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United Crew Duct Tapes Woman To Seat After In-Flight Ruckus

November 5, 2008 at 3:25 PM | 0 Comments

A 45-year-old woman flying from Puerto Rico to Chicago on United Saturday was duct taped to her seat by the crew after she allegedly slapped a flight attendant on the butt, threw a wet cloth across the cabin, poked and prodded her fellow seatmates and stumbled over another passenger before pulling her hair.

Eventually, the pilot decided to divert to Charlotte to toss Maria Esther Castillo from the flight. Once on the ground, she racked up a charge of resisting arrest to go with her count of interfering with a flight crew after, apparently, resisting arrest.

She's headed to a detention hearing in federal court tomorrow at 10 am, during which we'll hopefully learn more about what exactly was on that "wet cloth." We're so hoping it was just water.

Related Stories:
· Passenger Jailed in Flight Disturbance [Charlotte Observer]
· Bad Seatmates coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo of what's probably behind all this: prettywar-stl]

Hermes Heir Arrested in Pun-Tastic Air Rage Incident

October 16, 2008 at 3:30 PM | 2 Comments

Fashion heir Mathias Guerrand-Hermès got out of hand on a recent Air France flight, when law enforcement officials say he started harassing other passengers after gulping down some Propofan and "quite a bit of alcohol."

When the crew couldn't calm the polo-playing purse prince down, the captain intervened. But Guerrand-Hermès managed to menacingly grab the pilot's crotch before being handcuffed, shackled and tied to his seat.

Despite trying, he didn't manage to punch anyone. He's facing a charge of interfering with a flight crew, which could earn him as many as six months in prison if his rap sheet is clean.

Related Stories:
· Hermès Heir Is Charged with Assaulting a Jetliner Pilot [NYT]
· Feds Bag Hermès [TSG]
· Bad Seatmates coverage [Jaunted]

Terrifying Travel: Bus Beheading Trial Moving Forward

October 7, 2008 at 3:05 PM | 1 Comment

Remember earlier this summer when horrified bus passengers in Canada watched as a guy allegedly stabbed and decapitated his 22-year-old seatmate? Well, a Manitoba court determined that the suspect in the case, Vince Weiguang Li, is mentally fit to stand trail.

While Li, who's been charged with second-degree murder, will see his case return to court on November 6, a defense attorney says there's more to it than just this psychiatric assessment:

I agree that he is fit to stand trial, but the issue is whether he is criminally responsible for his actions. My position would be in court that he's not criminally responsible for his actions and he did not know what he was doing was wrong.

It will be for a court to determine whether that's correct or not.

Related Stories:
· Canada Bus Beheading Suspect Can Stand Trial [AP, via Google]
· Staycation Travel: The Ultimate Bus Horror Story [Jaunted]

[Photo: Stephen Rees]

Christina Szele Arrested Again, Headed Back to Denver

September 16, 2008 at 5:20 PM | 0 Comments

US Marshals have apprehended Christina Szele, she of the alleged in-flight outburst involving a cigarette, some swearing and a jab to the jaw of a JetBlue flight attendant.

According to authorities, she tested positive for cocaine *twice* while awaiting trial and was slapped with a charge of misdemeanor assault in Queens after a fight with her roommate.

The attorney's office in Denver, which decided to let Szele enter a plea in a New York court, now wants to prosecute its case back in Colorado. Since Szele's been banned from commercial air travel, she'll have to fly back with marshals on a government plane.

It'll be just like "Con Air," except she's innocent until proven guilty in court!

Related Stories:
· Woman from JetBlue Flight Arrested Again [Denver Post]
· Smoker Arrested Again [KUSA]
· Smokin' Szele Plans to Cop a Plea [Jaunted]

Staycation Travel: The Ultimate Bus Horror Story

July 31, 2008 at 2:15 PM | 4 Comments

Your bus was late? The bathroom wasn't working? Your driver veered from lane to lane? We don't wanna hear it anymore. Nothing can compare to the horror story told by passengers on a Greyhound bus in Manitoba: They watched as one passenger decapitated another as he slept leaning against a window.

more ›

Smokin' Szele Plans to Cop a Plea

July 29, 2008 at 9:45 AM | 0 Comments

Infamous JetBlue passenger Christina Szele will plead guilty to at least some of the federal charges she's facing, according to the Denver Post, citing court documents in the case.

Szele, you'll no doubt remember, reportedly sparked up a cig on her flight between New York and San Francisco and flew into a rage when a flight attendant snatched it from her lips. She was booted off her A320 after it made an emergency pit stop in Denver.

With the plea, it's unlikely she'll get the maximum penalty she could've drawn, but US Attorney Troy Eid is definitely making an example of Szele--just like he promised.

Related Stories:
· JetBlue Flier to Plead Guilty [Jaunted]
· Smokin' Szele Indicted by Federal Grand Jury [Jaunted]
· Drunken Air Rage: Summer's Hottest Trend! [Jaunted]
· Bad Seatmates coverage [Jaunted]

1980s Travel: Menudo Member Tossed from Flight

July 16, 2008 at 5:00 PM | 0 Comments

Did you know that Menudo still exists? Apparently the Latin boy band is still around, and one of its current members, Carlos Olivero, got tossed off a Delta flight on the Fourth of July after not complying with a flight attendant's request to stow his iPod.

According to a source quoted by People:

A flight attendant accused Carlos of having an attitude after she asked him to turn off his iPod in preparation for takeoff. Carlos complied and turned his iPod off, but the flight attendant then demanded he stow it. Carlos showed her again that the iPod was turned off, but he refused to stow it.

Come on, folks! How many federal trials will passengers have to face before you realize that you're required to do what FAs tell you?

As for Carlos, he and his mother were booted, and the rest of the band decided to join them in waiting for another flight. They eventually made it to Knoxville, where they performed in front of 75,000 fans still living in the '80s.

Related Stories:
· Menudo Member Kicked Off Delta Flight [People, via]
· Bad Seatmates coverage [Jaunted]

Drunk Travel: Hit Flight Attendant, Get Tied Up

July 15, 2008 at 9:00 AM | 0 Comments

Another airline passenger makes it into the annals of history this week after his very successful attempt at drunk travel.

This time it's a Kuwaiti man who decided to drink more than his fair share of on-board booze while flying with Qatar Airways from Doha to Bangkok. The man was so drunk that he refused to sit down (let alone wear that necessary seatbelt) and hit a flight attendant.

Obviously, hitting flight staff is a big no-no and so the attendants manage to tie his arms and legs together before the pilot made an emergency landing in Mumbai to offload the drunken troublemaker. And we thought Kuwaitis didn't even drink.

Related Stories:
· Drunk Passenger Forces Emergency Landing [Times of India]
· Qatar Airways is the Gas [Jaunted]
· Mid-Air Brawl Over Girl [Jaunted]

[Photo: idf-fotos]

Smokin' Szele Indicted by Federal Grand Jury

July 8, 2008 at 4:00 PM | 0 Comments

Christina Szele, the enraged passenger who allegedly punched a flight attendant after he snatched a lit cigarette from her lips, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Denver. They say there's enough evidence to prosecute on the original charges of assault and interference with a flight crew--and the jury adds that another charge of assault is in order for Szele's behavior toward a second FA.

The US attorney in the case, Troy Eid, says he's not afraid to make an example of Szele, who authorities say caused such a ruckus that the pilot on her flight had to make an unscheduled stop at Denver International to toss her.

The "anything-goes-on-an-airplane" culture must end. Mess with a commercial flight crew and expect to face the consequences.

And consequences there certainly may be: If found guilty of the interference charge, Szele faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000!

Related Stories:
· Press Release about the Indictment [Official DOJ Site]
· Nicotine Fiend Flips out on JetBlue [Jaunted]
· Bad Seatmates coverage [Jaunted]

Is This Taylor Kircher?

July 7, 2008 at 11:50 AM | 1 Comment

Thank you, Internet. After Taylor Kircher allegedly went bananas on a flight between London and New York, we scoured The Myspace for more info on the guy.

more ›

Drunken Air Rage: Summer's Hottest Trend!

July 1, 2008 at 1:33 PM | 1 Comment

Maybe SAFER is on to something. After a woman allegedly punched a flight attendant and lit up mid-flight, we didn't think in-air drunkenness could get any more outrageous. But meet Taylor Kircher!

The 21-year-old Drexel University student went wild on his British Airways flight from LHR to JFK, authorities say, after he downed an entire bottle of vodka. Among other things, he was masturbating through his clothing, says a federal air marshal:

He stated that he was unable to stop.

After a warning from the captain, flight attendants restrained Kircher with flex cuffs; he then spat in their faces. Before the plane managed to touch down in the States, he made one last threat, says the marshal:

At one point he told a flight crew member that he was going to "blow this plane up if you don't untie my ... feet."

We're trying to find Kircher on Myspace or Facebook... Won't you email us if you find him?

Related Stories:
· Drunk Student Goes Nuts Mid-Flight [NYDN, via]
· Bad Seatmates coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: prettywar-stl]

Nicotine Fiend Flips out on JetBlue

June 19, 2008 at 5:15 PM | 0 Comments

A packed JetBlue plane flying from New York to San Francisco had to make an emergency landing after a woman flipped out and allegedly punched a flight attendant. The passenger, 35-year-old Christina Szele of Queens, flew into a rage after a member of the crew asked her to put out a cigarette she lit up mid-flight. Szele, a white woman, began cursing and screaming racial epithets at an African-American flight attendant after he plucked the cigarette from her mouth, according to an affidavit filed in the case.

After her outburst, Szele was placed in restraints, but she managed to escape her plastic handcuffs and punch the flight attendant in the face. That's when pilots decided to bring the plane down in Denver in order to throw Szele off the flight.

Now the angry Queens nicotine fiend faces federal charges and up to 20 years in jail. Note to Szele: Cigarettes are pretty tough to come by in prison!

Related Stories:
· Smoking Woman in Air Rage [TSG]
· Affidavit: Woman smoked on flight, then hit flight attendant [KUSATV]
· Bad Seatmates coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: TSG]

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