Worst Passenger of the Week: Man Under Severe Pressure

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 — Steaks on a Plane

An unnamed Chinese woman, unaware of the slithering surprise her mother slipped into her bag, caused a biosecurity scare at New Zealand’s busiest airport. Upon arriving at Auckland Airport (AKL), she declared the sealed, plastic package she believed contained tea, as per regulations. A quarantine inspector, however, discovered something very different within the package — python filets.

According to Brett Hickman, detention technology manager for New Zealand’s Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), the meat on its own presented a threat to native reptiles, in that it could’ve been carrying diseases. What really elevated the biosecurity risk, though, was how the meat was “crawling with insects.”

MPI did not fine the woman, but they did confiscate the python filets.

Second Place — When a T-Shirt Isn’t Good Enough

Travelers love collecting souvenirs, but one California man decided he wanted something the gift shop didn’t carry. Benjamin Wenzl, 26, arrived at Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ) on a Southwest Airlines flight Monday. During the deplaning process, a member of the flight crew saw Wenzl take two life vests from beneath his seat and stuff them into his carry-on bag.

The flight crew member alerted Aviation Police, who followed Wenzl down into the baggage claim area and confronted him at the curbside pick-up. Albuquerque Aviation Police Chief Marshall Katz said Wenzl “self-admitted he took them as a prank for gifts.”

Wenzl was arrested and faces a misdemeanor larceny charge. Police have since learned that this wasn’t the first time Wenzl was caught stealing life vests from planes, although it’s unclear when or where he was previously arrested.

The Winner — Man Under Severe Pressure

Dozing passengers on a Vietnam Airlines flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Sydney got quite the scare Monday evening after an unnamed 27-year-old man began screaming. Mark Ansley, a New Zealander onboard, said the man claimed he’d been kidnapped and drugged. Insisting that there were people in Sydney waiting to kill him, the passenger began kicking the emergency exit and attempting to force the door open.

Passengers were forced to physically restrain the man, and Ansley said he punched the man until he was stunned enough that they could bind his wrists. “It was very scary, I was really shaken,” said Ansley, who believes the man was on some kind of drug.

The Australian Federal Police were alerted to the situation and the man has since undergone a medical assessment. He is due to appear in court on December 16.

[Photos: iStock; Albuquerque Aviation Police; Mark Ansley via Daily Mail]