stolen ashtrays
 

I sometimes monitor the complaints on the LAN USA FB site for fun, this one is quite odd. Don't know how to link it so I'll quote it:

Yesterday at the Los Angeles airport, the entire group of passengers on flight LA2604 coming from Lima was submitted to highly shameful, and probably illegal, treatment when trying to leave the plane. The passengers were in the aisles walking toward the exit when they were ordered to return to their seats .... warned they would be held on the plane - forbidden to leave, unless two ashtrays (from bathroom doors) were returned to the crew. The announcement about the missing "ceniceros" was also broadcast in Spanish over the loudspeaker system.
Never have I seen, and much less be subjected to, such demeaning treatment as having well over a hundred travelers be suspected of theft! The supposed culprits were offered "no-questions-asked" treatment in exchange for the ashtrays. The FAA, IATA, Better Business groups, and Judicial Systems should be notified so they take further action. I will not ask why modern airplanes, in which no smoking has been allowed for years, still have ash trays. But I will ask about the passengers who needed to make connections, those who had relatives paying parking fees, those who contracted van service for a specific time, those whose self esteem and right to free transit were negatively affected. A large percentage of the passengers were Japanese tourists who will be unlikely to forget they were held hostage on LAN Airlines plane at LAX - the airport that serves Los Angeles, California.
I welcome comments from fellow passengers as well the general public.

Me gusta · · 3 de septiembre

LAN Airlines USA Hello Illa, sorry to hear you had a delay when getting off the plane. We will forward your comments right away to our On Board Experience department so that they can review these procedures. Thank you for letting us know.

BTW there are still ashtrays in the lavatories - so people can use them when they (illegally) smoke a cigarette instead of throwing the cigarette in the regular trashcan where usually paper towels are in.

this legislation (lavatories must have ashtrays) is active since 1973 when varig flight 830 crashed due to fire aboard causing 123 fatalities. although the reason for the fire could not be verified it is believed that someone threw a cigarette into the trashcan in the lavatory.

Looks like this will become an interesting thread.....

Not really - it had died until you revived it! :p

Just how could the crew stop the pax from getting up and leaving?

The crew would simply throw Cedins around the cabin, and given the mad scramble to grab them, no one would want to leave the aeronave.

Confetti! What a great idea!;)

But then they would have no toilet paper for the next flight. :D

Wow....... Folks know what Cedines are good for.....?

Maybe there is still hope for the amnesty.....?

So by regulation the plane would be stuck in LAX until they replaced the two ashtrays... what an odd scenario.