2 JetBlue pilots arrested for beating up a cabbie

by Scott Carmichael on

Oh my, the bad news about JetBlue staff just keeps piling up.

After the report of a JetBlue Flight attendant harassing a passenger, it is now 2 Jetblue pilots who are in hot water.

The 2 off-duty pilots were in a cab, making their way from an upscale Miami strip club to a local Subway sandwich shop. When they arrived at their destination, they decided that they were too important to pay the $9 cab fare.

Their refusal resulted in a fight with the cab driver, ending with him on the ground with a concussion and a broken right ankle. The incident happened last August and it is not entirely clear from the arrest report why it took the police this long to arrest the 2 pilots.

Of course, this brings me to the most important part of my article; the news reports about this attack seem a little too sensationalist to me. Does it really matter what the profession was of the 2 alleged attackers? Are there professions out there where beating up cab drivers is considered acceptable? (And yes; I realize the irony in this statement, given the fact that I am also writing about it!).

To prove my point; the web page title of the CBS4 article is called “Cabbie Killer Cab“. Nobody was killed, and I’m fairly sure these 2 pilots had no intention of killing anyone.

At the end of the article it is made clear that there is, as always, 2 sides to a story. The cab driver apparently has an anger management problem and the attorney for the pilots claims the cab driver used pepper spray before he was attacked. Whichever side of the story turns out to be true, it is a bad idea to refuse paying your local cabbie, and it is a bad idea to use pepper spray on 2 guys trying to find a tasty sandwich.

What strange things have been found on planes?


Air traffic controller oversleeps, delaying two flights landing on Greek island

by Jeffrey White on

Last week saw two airplanes that were headed to the Greek island of Lesbos have to circle above the Aegean Sea for 40 minutes because an air traffic controller was asleep.

The flights affected were an Olympic Airlines plane and a Slovakian Airlines plane, both of which tried several times to raise the control tower but couldn’t. No one there would answer.

The woman who should have been there later acknowledged that she had overslept.

You’d think they would have a contingency if a worker oversleeps, but apparently not. The airplanes eventually landed with the help of computer assistance. The sleeping controller has been suspended for three days.

Southwest Rescues Twin Cities from Northwest Monopoly

by Josh Lew on

The Twin Cities have enjoyed fleeting affairs with budget airlines in the past. AirTran provided dirt cheap flights between MSP and Chicago (as low as $59 one-way) for several years. When they left, fares rose considerably. For many people flying out of Minnesota, Northwest is the only game in town. A search on the major booking web sites last week turned up fares of over $500 between MSP and O’Hare. In short, Northwest has travelers trapped in a corner and seems intent on extracting as much money. Sporadic service by budget carriers like Sun Country has done little to alter the trend of high prices. But a deal between Twin Cities Int’l and Southwest Airlines will bring some significant change to the air travel market next year.

Minneapolis has been courting Southwest for some time now. The flirtation got hot and heavy earlier this year, but it took until now to iron out the details. The deal will make Minneapolis the envy of mid-sized markets across the US currently held hostage by a single major carrier.

What exactly is Southwest going to bring?Southwest will bring competition that will completely change the air travel game in the northern Midwest. Southwest is known for its cheap fares and frequent special offers. In order to compete, Northwest and others will have to drop fares. The first Southwest flights from MSP will be to Chicago-Midway (8 per day). From Midway, the airline flies non-stop to 47 cities. Perhaps the plane change will not be a turn on for convenience freaks. But for budget travel aficionados, deals like $59 from Chicago to Detroit and $127 to Vegas are hard to pass up, especially when similar routes now cost three or four times that. In addition, Southwest does not charge for extra checked baggage like Northwest currently does.

Minnesotans will have to wait until next spring for the first Southwest jet to take off. Flights will depart from the MSP’s Humphrey Terminal, a smaller terminal located behind the airport’s main Lindbergh terminal. But, it will be worth the wait for many. As Tom Parsons, owner of bestfares.com, recently told the Minneapolis Star Tribune, “Southwest saw high prices…they could come in and drop your prices like a rock.”

JetBlue flight attendant accused of sexually harassing a passenger

by Jamie Rhein on

Here’s a sordid, wacky tale, and one that’s hard to believe, except that the person who is accused of gross behavior has admitted to part of the accusation.

Here is the scoop from what I read in this CBStv.com story. A male JetBlue flight attendant has been accused by a female passenger of sexual harassment.

She said:

  • he said he would make sure no one sat next to her so she could be all his.
  • he said that he wanted her.
  • he said that she wanted him.
  • he kept grabbing himself.
  • he tossed his open cell phone on her tray to show her naked pictures of himself .
  • he made vulgar comments to her through the bathroom door when she fled there to escape his advances.
  • he grabbed her derriere when she was heading back to her seat.

He said that:

  • he DID show her naked pictures of himself on his cell phone.
  • he DID MAKE sexual advances,

He said he DID NOT

  • grab her butt.
  • act in a harassing manner.

As a result of the woman coming forward with her accusations, the flight attendant was arrested for “obscene and indecent exposure” and for making “lewd, obscene and indecent sexual proposal.” JetBlue is still involved in the investigation of the he said/she said situation.

Even though the incident happened seven months ago, the woman said she was too scared to say something to any officials at the time of the incident. In retrospect, she admits saying something at the time of the incident would have been the best tactic.

If such a thing ever happens to you on a plane, which I would hope is a rare occurrence indeed, here is one thing I’ve thought of to say to a flight attendant (or anyone else) who is making comments you think are inappropriate:

“Sir (or Mam) you are being inappropriate. I do not like the way you are talking and behaving. If you do not stop immediately, I will notify the appropriate authorities.”

If the behavior continues, stand up, walk down the aisle to the appropriate person, tell him or her immediately what occurred. If you do not feel safe after taking action, ask for an escort after the plane lands. The woman said she did not feel safe. I’m wondering if she wasworried that he may do something rash after the plane landed. That’s why I would ask for an escort. I don’t know if you can get one, but why not ask?

There is no need to take on any bad feelings from a person who is acting like an idiot towards you.

Other troublemakers in the sky


Baggage handler for Southwest Airlines smuggled cocaine on hundreds of flights

by Jeffrey White on

The Houston Chronicle is reporting that a Southwest Airlines employee has been smuggling cocaine onto flights between Houston and Baltimore.

The employee, Carthon Lee Merrick, who lives in the greater Houston area, is a baggage handler for the airline.

According to a federal indictment, he’s being charged with conspiring to possess with intent to distribute.

The indictment says that since 2001 Merrick has used his Southwest airlines flying privileges to make 388 smuggling trips between the two cities. He was finally nabbed earlier this year coming off a flight in Houston, where authorities found him in possession of $79,122 in cash.

He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years, and could get life in prison.

Southwest Airlines isn’t commenting.

What other strange things have been found on planes?