Worst Passengers of the Week: The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far From the Tree

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.

Honorable Mentions – A Strange Week in Air Travel

A flyer was reportedly banned from a United Airlines flight when the captain took exception to the man donning a baseball cap that featured the Marvel comic book hero “The Black Panther” along with a t-shirt with an upside-down American flag printed on it. Also this week, a passenger was arrested at Soekarno–Hatta International Airport (CGK) after a cleaner found a five-to-seven-month developed fetus in the lavatory of a Qatar Airways flight that arrived from Hamad International Airport (DOH). Finally, passengers aboard a fully booked Azur Air flight from Antalya Airport (AYT) to Domodedovo International Airport (DME) were forced to sit next to the lifeless body of a passenger who tragically passed away more than three hours before the plane eventually reached its destination.

Third Place – Relax Bro, I was Just Kidding

Perhaps it was cold-war-era-comedian Yakov Smirnoff who said, “In America my jokes sometimes bomb -in Soviet Russia bombs are sometimes jokes.” Or perhaps not.

In any case, a “joke” bombed badly at Geneva Airport (GVA) when an Aeroflot flight was evacuated after a Russian national reportedly told a gate agent that he had placed an explosive device on the plane. The flight which was already taxiing towards the runway returned to the gate where passengers were evacuated and searched before authorities inspected the plane and its cargo for any signs of a bomb. Passengers were eventually allowed to continue their trip on an alternate aircraft.

Meanwhile, the passenger who inexplicably told airport workers he had placed a bomb on the plane was taken into custody. Prosecutors in Geneva say the man admitted to the bomb hoax, but insisted the threat was not serious and he had only been joking about placing a bomb on a Russian airliner.

The Runner-up: The Pre-flight Safety Demonstration Heckler

A boorish passenger on an Alaska Airlines flight departing Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (SEA) reportedly decided to liven up the pre-flight safety briefing by sexually harassing the flight attendant as she demonstrated the proper use of a personal flotation device. The inappropriate flyer is said to have started catcalling the crew member during the presentation. When the man exclaimed, “Ooh, sexy!” in the middle of the demonstration, however, the flight attendant abruptly stopped to remind the interrupting man, “You need to be respectful.”

The onboard heckler wasn’t at all daunted by being publicly called out for his bad behavior. He simply offered the universal defense of bullies everywhere. “C’mon, I’m just playing with you,” he uttered and then shamelessly rested his case.

Unfortunately for the catcalling passenger, the “just kidding, bro” defense didn’t impress airline officials, who soon after ordered the man to gather his things and exit the plane. The loutish flyer was then forced to resort to every bully’s desperate plan-B tactic. ”I didn’t do anything wrong! I didn’t do anything wrong!” eyewitnesses say the man could be heard repeating as he was escorted from the flight.

The Winner – The Tardy Father and Son Who “Talked Themselves into Being Arrested”

The father and son Worst Passenger of the Week champions made a string of key errors to earn their title. The perfect storm of failure earned the duo a trip to jail rather than their expected flight from Manchester Airport (MAN) to Dalaman Airport (DLM).

First, the pair lost track of time at an airport bar leading them to arrive at the gate after boarding had already closed. Several other members of the extended family chose not to participate in the father/son bonding exercise and reportedly made it onboard the flight with time to spare.

When Dad, age 60 and son, age 27, arrived at the gate it became clear exactly why they lost track of the time. “The two men who were arrested after being refused flight to Dalaman with Monarch were in the same party and let the drink get the better of them,” police reported.

“No other members of the public were involved but as they arrived too late at the gate due to spending too much time in the bar, they missed the flight, but had they got there on time, it’s quite possible they would have been refused access to the flight anyway.”

Finally, police say, the tardy and inebriated father and son team managed to make a bad situation much, much worse. “When police arrived the two men continued arguing and instead of just being escorted land-side, talked themselves into being arrested,” authorities lamented in a statement.

[Photo: AOL Travel]