completed!
It is very unfortunate that someone had left a pocket unzipped and
their money and this gold fell out. The money was found immediately and
returned to the only bag that was unzipped, but unfortunately the gold was not
seen until the aircraft was closed and ready for departure. What was
found was several little gold pieces and one small gold bar (with 14K printed
on it). After the aircraft pulled out what gold we saw on the ground was
picked up and placed in an envelope and immediately put into our safe.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me.
Steve
Steve Terry | General Manager |
From: Gary S. Gevisser
Sent: Monday, April 30, 2007 1:47 PM
To: Terry, Steve - [mailto:Steve.Terry@aa.com]
Subject: Why is it taking so long for you to respond to these
straightforward questions?.... steve
Bear in mind the first thing you told me when we spoke
for the second time on April 27th, the 7 minute and 36 second phone
call beginning at 10:49 AM Pacific Standard Time how very “saddened” and
“concerned” you were when your baggage handlers rushed in to your office to
notify you of the all the gold that had “fallen” out of my hand luggage that
then caused you to rush down to the plane, still standing on the tarmac, before
getting on your “hands and knees” to pick up from on the ground as well as what
was in the plane what amounts to the most extraordinarily small amount of gold
that was, also in your words, “retrieved”.
Consequently I assume, at a minimum, you would
personally know if what appears to be a coin in the envelope which again I have
yet to open, is one of the 10 one ounce gold coins that were in a tightly
sealed hard plastic container?
Time is of the essence!
Why is it taking so long for you to respond to this
straightforward question?
From: Gary S. Gevisser
Sent: Saturday, April 28, 2007 8:18 PM
To: Terry, Steve - [mailto:Steve.Terry@aa.com]
Subject: RE: Steve - I have not opened the sealed envelope containing
the gold that was recovered.
Was
one gold coin part of what was recovered?
From: Terry, Steve - [mailto:Steve.Terry@aa.com]
Sent: Saturday, April 28, 2007 7:38 PM
To: Gary S. Gevisser
Subject: RE: Steve - I have not opened the sealed envelope containing
the gold that was recovered.
I cannot tell you the exact weight but what is in the envelope is
what was recovered.
From: Gary S. Gevisser
[mailto:gevisser@sbcglobal.net]
Sent: Sat 4/28/2007 1:39 PM
To: Terry, Steve - [mailto:Steve.Terry@aa.com]
Subject: Steve - I have not opened the sealed envelope containing the
gold that was recovered.
I
thought it best that I leave it unopened so that when I make my claim there
will be no doubt as to what Janet handed over to me.
In
feeling the contents it seems like there is a 1 oz gold coin.
Is
that the case?
From: Terry, Steve
Sent: Friday, April 27, 2007 4:39 PM
To: Gary S. Gevisser
Subject: RE: Steve - just to confirm. I will try getting to the airport
prior to 2 PM today.
Thank you Janet is expecting you.
From: Gary S. Gevisser
[mailto:gevisser@sbcglobal.net]
Sent: Fri 4/27/2007 2:24 PM
To: Terry, Steve
Subject: Steve - just to confirm. I will try getting to the airport
prior to 2 PM today.
Mr. Bowler, while I have been
in touch with various law enforcement authorities including the San Diego
Police Department and the FBI I have also taken the added precaution to protect
myself and those I care about by making as public as I possibly can this most
egregious “petty crime” which coupled with the retaliation for doing the right
thing, the threatening call nothing short of “insult to injury” should, at a
minimum, result in not only disciplinary action but an entire reassessment of
American Eagles’ protocol.
Sincerely yours,
Gary S. Gevisser
From: Bowler, Peter
[mailto:Peter.Bowler@aa.com]
Sent: Wednesday, May 09, 2007 3:08 PM
To: gevisser@sbcglobal.net
Cc: Eichorst, Karaleen
Subject: American Eagle
Dear Mr. Evisser,
Gerard Arpey passed your note
along to me as I am responsible for American Eagle. I am sorry learn that
you had an unsatisfactory experience with us and am anxious to hear what
happened. If you care to give me the specifics I’ll be happy to investigate.
Peter Bowler
President and CEO,
American Eagle Airlines
From: Gary S. Gevisser
Sent: Wednesday, May 09, 2007 2:44 PM
To: Gerard.arpey@aa.com
Subject: Mr. Arpey, I understand that you are the President and Chief
Operating Officer of American Airlines.
Your email and titles were
provided to me by one of your staff at the Admirals Club who felt quite certain
you would be responsive to my complaint.
I have had an extraordinarily
“unfortunate incident” with American Eagle and in particular a General Manager
of American Eagle and before I go any further I simply would like to find out
whether American Eagle falls under another person, other than yourself?
Gary Gevisser