Worst Passenger of the Week: The Man with a Strange Idea of Inflight Entertainment

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. Here are this week’s winners.

Third Place – U Mad? The Rapper Who Won’t “Tolerate that Disrespect S***”

Rapper Vic Mensa told his Twitter followers that he was ejected from a recent American Airlines flight after he stood up for a fellow passenger who was being treated rudely by a gate agent. The hip-hop artist tweeted that he felt compelled to speak up when an AA employee spoke impolitely to a fellow passenger as she approached the counter.

“KICKED OFF THE FLIGHT ON @AmericanAir SMH. ALL FOR TELLING THE TICKET MAN TO WATCH HIS MOUTH SPEAKING TO A WOMAN IN LINE…” the musician tweeted. “I DON’T TOLERATE THAT DISRESPECT SHIT. @AmericanAir HAD US WAITING 5 HOURS AND HAD THE NERVE TO BE YELLING AT MFS.”

It would be easy to give the Roc Nation recording artist the benefit of the doubt and assume that he was indeed victimized by the airline for the very noble cause of insisting that everyone be treated with respect. Unfortunately, when he recounted the incident later on Snapchat, the celebrity referred to American Airlines employees in a somewhat less than respectful manor. The rapper specifically singled out “the fat man scanning tickets,” “this Mexican” and “this white lady trying to lecture me.”

It is worth noting that this isn’t the first time in recent weeks that Vic Mensa has had a run-in with a commercial airline. In July of this year, the musician was also ejected from a United Airlines flight. In this case as well, he took to social media to claim that it was the combination of his own chivalry and the airline’s incompetence that caused his removal from the flight. In a since deleted tweet, he wrote, “THX @united FOR KICKING ME OFF MY FLIGHT FOR TALKING TO A DEPRESSED FAN WHO NEEDED HELP ON THE PHONE WHEN THE PLANE WASN’T EVEN FLYING YET.” In this incident, the rapper even encouraged his fans to give the airline hell, adding, “TWEET @united AND TELL THEM FUCK YOU FOR KICKING ME OFF THE PLANE ON MY BIRTHDAY #FUCKUNITEDAIRLINES.”

The Runner-up – The Passenger who Tried to Leave in the Middle of the Inflight Movie

An Alaska Airlines passenger who tried to exit a flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (SEA) hours before the plane arrived at its destination, eventually got his wish when the captain made an unscheduled landing at Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport (MSP) to have the disruptive passenger removed. The unidentified passenger reportedly attempted to open the aircraft’s rear emergency exit door in mid-air.

After police escorted the troublemaker from the flight, the plane was allowed to continue its trip to SEA. Meanwhile, authorities are said to have determined that the man who attempted to exit a commercial airliner that was flying at more than 30,000 feet, might perhaps present a danger to himself or others. The detained flyer was taken to a local hospital for evaluation.

“We did receive reports that this passenger attempted to access a door at the rear of the aircraft,” Alaska Airlines spokesperson Halley Knigge confirmed to Seattle CBS affiliate KIRO, noting that the flight was never in any real danger. “The passenger was unsuccessful as it is physically impossible to open an aircraft door while the aircraft is pressurized and inflight.”

The Winner – The Man Who Attempted to Single-Handedly Join the Mile High Club

Agents assigned to the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force filed a criminal warrant in a federal court after witnesses say a 40-year-old American Airlines passenger started to masturbate and expose himself on a LaGuardia Airport (LGA) to Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) bound flight on Thursday. According to court records, Arthur Fischer of New Orleans is accused of engaging in the lewd activity while “seated in the cabin of a commercial aircraft in flight, where any reasonable man would know that his acts would be open to observation by others.”

Perhaps even more disturbing than the acts Fischer is accused of committing in his window seat are the man’s rather flimsy explanations for his behavior. Fischer, who was interviewed by the FBI shortly after the flight, reportedly told agents that he “got an erection after takeoff and covered himself with his vest.” He is also said to have explained that he was not masturbating, but was instead cleaning his genital area with a wipe because “it smelled bad.” Fischer even acknowledged that his private area may have been exposed at some point, reportedly telling federal investigators that he “felt a breeze on it.”

According to witness statements, one passenger seated near Fischer told investigators that she woke to find the man “rubbing his legs on the outside of his pants” before he eventually put his hands in his pants and then exposed himself. The woman told federal agents that she switched seats to get away from Fischer who was seated in the window seat with a vest covering his lap. Another eyewitness told authorities in a statement that at one point during the flight, Fischer’s “erect penis was fully exposed.”

Whatever the reason for his odd behavior, according to the FBI, even Fischer acknowledged his actions were making other passengers uncomfortable. It should be mentioned that the flying time between LGA and CLT is approximately one hour and 19 minutes or about an hour longer than some people are able to control themselves.