Worst Passenger of the Week: Failed Jedi Attempts ‘This Door Is Not Important’ Mind Trick After Opening Emergency Exit

Every Friday, FlyerTalk looks back at the week’s most charming individuals. While there are always plenty of contenders for our Worst Passenger of the Week award, only one lucky flyer can take home the glory.

Third Place — The Serial Stowaway

 

Perhaps more surprising than Marilyn J. Hartman’s unwavering determination to sneak aboard commercial aircraft without buying a ticket (despite mounting criminal penalties), is the fact that the 63-year-old woman has been successful with some of her stowaway ventures — just as she was on Sunday. Yes, Hartman has once again confessed to illegally hitching a ride.

The so-called “serial stowaway” was arrested for trespassing at a Jacksonville, Fla. hotel on Monday after checking into the Omni Amelia Island Plantation Resort under another guest’s name. Hartman told deputies at the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office that she had slipped on to a flight from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) to Jacksonville International Airport (JAX).

Hartman is currently being held in jail on charges of felony fraud and trespassing. A police spokesman says the department is working with Homeland Security and airport police to substantiate Hartman’s claim.

Second Place — The Used Car King of Syracuse, N.Y.

 

Ostensibly, the entire reason the TSA and its nearly $8 billion budget exists is to prevent passengers from bringing weapons onboard commercial flights. It seems logical to assume that there might be some consequences for passengers who are actually caught attempting to bring weapons through TSA checkpoints. This isn’t the case, however, if you are the Used Car King of Syracuse, N.Y.

When Todd Caputo — president of Sun Chevrolet and a local celebrity thanks to his late-night TV commercials — was found in possession of a loaded semi-automatic handgun at a security checkpoint inside Syracuse Hancock International Airport (SYR), the police officers summoned by TSA were very understanding. Syracuse police allowed the 43-year-old car mogul to give the loaded .380 caliber weapon, which he claimed to have “accidentally” left in his carry-on bag, to a relative so he could clear security and board his flight.

According to a police spokesman, Caputo was licensed to legally carry the firearm and is not facing any charges.

The Winner — The Disgrace to Jedi Everywhere

 

A China Southern Airlines passenger had some not-so-airtight logic behind why he opened an emergency door while boarding his flight at Nanjing Lukou International Airport (NKG). The unnamed man opened one of the Boeing 737-800’s emergency exits before taking his seat and calmly peering out at the tarmac, and when alarmed flight attendants asked him why he’d opened the door, the man replied:

“This door is not important.”

Fellow passengers reported the passenger had little difficulty opening the emergency hatch and no one on the plane attempted to prevent him from doing so. Chinese officials were not impressed by the man’s explanation (which seems more like a failed attempt at a Jedi mind trick than a reasonable excuse for triggering lengthy security protocols and delaying the flight by more than an hour).

The air-loving passenger is being held in jail for 10 days as punishment, giving him ample opportunity to ponder the importance of a locked door.

 

[Photos: Nassau County Sheriff’s Office; Facebook; South China Morning Post]