|
Passenger smoked in lav
Yesterday was a first time experience for me. The two guys sitting across from me on a flight to SFO were downing JD & cokes. After ordering their 6th round of JD, the older (60s ?) of the two goes to the lav. When he returns to his seat, he is reeking of cigarette smoke. He chuckled and leaned over to his buddy and told him what he did. Shortly thereafter, a FA comes to him and told the guy that he smoked in the lav. The guy tried to halfheartedly deny it, but the FA said he was cutting them off from anymore alcohol. The FA left and the smoker started laughing and loudly making jokes about what he had done. When we landed at SFO, the captain comes on the intercom and says that there is a little bit of traffic in the alley and we’ll have to wait a little before pulling into the gate. After a few minutes, we get to the gate, the captain tells everyone to remain seated. Some guy in a suit comes on the plane and goes directly to the smoker and quietly tells him to follow him off the plane. When I walked off the plane, there were 3 SFPD bicycle officers at the gate and the smoker was standing behind some stanchions, kinda penned off. I guess the last joke was on him. I’m not sure that he’ll be flying home on United. |
Too bad they won't charge him the max. $25000 fine as well.
|
Originally Posted by Aventine
(Post 30745124)
Too bad they won't charge him the max. $25000 fine as well.
|
Originally Posted by Miles Ahead
(Post 30745179)
How do you know they won't?
|
Originally Posted by halls120
(Post 30745189)
Assuming that the fine is actually a civil penalty assessed by the FAA, it is not normal for the maximum to be assessed right off the bat, especially if it is a first time offense.
|
The original fail was serving anybody six drinks. Smoking in the lav shows what impaired judgment can do for passenger safety. As this was reported to law enforcement, there will be follow up by UA as well. That will likely lead to some action against the FA.
As to the civil penalty, a lot depends. Local cops will turn over the investigation to FAA. FAA will typically propose a penalty which the passenger may accept, pay, and end the mess. Or, the passenger may contest, have a hearing before an ALJ and either win or lose and then pay whatever it is that the ALJ assesses. |
1. Sometimes it must really suck to be an FA/adult baby sitter
2. What happened to the smoke detector? broken? disabled? 3. Who knows what happened to the guy? It could have been a slap on the wrist. Half the time when it escalates to "news worthy", it sounds like they just get a stern talking to and then are free to go on their way. 4. I wouldn't be surprised if he was on UA going home. When I read about passengers who get kicked off of flights, most of the time, the "news" story just says that they get put on a later flight (after they sober up) I do remember one time seeing the guy next to me using a vaporizer at his seat with the FA standing next to him. It was less popular back then and I remember being confused as to what it was. |
I had a friend of a friend who bragged about getting away with smoking the lav. Some planes have a venturi effect sink drain, where when you push the drain stopper open it sort of pops and there is the sound of rushing air. He said he would stick his face in the sink, put a towel over his head holding the drain open and vent it overboard that way. While it sounded like a pretty awful experience, it also sounded plausible.
|
Originally Posted by EricH
(Post 30745316)
So how much {is} first offense?
|
Originally Posted by Often1
(Post 30745426)
The original fail was serving anybody six drinks. Smoking in the lav shows what impaired judgment can do for passenger safety. As this was reported to law enforcement, there will be follow up by UA as well. That will likely lead to some action against the FA.
As to the civil penalty, a lot depends. Local cops will turn over the investigation to FAA. FAA will typically propose a penalty which the passenger may accept, pay, and end the mess. Or, the passenger may contest, have a hearing before an ALJ and either win or lose and then pay whatever it is that the ALJ assesses. I'm not in favor of a serious drunk being on my flight but I am also not interested in a number being used to determine how many drinks someone gets on a flight. I've certainly drank 6 drinks on a DEN-LHR flight but not on a DEN-MTJ. |
Originally Posted by cayohueso
(Post 30745517)
I had a friend of a friend who bragged about getting away with smoking the lav. Some planes have a venturi effect sink drain, where when you push the drain stopper open it sort of pops and there is the sound of rushing air. He said he would stick his face in the sink, put a towel over his head holding the drain open and vent it overboard that way. While it sounded like a pretty awful experience, it also sounded plausible.
|
He may has disabled or destroyed the smoke detector in the lavatory. That's a safety hazard. It's also a potential safety hazard for someone to dispose of a lighted/used cigarette in the lavatory trash basket. I'm surprised that the FA didn't take additional steps during the flight, such as wetting or inspecting everything in the lavatory' trash basket and possibly closing the lavatory to passenger use since it might not have had a functioning smoke detector. Once I was on a flight where someone started to smoke in the lavatory and several FAs came running with fire extinguishers. |
Originally Posted by Often1
(Post 30745426)
That will likely lead to some action against the FA.
Originally Posted by MSPeconomist
(Post 30745732)
I'm surprised that the FA didn't take additional steps during the flight
|
Originally Posted by MSPeconomist
(Post 30745732)
He may has disabled or destroyed the smoke detector in the lavatory. That's a safety hazard. It's also a potential safety hazard for someone to dispose of a lighted/used cigarette in the lavatory trash basket. I'm surprised that the FA didn't take additional steps during the flight, such as wetting or inspecting everything in the lavatory' trash basket and possibly closing the lavatory to passenger use since it might not have had a functioning smoke detector. Once I was on a flight where someone started to smoke in the lavatory and several FAs came running with fire extinguishers. |
Originally Posted by mahasamatman
(Post 30745743)
Since when is doing your job grounds for punitive action?
|
| All times are GMT -6. The time now is 8:35 pm. |
This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2026 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.