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Eight mice found - dead and alive - on United Airlines flight
If something runs over your foot on your next flight, beware: it might not be the beverage cart. In a reversal of roles, the United States nearly imported its own tainted goods to China on a United Airlines flight recently. While en route to China, United employees discovered a total of eight mice -- some dead, some alive -- hidden in pillows throughout the cabin. On arrival, Chinese officials greeted the plane with rat poison and mouse traps.
The story was printed in newspapers yesterday, along with lists of viruses mice can carry. The articles also probably incited panic when they wrote of the potentially fatal damage mice could do by chewing through wires on aircraft.
Could these tiny creatures be more dangerous than the terrorists?
Think that's bad? Check out some other unpleasant flight experiences. How rotten would it be flying...
[Thanks to Joshua Davis (articnomad) for the great shot of a plane.]
Filed under: Asia, China, United States, News
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Michelechicago May 7th 2008 12:02PM
We are so lucky that mayor Daley in Chicago is finally going to have the city health department make some inspections due to all the complaints. It's such a farce because people have been complaining for years :-) I think the mayor is trying to improve the image with the Olympic committee :-)
Constance Jan 10th 2008 8:08PM
Gosh...Wow... I am not surprised.... I fly those routes for United out of Chicago... I'm on a leave because it took the CDC six months to let United know that I had been a crew member on a Flight to China with a passenger with active TB.... I think our government has cut back so much... It's the FDA, and CDC that are the problem here. The regulations have even affected the rise in EColi accross the country.....
Sandy Jan 10th 2008 8:17PM
Forgot about how many dont like mice but mice CHEW wires they get caught up in moving parts they can shut down the engine and now what.
The Airlines should have EVERY plane grounded till its 100% certain not 1 mouse in a single plane
sara Jan 10th 2008 8:19PM
G...... that's disgusting. I mean how........... just forget it, Im gonna eat right now. dont want to puke.
Dave Jan 10th 2008 8:20PM
I was in the Minneapolis airport late last year and saw a mouse run under the table at the booth in which I was seated at one of the restaurants. I pointed this out to my waiter and we saw a hole at the back wall of the booth where the mouse found his/her refuge. Maybe mice are gaining entrance to aircraft through the food service carts? I know of at least one mouse in the Minneapolis airport that is fat and sassy and not afraid to take an airplane trip....even to China!!
Brittani Jones Jan 10th 2008 8:21PM
Woah. I'm NEVER taking that airline again!!!!!! Daaaaang.......oh, check out that article about the corpse. It's creeeeepy and IDIOTIC> JUST ****ing stupid and ....well...read 4 yorself.
FRENCH Jan 15th 2008 3:09AM
TO BAD THEY DID NOT ARRIVED IN INDIA THEY LOVE THEM THERE LOL....... THEY EVEN FEED THEM AND SHARE FOOD WITH THEM LOL.. WE HAVE TO DIED OF SOMETHING , AHAHAH
darrell Jan 10th 2008 8:22PM
on a return flight from san francisco to portland oregon. we landed. it was in july and really hot. we sat there for over an hour waiting to disembark. we ask what was wrong but no one knew. then an attendent came over and told us the boarding door was jamed and they could not let us out. 2 hours passed. we heard banging on the door and cutting sounds. after 2.5 hours the door came off the plane and freash hot air came in. we were all ready to pass out from the heat. as we left the plane no one said a word to any of us. the door was laying on the ground.
Beatrix Jan 10th 2008 8:24PM
What, no nasty remarks about Flight Attendants? Gadling's really slipping these days.
Jen Jan 10th 2008 8:27PM
Wow! This just gives me the willies just thinking about it. I just took one of these flights several days ago: take it often, as we are now living abroad but fly back to U.S. via United direct to O'Hare. I feel lucky at the very least that nothing crawled out of my pillow while I snoozed and in all reality that we got back here safely. Please, people, get this under control. Inexcuseably gross... and dangerous!!!
dave Jan 10th 2008 8:29PM
LOL nothing new I have a nieghbor that is a UPS pilot that has had a mouse in the cockpit were ever we are mice are with us In fact the write up he made to the mechanics about a mouse in cockpit the mechanics report stated the repair was CAT installed !! LOL !!
Dave Jan 10th 2008 8:38PM
I was in the Minneapolis airport late last year and saw a mouse run under the seat of the booth in which I was seated at a restaurant. I called the waiter and we both saw the hole at the back of the booth (floor level) where the mouse found his (or her) refuge. Maybe mice are gaining entrance to aircraft through the service containers that are used for the free water and coke and honey-roasted peanuts that are given as "lunch" on today's flights. I know of at least one fat and sassy mouse that is not afraid to take a flight....even to China!!
Cynthia Jan 10th 2008 8:34PM
I was on an American Airlines flight from National to Houston and a mice ran right past my head and up into a hole that he and his buddies had eaten through right back by the bathrooms...How gross.
Take care
luzotero Jan 10th 2008 8:38PM
maybe somebody put those mices inside the airplane to scared people and ruin the airlines reputations.
To bad !right!
Jerome Thomas Jan 10th 2008 8:42PM
My goodness! Didn't you know? Those mice were placed in the airline pillows for a purpose: They eat the cooties!
Sandi Feb 4th 2008 7:00PM
Hidden in pillows? Sounds like they were deliberately
on the plane to mess with The airline and the USA.
B. Presley Jan 10th 2008 9:06PM
When I fly I never use the blankets or the pillows. I do not want to use what someone else has used.
Lee Jan 10th 2008 9:12PM
Bet they had a head full of mice. Mice enroute to China. I have heard that Chinese raise rats like Americans raise chicken. KFC or KFM. Mouse,rat comes with their own handle to hold while eating. Its called a tail.
Suzanne Jan 10th 2008 9:14PM
i don't know what's worse--the mice or the Chinese with rat poison!
Mando Jan 10th 2008 9:13PM
The Rodents died, from lack of oxygen.
They should have gave them Mouse to Mouse, recessitation