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Man gets off plane via exit door: Did he wait for the ding?
Don't try this at home.
When a Delta plane arriving from Salt Lake City landed in Phoenix yesterday, one man opened the emergency exit door at the back and got off by hopping off the wing. Or perhaps he climbed down? Regardless of how he got off, he was apprehended, naturally, and could be in bigger trouble than he anticipated.
To his credit, the plane was at the terminal already, and other passengers were beginning to exit the front like normal people do. It wasn't like he got off in the middle of the runway before the plane taxied to safety. People who apprehended him were runway personnel. One has to wonder what this guy was thinking and where he was going.
The man is old enough to know better--he is 37, but perhaps he was aiming to relive a school days experience when kids sometimes bolt off a school bus out the exit door. I remember that scenario happening on at least one occasion. It wasn't me.
Maybe all those people struggling to remove the carry-ons they brought on the plane with them to avoid checked baggage fees made him snap. [via FoxNews.com]
Amazing and insane stories from a real-life flight attendant and co-pilot
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
nic Jan 25th 2009 2:27PM
sounds as if her was having a panic attack
Anthony Jan 25th 2009 2:42PM
Good for him ! Maybe if more fliers did this when a plane is "grounded" for hours the "friendly skies" would get a bit friendlier !
And yes, people should get their keisters moving in some order and sense of urgency when getting their crap out of those bins. One never knows if someone w/ a weak bladder or for some other reason NEEDS to boogie out of that sardine can.
robert Jan 25th 2009 3:57PM
Who said it was grounded for hours?? and who said the bathroom is out of the airplane....... The guy should be arrested and booked, fined and I bet he will wait his turn next time...
laura Jan 25th 2009 4:18PM
I have no idea why comments are being made about "rude" f/as' (most are not), and carry-on baggage. They have nothing to do with this event. The man is simply an idiot and will suffer severe consequences - and rightly so.
This man's ignorant, selfish actions could have led to the delay of hundreds of other passengers. The fuel is stored in the wings and when over wing exits are opened, the weight of the fuel can distort the door opening making it impossible to close the door properly. At that point there is nothing to do but to pump the fuel out of the wings to release the weight-this takes time and lots of it.
Derrell Jan 25th 2009 4:31PM
You are full ,The person was wrong and he/she knew it . He/ she should have went to jail . I have flown plenty of times aND NEVER HAD TO RESORT TO GOING OUT OF ANY OTHER THAN THE DOOR .
Anthony Jan 26th 2009 3:02PM
Robert, Laura, and the rest of you "sheep", (who don't get it) I don't care WHY this guy did what he did; the point that I was making, (that totally escapes you) is that people are so fed up with this cattle call and this "grounded" torture chamber that occurs more often than people think; that there need NOT be a "grounding" situation nor emerency of any kind for some of us to simply snap and open up an exit door to "make a statement" !
If this will FINALLY get the attention of the airline industry to create a more humane process of dealing with stranded passengers; and IF this will get other passengers to realize that their lolly gaggin around can have a less than patient flyer going to extremes to get out of a packed plane, THEN & MAYBE then will we live up to the "friendly skies" motto !!
Instead of wasting your time crucifying a guy who makes an early exit out of plane, consider doing something good like petitioning the government to draw up rules against the ongoing and needless torture of passengers !
It seems to me that you have not yet been subjected to the type of treatment on a plane that is maddening enough to pull the lever on the nearest exit door.....
Mellie Jan 25th 2009 2:52PM
Please. The man is an idiot.
Sick of being a victim Jan 25th 2009 2:56PM
There was no excuse for what he did, but if I was trapped on a delayed plane for 12 hours, which DOES happen sometimes, I would jump out an exit door due to sheer insanity.
BOB Jan 25th 2009 9:14PM
CLOSTROPHOBIA
nic Jan 25th 2009 3:01PM
sounds like he was having a panic attack
somacrew Jan 25th 2009 7:23PM
What are you a doctor? Sounds like an idiot to me but now that you mention it ...Im sure that will be good defense.
SMEE Jan 25th 2009 3:18PM
Airlines let people bring far too much carryon luggage.
Also it is a free for all getting off. Passenger should be let off in an orderly manner like certain rows designated then people wouldn't be shoving and pushing. Also they should let those with a short time to make a connecting flight off first. I am going to fly next week and dreading the thought of being one of the sheep to be herded through security. Used to look forward to traveling but if there was another way to get to where I am going I would take it. Flight attendants used to be at least civil and helpful, but now they are abrupt and rude. They should remember if it wasn't for the passengers they would not have a job. Maybe it has escaped their notice that people are not flying as much and it is not all due to the economy
larry Jan 25th 2009 3:34PM
What would make the most sense is loading the plane from back to the front first. Yesterday they were loading in "zones". I was zone 3 my wife was zone 4. We had seats a and b in the same row. makes no sense.
On the whole most people are pretty nice when it is time to get off. They wait their turn and grab their carryon when their row is empty. The new $15 per bag checkin fee is making more of us use the larger carryon option more often. At disembarking time the best thing a flight attendant can do is just get the heck out of the way.
Andrea Jan 27th 2009 12:46AM
This is absolutely true!
Bob Jan 25th 2009 4:41PM
The reason people cary on so much is the loss of luggage by the airlines, and the total lack of security at baggage claim. Any one could check one bag and walk out with two or three, no one checks.
SMEE Jan 27th 2009 1:19AM
What Bob said is true as well and I can vouch for that personally. Before 9/11 baggage was still not supposed to get on the plane without passenger. On trip to Cancun via Newark my friend's and my luggage got on the plane alone.
Due to an agent on the first leg letting my friend get on an international trip when her birth cert. had her maiden name and her driver's license her married name and saying it was okay when we got to Newark the agent would not let her board our flight. So we went to baggage to get our luggage and nobody knew where it was. Well, it was on its way to Cun. We spent the night in Newark with some toothpaste and had to purchase other clothes. Her papers were fixed and we had to take a flight next day via Houston. That flight was delayed and we were put on a flight to Mexico City and stayed overnight there. A baggage attendant in Houston told us our bags were in Cancun. I have traveled the world. In Amsterdam on way to Africa, I lost a piece of luggage that I was told in Boston I could pick up in Holland. The baggage people in Amesterdam were so nice and finally found that luggage was in Africa crate. The attitude of the American agents was so different except for the one in Houston. Anyway, got to Cancun about same time as it took to get to Tanzania and there was our luggage on vacation all by itself!
Rev. Bob Jan 25th 2009 3:30PM
Proove my point--Nothing more frustrating than being stuck behind yahoos getting off the plane and who get to the end of the gang-way there a family of twenty yahoos is waiting for them. They all hug and kiss and talk about old times while 200 pasangers have to wait to try to get past the yahoo reunion. Emergency exit sounds fair to me to avoid yahoo conjestion
Tara Jan 25th 2009 5:38PM
When was the last time you were in an airport and got off a plane? Family members ARE NOT permitted to great people getting off a plane. No one is permitted past the security gates if they don't have a ticket with them. Clearly, you're thinking about the good ol' days before 9/11. Heck, in some airports it's even longer than that since people were allowed to actually get close enough to a gate to meet passengers coming off.
MacDaddy Jan 25th 2009 6:46PM
When and wher have you been stuck on a plane while yahoos blocked the exit ramp kissing and hugging ? I think you just might bethe only yahoo here lol !
Merle747 Jan 25th 2009 3:49PM
Key words to search: airline passenger arrested rubberband ball. Enjoy.