Worst Passenger of the Week: Jägerbomb Scare

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 column, only one lucky flyer can take home the glory.

Honorable Mention: Otherwise Occupied

A United Airlines flight from Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) was forced to make an unscheduled stop at Denver International Airport (DEN) on Wednesday for the most absurd of reasons – a passenger managed to get stuck in the lavatory. When crew members and fellow passengers failed in their attempts to release the trapped flyer from her malodorous situation, the captain elected to divert to Chicago where airport firefighters stood ready to help free the unhappily confined air traveler.

“Flight 1554 from Washington DC to San Francisco diverted to Denver to assist a customer who was in the lavatory when the lavatory door became inoperative,” United Airlines officials said in a statement. “The passenger was safely removed from the lavatory after landing and customers have since continued on to their destination on a new aircraft. We are reaching out to all customers onboard and the customer in the lavatory to apologize.”

It appears, at least as far as the airline is concerned, the captive air traveler was blameless in this incident. On the other hand, if your cross-country flight is delayed for hours because a fellow passenger managed to get stuck in the toilet, you might not really care who is to blame.

Third Place: Culture Shock at Baggage Claim

When police at Nashville International Airport (BNA) responded to reports that a man was urinating on the floor in baggage claim on Tuesday, the investigation didn’t take long. Officers say they arrived on the scene to find, “a large amount of urine on the wall and floor.” A suspect, who was lingering nearby, was caught “red-handed,” so-to-speak. According to arrest reports, when officers questioned Eliezer Gonzalez about the incident they “observed what appeared to be urine on his hands and his pants.”

The 56-year-old reportedly admitted to being responsible for the mess, telling police, “it was okay to do so in Puerto Rico, so he assumed it was allowed in Nashville.” A quick check of security footage backed up Gonzalez’s confession to the alleged deed. According to an affidavit, it was clear from surveillance camera recordings that he had “exposed himself and urinated in front of passengers near the bag belt.”

Gonzalez was charged with a single count of public indecency before posting bail and being released, but he was rearrested just hours later after allegedly throwing rocks from a bridge onto a busy interstate highway below, hitting at least one car in the process. In this case, he reportedly offered yet another dubious explanation admitting to the outlandish behavior, telling the police, “Yes, I tried to land a rock onto the thing of the truck.”

The Runner-Up: Game Set Match

A group of Syrian migrants traveling on forged documents came up with an ingenious way to evade detection as they departed from Athens International Airport (ATH). The entourage of ten men attempted to pass themselves off as a traveling volleyball team and according to police, no detail of the disguise was overlooked.

The “volleyball” team arrived at the airport outfitted in matching uniforms and tracksuits and even held two regulation volleyballs as they tried to board a flight bound for Zurich Airport (ZRH) in Switzerland. In the end, the well-thought-out disguises weren’t enough to overcome the obvious flaws in the group’s travel documents. Authorities say the Syrian nationals, who likely entered Greece illegally, were carrying illegally obtained Ukrainian passports belonging to other people.

The immigration crisis in Greece is said to have neared a breaking point in recent weeks. The European Union (EU) has pledged to offer emergency assistance as the country increasingly becomes a staging point for undocumented immigrants attempting to reach other destinations within Europe.

”We’ll continue to assist the Greek national authorities financially, administratively, and operationally,” EU spokesperson Natasha Bertaud said just hours after the arrest of the phone volleyball team in Athens.“The large number of arrivals on Lesvos in recent weeks has undoubtedly added pressure to a system that is already at its limits.”

The Winner: Bombed Threat

Police in Spain said that, allegedly, an intoxicated British national found an unfortunate way to extend his holiday in Ibiza. The unnamed passenger caused his Jet2 flight from Ibiza Airport (IBZ) to Newcastle International Airport (NCL) to be delayed for nearly five hours. After the passenger allegedly made a drunken bomb threat, the plane was evacuated and emergency responders were quickly alerted.

After bomb squad units searched the plane and determined that the bomb threat was a hoax, passengers were eventually permitted to re-board the aircraft. At least one passenger was not on the plane when the flight departed, however. In fact, there is a high probability he will earn a place on the ever-growing list of passengers who have earned a lifetime ban from flying on Jet2 flights.

The holiday-maker responsible for extending his fellow travelers’ time in paradise by a few hours, also earned a well-deserved reprieve from the stresses back home. The Brit abroad was given overnight accommodations behind bars after being taken into custody by authorities. The suspect’s extra time in Ibiza won’t likely be spent on the beach or at a poolside dance party – instead, this loudmouthed passenger will be spending most of his remaining time in the famous resort destination appearing before a magistrate.

 

[Featured Image: Pxhere]