The Only Drink Served Aboard This Flight Is Punch: This Week’s Worst Flyers

Third Place – “Wait until we get off this plane. You’d better run fast.”

A passenger on a short British Airways flight from Glasgow Airport (GLA) to London City Airport (LCY) caused big trouble this week. Armed police stormed the flight and quickly escorted two passengers from the plane shortly after it landed at the downtown airport.

Eyewitnesses on the flight say that a passenger who became irritated with his fellow flyers was the source of the drama that turned into a serious security issue. Passengers on the Tuesday evening flight report that the traveler started the trip by allegedly becoming angry at a flight attendant who insisted that he fasten his seatbelt prior to takeoff. The man then reportedly became more indignant during beverage service when a crew member questioned whether he might have been drinking before the flight. His behavior culminated in a dispute with another flyer in which the passenger allegedly threatened, “Wait until we get off this plane. You’d better run fast.”

Despite the usual step of dispatching armed police, authorities declined to file charges. “Flight staff had called police following a dispute between two unrelated parties onboard the flight,” a Metropolitan Police spokesman told reporters. “Two men were subsequently escorted from the plane by police. The other parties involved were also spoken to by officers and did not substantiate any allegations. No crime was recorded.”

The Runner-up – “TSA does not tolerate illegal, unethical or immoral conduct.”

A Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screener accused of using his breaks to film lewd “up-skirt” videos of unsuspecting passengers at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) is facing charges this week. The TSA agent was reportedly caught red-handed using his mobile phone to record a voyeuristic video of a female passenger at baggage claim. The screener was already under suspicion and was being followed by another TSA agent who is said to have observed the behavior as it occurred.

Fellow agents were already keeping an eye on the TSA officer because a passenger reported seeing the agent record similar videos on an airport escalator weeks earlier. TSA officials told reporters that the agent has been placed on an indefinite suspension without pay. The unnamed 29-year-old TSA employee is also facing voyeurism charges stemming from the incident.

“TSA does not tolerate illegal, unethical or immoral conduct,” spokesperson Lorie Dankers told Seattle television station KIRO. “When such conduct is alleged, TSA investigates it thoroughly. When appropriate, TSA requests that it be investigated by a law enforcement authority. When an investigation finds that misconduct has occurred, the appropriate action is taken.”

The Winners – “Blood was everywhere. It was a massive punch up.”

A Jetstar flight from Sydney Airport (SYD) to Phuket International Airport (HKT) in Thailand made an unscheduled stop at Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS) in Bali after a massive brawl between a group of six traveling companions. The serious fisticuffs terrified other passengers and reportedly resulted in a broken bottle of duty-free cognac, a blood-splattered cabin and at least one of the combatants seeking medical treatment by the time it was all over.

Upset passengers were in tears and terrified children were screaming according to accounts of the melee reported by The Sydney Morning Herald. “Blood was everywhere. It was a massive punch up.”

The violent travel companion blamed the dust-up on excessive alcohol consumption. Authorities at DPS began deporting the pugilistic friends on separate flights back to Australia. Meanwhile, Australian authorities said that as a legal matter, the incident is in the hands of the officials in Indonesia.

While officials in Bali seem content to simply expel the feuding travel companions from paradise, the airline might not let them off the hook quite so easily. According to the newspaper, JetStar will consider charging the passengers for the costs associated with diverting the flight to Bali. The flyers could each receive bills for tens of thousands of dollars if Jetstar seeks to recoup its losses.

[Photo: AP]