With the advent of widebody a/c, airlines have enabled people to fly to places that their parents could only see on the movie screen.
To fill those seats, the airlines have made people think that it is no more difficult than stepping on a bus. They have advertised hard to remove any fears and doubts and concerns about travelling by air.
They have ensured that folks understand nothing about command and control. Nothing about mid-air risks other than 'terrorism' and 'smoking'. The 'air-rage' issue has got 1,001 excuses and apologists. BUT that is because no one has seen it for real. Once they have - they never forget it.
Simple example: People think that their home will never catch fire. They have no idea how rapidly it will spread and destroy their house. Once it has happened - for the rest of their lives, they will respect fire.
In the air, we are all fortunate that we have people working hard to get us to our destination. The person who has paid for 'Y' or 'F' often has zero idea of what is involved.
I look forward to hearing the detail of what the pax said to provoke this strong reaction, before venturing to comment on the case. My support for VS is undimmed.