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Passenger lights cigarette, punches flight attendant and diverts flight to Denver
We may have a new contender for worst passenger on an aircraft ever, ladies and gentlemen. Sorry Kyla and girls who think they're prettier than the rest of the plane, you may have met your match.On a Jetblue flight between San Francisco and New York this past Tuesday, Christina Szele just couldn't wait any any longer for a smoke and decided to light up in the cabin. Obviously this has been outlawed on planes for years, so a flight attendant went back to ask her to put it out.
In response to the request, Szele instead verbally abused the flight attendant with racist remarks, provoking futher concern from the crew. After further agitation, several employees decided to restrain her and were able to secure her well enough to apply flexible handcuffs.
Untill she broke out of them. And punched the flight attendant that she was earlier harrasing in the face. Great idea.
Things got so far out of hand that the pilot had to divert the flight into Denver and have the woman removed from the aircraft and arrested. Now she faces 20 years in prison and up to 250,000 in fines.
I think that they should have just thrown her out of the plane with a parachute.
More women behaving badly at 35,000 feet:
Reader Comments (Page 5 of 10)
steven Jun 19th 2008 5:35PM
FYI - Undercover agents are NOT on every flight every day. Think how many agents that would take. And you can rest assured, when she does get out of prison... she will be on a worldwide no-fly list. She'll be very lucky if she will even be allowed on a Greyhound.
Steve Jun 19th 2008 5:45PM
Hey, we have all at one point wanted to punch a flight attendant... We have to put up with their ‘Holier than thou’ attitudes as they look down their noses at you and then we have to put up with their clearly demonstrated arrogant and conceited mannerisms as they waddle their fat asses through aisle knocking your drink out of your hand and then blaming you for it.
Let’s face it… they are nothing but flying waitresses with an FAA brochure in their hand.
Bill C Jun 19th 2008 5:42PM
Next time have a better in flight movie. One of those Kung Fu movies should do it.
Madduck Jun 19th 2008 5:44PM
Twenty years in jail and $250,000 fine? Pretty serious penalty for a nicotine fit.
BRUCE Jun 19th 2008 5:45PM
IF PILOTS (AND I KNOW....I AM ONE) HAVE TO BE SCREENED AT SECURITY, I THINK IT'S REASONABLE FOR PASSENGERS TO HAVE TO GO THROUGH PSYCOLOGICAL TESTING FOR FITNESS TO BOARD A PLANE....JUST LIKE WE HAD TOO.
AT LEAST SHE WON'T BE BOTHERING ANYONE FOR THE NEXT 20 YEARS. BUH-BYYYYYE
anxiousflyer Jun 19th 2008 5:50PM
Hey me,
The no smoking ban on all flights is not a bad rule even if smokers balk at it and compare it to people discriminating against them from being able to smoke inside of a public place or business. The difference being that passenger jet airliners carry large quantities of jet fuel, especially for longer trips across the country. Lighted tobacco products using matches or lighters inside of a relatively small space which is airborne and carrying large amounts of jet fuel underneath is not a very good combination. Think: accidental fire or explosion from some drunk guy who falls asleep while smoking a cig. The ban on smoking on all public airliners is a very necessary and reasonable one that prevents possible death and injury to all passengers.
While I do have compassion for smokers that are experiencing withdrawals, babies and small children should never have to breathe in their second hand smoke. Perhaps some of the airlines could sell nicotine patches on some of their flights.
Kathie Jun 20th 2008 2:27AM
This had to be one of the sillier comments on here tonight! If some drunk passes out with a lit cigarette? Come on.
Mark Jun 19th 2008 5:53PM
She should of snuffed her butt out. Now they're going to snuff her butt out.
chambers R.P. Jun 19th 2008 6:15PM
Twenty years and a quarter of a million dollar fine? Hell I could comment murder and get off with less time even with a BAD lawyer. Wait a minute, is there such a thing as a good lawyer???
Kim Jun 19th 2008 6:02PM
Oh these are some intelligent solutions to the situation. Throwing people out of planes, burning them with cigarettes and requiring psych evals before boarding a plane. You know, you just never know what has happened to a person to make them react. By the time all this drama took place, the woman could hve smoked her cigarette and the flight attendant could have confiscated her smokes and lighter and it would have been over. Did anyone ask her if she was having a problem or stressful event in her life? No, just want to throw her out of the plane. Come on people, start acting with a little compassion and maturity.
crabby Jun 19th 2008 6:02PM
What a nutjob. Maybe she was drunk too.
Kellie Jun 19th 2008 6:03PM
Hmmm...how about tossing her out of the plane without a chute??? I guess there were no air marshals on the flight. Seriously, why must people be this way? What kind of world is this when so many act out? It pretty sickening. And was all that drama worth it to this chick in the end? I sure hope she enjoys prison. Maybe she can marry her prison girlfriend Big Bertha.
Joe Jun 19th 2008 6:05PM
Disposible lighters have been allowed on US flights since August 2007...where have you all bee?
Chaz Jun 19th 2008 6:09PM
Why waste a good parachute on the bitch?
the rock Jun 20th 2008 2:12AM
you can take lighters and matches accept for torch lighters. you people love to complain but never keep up with tsa rules. stop downing our security, that's like dissing the troops. you have no idea what we find from people on a regular basis. how would you like to be on a flight with someone that has a gun or knife or better yet a freaking bomb. most of you have no concept of what an explosive looks like but are quick to complain. shutup already, take a boat or train if you dont care about other peoples lives.
Katrina Calhoun Jun 19th 2008 6:16PM
Wow...Smoking has been banned for so long on airplanes but most airports have designated smoking areas close to your gate....Have a piece of Nicorette gum or something! Hope the flight attendant wasn't hurt too bad. Very poor behavior coming from someone who should know better.....Probably drunk too!
MH138 Jun 19th 2008 6:22PM
I'm with the others who expressed shock / concern that the crew and passengers allowed one female with a nicotine fit cause such a distrubtion. What if this had been someone who REALLY wanted to wreck havoc during the flight? I know it's highsight, but perhaps this airline and others need to review how to effectively subdue unruely passengers.
lizard Jun 19th 2008 6:20PM
I'm amazed that this story doesn't mention anything about passengers helping the flight crew. This is why 9/11 was able to happen by terrorists armed only with boxcutters. Wimpy passengers not wanting to get involved. If this were an international flight abroad, I'm certain that prison time would be the least of her worries. She'd either be dead, or wish that she was...
Thomas Molina Jun 19th 2008 6:21PM
why didnt they just throw her out the back exit with a parachute and had her get home all by her lonesome self. what a total idiot to be smoking on a plane. totally beyond idiot.
rikstik71664 Jun 19th 2008 6:32PM
racist remarks? Wonder what color this woman was. If she was smokin newports we would know