Scotland welcomes quality tourists

A flight between Tunisia and Scotland had to be diverted after a drunk passenger attacked cabin crew with her prosthetic leg. The woman demanded тАЬcigarettes and a parachuteтАЭ and became aggressive when staff asked her to calm down. Holidaymaker John Smith, from Falkirk, said the woman slapped a young girl in a neighbouring seat before unfastening her leg and swinging it at flight attendants. http://www.scotsman.com/news/odd/drunk- ... -1-3495360 (http://www.scotsman.com/news/odd/drunk-passenger-attacked-plane-crew-with-false-leg-1-3495360)

I'm reminded of the once-popular saying, for which no-one can definitively cite an origin although it is often said to be Australian - "Too late," she cried as she waved her wooden leg.

[LoveThailand]

She was returning home. A snapshot that makes one wonder about some things....
тАЬIt sounds funny, but it was not a laughing matter at the time. It was serious. She was totally drunk. It was shocking.тАЭ - Intoxicated passengers are supposed to be denied boarding.
тАЬShe was disabled and the family had left her on her own. While they got a taxi, they let her stay on.тАЭ - hmmm.... Some family.

[christianpfc]

An acquaintance of mine (not a friend) was not allowed boarding on the second part of his Bangkok - Dubai (?) - Berlin trip because he got drunk and aggressive on the first part of the trip. He had to buy a ticket with another airline to get from Dubai (?) to Berlin.

Story reported by a common friend and totally believable (said acquaintance is well know in his area in Bangkok and banned from most venues within 5 km, for exactly the same behavior on ground).

Diverting a flight for a drunken and aggressive passenger, or for a deceased passenger, is irresponsible, considering the inconvenience caused for other passengers. If they have someone on the plane who can fly a plane, they must have someone who can handle an aggressive drunk.

[lego]

Diverting a flight for a drunken and aggressive passenger, or for a deceased passenger, is irresponsible, considering the inconvenience caused for other passengers. If they have someone on the plane who can fly a plane, they must have someone who can handle an aggressive drunk.
Quite right. A group of fellow passengers could restrain the offender while an air hostess injects a healthy dose of Pentobarbital. Then follow the well established "death on board" procedure.

[LoveThailand]

Procedures depend very much on airlines in question. I witnessed a business class passenger on a LH FRA-BKK flight taken off before departure for being drunk. He was not acting aggressively - but was heavily intoxicated. The cabin crew decided to take him off. Good for me - more privacy on the flight :)
Checking in on an Aeroflot flight (I guess from Almaty). A guy in front of me - totally wasted. They went forward checking him in - and when I tried to mention that he was not fit to fly was told they can do nothing since he has a booking. Ridiculous. As luck would have it - he was seated across the isle from me on the flight. Started from producing a whole bottle of brandy (not sure if bought from the on board duty free or brought with him). Offered me a drink - after I refused started bothering other passengers. The cabin crew did noting. I closed my eyes and dozed off only to open them an hour or so later and see the said individual stripped to his slips, obviously enjoying himself and vomiting on the passenger next to him.

[a447]

Procedures depend very much on airlines in question.

Once the last paperwork has been handed over to airport officials, and they have left the aircraft the captain of the aircraft can decide whether or not a drunken passenger can fly, as he is now totally in charge of the plane, not the airport. The airline doesn't have a say in it, although pressure may be placed on pilots to either remove drunks or let them fly. The decisions made by LH and Aeroflot come as no surprise.

Christian, diverting to off-load a deceased passenger is a much better option than the alternative!

[LoveThailand]

Yes, the captain is in charge. I assume captains are guided by individual airlines policies. These may or may not differ. Enforcement is another matter - as I doubt (even) Aeroflot policies allow drunken rowdy passengers on board.

[christianpfc]

Christian, diverting to off-load a deceased passenger is a much better option than the alternative!

What alternative?

Come on, the person in question is already dead. Let's assume with diversion, it takes one hour to get him off the plane, whereas continuing the flight takes 5 hours. I would happily sit next to a dead person for 5 hours instead of taking a diversion (which will increase traveling time by at least 2 hours, my estimation). 100 passengers, 2 hours delay, that's 200 man hours, that's about 2.5 months work for one person!

Furthermore, there is about 50 % chance that he is going back to his home country, where his family can directly claim the body. Just imagine the hazzle, say the dead person is on his way from Greece back to England (I mean UK), and they land in France or Germany to get the body off the plane, and then he has to be transferred to England for burial.

[LoveThailand]

Christian, diverting to off-load a deceased passenger is a much better option than the alternative!

What alternative?

Come on, the person in question is already dead. Let's assume with diversion, it takes one hour to get him off the plane, whereas continuing the flight takes 5 hours. I would happily sit next to a dead person for 5 hours instead of taking a diversion (which will increase traveling time by at least 2 hours, my estimation). 100 passengers, 2 hours delay, that's 200 man hours, that's about 2.5 months work for one person!

Furthermore, there is about 50 % chance that he is going back to his home country, where his family can directly claim the body. Just imagine the hazzle, say the dead person is on his way from Greece back to England (I mean UK), and they land in France or Germany to get the body off the plane, and then he has to be transferred to England for burial.

The discussion was not about a dead passenger on board. As far as I know airlines do not divert flights in case of a death on board. Diversions/emergency landings happen on security reasons when the captain decides any of passengers on board pose a threat. I can hardly call this irresponsible.

[scottish-guy]

.....back to England (I mean UK).....

Brownie points for realising there's a difference - but, having done so, why didn't you just change it?

Bizarre

[Nirish guy]

.I would happily sit next to a dead person for 5 hours instead of taking a diversion .

I'm guessing that if they were to ask other passengers on board you may well be in the minority there Christian and what with rigamortis setting in from three to four hours after death and increasing hour by hour and reaching it's zenith at around 12 hours and it's affects not disappating for around 24 hours I'm guessing that neither the cabin crew or ground crew wouldn't thank you much for that call either when they or the undertakers are trying to (re )move someone body who's already been sitting to long in their chair and is starting to stiffen more by the minute.

This is of course also then the other matters such as leakage of bodily fluids etc and all the other various public health issues that people on a plane really shouldn't be expect to be exposed to by an airline when simply travelling on their everyday business when it's not absolutely necessary - and all just so that you or someone else can avoid sacrificing maybe two hours of their time to enable the staff to deal with their unexpected incident, especially when let's face it it's not every day they situations such as this even arise.

[christianpfc]

.....back to England (I mean UK).....

Brownie points for realising there's a difference - but, having done so, why didn't you just change it?

Bizarre

There are a three commonly used incorrect geographical (or political) names: England (meaning The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland), Holland (meaning The Netherlands), America (meaning The United States of America). Except for England, I try to avoid these (I use England because that what we call the UK in German).


and all just so that you or someone else can avoid sacrificing maybe two hours of their time
Not just me or someone else, hundreds! Think of connection flight, trains, buses; disruption of schedule (often airplanes just stay long enough for deboarding, refuelling, boarding, so passengers on following flight will have to wait as well).

I did not consider rigor mortis, so I change my suggestion: put the deceased somewhere flat on the ground.

As for dealing with aggressive drunks, I repeat: there is someone who can fly a plane, but nobody who can deal with an aggressive drunk?

[a447]

If possible, the deceased is often quietly moved into first class and covered with a blanket. If there is still a long way to fly, the aircraft will usually land at one of the diversion airports.

There are health issues to take into consideration and the airline must protect the passengers from these. Inconvenience to passengers comes second in this case.

Christian, I can't understand the connection you make between someone flying a plane and yet not being able to control a drunk.

[scottish-guy]

I heard that British Airways do it with class. They put a blanket around the deceased, put sunglasses on him, serve him a Gin and Tonic, and get a crew member to sit adjacent to avoid contact - all to make it look natural

That must explain why a certain recently airborne-deceased person was allegedly propped up with a leg of lamb in one hand and two cheesecakes in the other :))

[lego]

A blanket? Don't they at least carry body bags on a plane?

The worst I've ever witnessed myself was a passenger fainting during final approach. At Oakland Airport, that might have a lot to do with it. That incident didn't inconvenience us fellow travelers too much, we merely had to stay put in our seats upon arrival at the gate to let the paramedics board first.

[scottish-guy]

The aim is to make things appear normal and avoid panic - wrapping a dead passenger up in a body bag is not conducive to that :))

[Nirish guy]

If possible, the deceased is often quietly moved into first class.

My god are there NO lengths some people won't go to just to get bumped up into First Class ! Shameless behaviour, if I were the Steward I'd leave them in Economy just to teach them a lesson and so that they don't try that old "dying on plane" trick the next time and hell I wouldn't even give them their free meal either, that would teach them ! :-)

[christianpfc]

Christian, I can't understand the connection you make between someone flying a plane and yet not being able to control a drunk.

Not the same person. But if they have (usually two) pilots on board, they must be able to train two crew members to handle drunks. A job like a bouncer, the only difference they can't throw the drunk out.