Flight to Caribbean Diverted Due To Smoking Family

[roamingguy 300291]

For everyone who flies on a regular basis, a story you might appreciate.

Good for Sunwing, hope the smokers pay through the roof for their antics

 

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/story/2013/02/02/ns-passengers-sunwing-divert-bermuda-dominican.html

[backrubman 64800]

My understanding is that smoking was not the real issue and that was dropped (no evidence). But failing to comply with direct and lawful orders from a flight attendant is a serious matter.

 

Happened on a flight I was on recently but fortunately we hadn't left the ground (but as close as we cold come without an aborted take-off - at the piano bars at the end of the run way about to throttle up) so we returned to the gate and two passengers left the aircraft. Of course then the trouble was unaccompanied luggage doesn't fly so we were delayed another hour while the baggage handlers had to remove all the luggage, find theirs and then put the rest back on board and then de-ice for a second time before departure by that point.

[oldblueeyez 15475]

Welcome to drinking in Nova Scotia....hold onto your nuts!

[Reddog2402 2217]

I think part of the problem was that they wouldn't say where they had disposed of the cigarrette butts. Given the potential fire risk, they had to land to deal with it.

 

I can only imagine how pissed off I'd be if my vacation was cut short by a day or two by assholes like that!

[Hector17 9215]

I guess they couldn't really say what they did with the butts without incriminating themselves

 

I think part of the problem was that they wouldn't say where they had disposed of the cigarrette butts. Given the potential fire risk, they had to land to deal with it.

[backrubman 64800]

I think part of the problem was that they wouldn't say where they had disposed of the cigarrette butts. Given the potential fire risk, they had to land to deal with it. I can only imagine how pissed off I'd be if my vacation was cut short by a day or two by assholes like that!

 

Well I remember the days when it was normal to allow smoking on an aircraft and there was never a case of aircraft fire caused by smoking :) In fact some foreign airlines do still allow it :) If there was any smoking that occurred in the wash room, I'd think it a pretty safe bet that the butts would simply have been flushed :)

 

I imagine if I was on this flight I wouldn't have been amused but a chance to break up a 4 hour flight (into two, two hour flights) and spend the night at a hotel in Bermuda wouldn't have killed me. While I used to travel a lot and be on some really long flights, these days after about 2 hours in an airplane seat I'm really not liking it at all. Guess I'm getting old.

[CristyCurves 169032]

I would certainly be pissed off if I were a passenger. I think they should have to cover the costs. We all know now that flying is not like it used to be and getting into a fight with an attendant is never going to get you far.They should have known better, What an example they set for their son.

[igab 5629]

They probably have never flown before by the sounds of it. I'd be pissed off cause if they were going to Punta Cana they were going to bake in the sun for 7-10 days and they just robbed the other passengers of one precious day in the sun. Bermuda is not tropical and not hot. It's 19 there right now with a 31 Knot wind as I write this.....a nice spring day but not bikini and sun screen weather like people wanted.

[royalflush131313 3480]

Another thing I'd be pissed about is the anxiety that some other passengers probably felt while these idiots were being confrontational with staff. We had a drunk guy on a flight back from Vegas a few years ago. He was rude, mouthy and wouldn't stay buckled in during some pretty severe turbulence. Even the flight attendants had to stay seated for about 3 hours. It makes for a very uncomfortable flight when you don't know how far these people go. A lot of people are anxious flyers and this type if behaviour escalates that feeling.

[EmilyRushton 253346]

They probably have never flown before by the sounds of it. I'd be pissed off cause if they were going to Punta Cana they were going to bake in the sun for 7-10 days and they just robbed the other passengers of one precious day in the sun. Bermuda is not tropical and not hot. It's 19 there right now with a 31 Knot wind as I write this.....a nice spring day but not bikini and sun screen weather like people wanted.

 

The father actually flyies for business at least twice a month according to one of the people interviewed in his home town (he owns a local business that employs most of the town, so like anyone will allow a quote with a name) Any human being should just plain well know better....

 

I flew on average 6-10 planes a week last year, and some of the stupidity I saw is just plain disrespectful. I HATE flying and I really have a strong dislike for people who can't follow simple instructions. I think flying will be what pushes me over the edge one day (Like the flight attendant who evacuated using the slide) I so get how he felt and why he snapped.

 

If that was my week vacation that got shortened because of that stupidity, I would not have been happy about it.

[roamingguy 300291]

My only question, with all the security screening, why are cigarettes/lighters/matches allowed on flights to begin with. If you go through security with a pack of cigarettes, they should be immediately seized and not returned

I know they made me empty my pockets and take off my shoes when I flew to Florida and back

RG

[Phaedrus 209521]

The father actually flyies for business at least twice a month according to one of the people interviewed in his home town (he owns a local business that employs most of the town, so like anyone will allow a quote with a name) Any human being should just plain well know better....

 

Perhaps that's the root cause of the problem then? Maybe the entire family has just become so used to owning the place (and therefore doing what the hell they like with impunity) that they failed to adjust when elsewhere?

[Gabriella Laurence 301887]

My only question, with all the security screening, why are cigarettes/lighters/matches allowed on flights to begin with. If you go through security with a pack of cigarettes, they should be immediately seized and not returned

I know they made me empty my pockets and take off my shoes when I flew to Florida and back

RG

RG, security practices vary on where you are departing from, if you are traveling within Canada or going to the states (or elsewhere), where you connect to catch your next flight, etc. but taking off your shoes and emptying your pockets is standard practice. The same thing applies to carrying lighters; the US doesn't let you while Canada does.

 

As far as having a pack of cigarettes on you, I don't believe they should be able to take it away from you. It would be the same thing as taking away my phone just in case I don't turn it off during my flight (might be a bad analogy but I'm sure you know what I mean)... Everyone knows the rules and should respect them even if they don't agree with them or care.

 

Can't always stop idiots from practicing stupidity!

[backrubman 64800]

RG, security practices vary on where you are departing from, if you are traveling within Canada or going to the states (or elsewhere), where you connect to cacth your next flight, etc. but taking off your shoes and emptying your pockets is standard practice. The same thing applies to carrying lighters; the US doesn't let you while Canada does.

 

I think they (US) do allow lighters again now (maximum one). They didn't take mine in Newark recently and I placed it in the bin to be x rayed in plain view so they are "half" over the Richard Reid, shoe bomber incident and I remember reading the sign waiting in line at security that one was allowed.

 

I'm not liking the shoe thing, you are walking shoe-less over the same floor as everyone else -- seems a great way to spread papillomavirus (which causes Plantar warts).

 

As far as having a pack of cigarettes on you, I don't believe they should be able to take it away from you.

 

British Airways used to pass out complementary packs of cigarettes (for you to smoke on board) on the Concord. Oh how times have changed (in North America), everyone still smokes everywhere in much of the third world much like Canada 25 years ago.

[fredsmith 5240]

security practices vary on where you are departing from, if you are traveling within Canada or going to the states (or elsewhere), where you connect to catch your next flight, etc. but taking off your shoes and emptying your pockets is standard practice.

 

Interesting that I've never been asked to take my shoes off (flying within Canada). I always thought it was just Americans who did that out of habit.

[Phaedrus 209521]

Interesting that I've never been asked to take my shoes off (flying within Canada). I always thought it was just Americans who did that out of habit.

 

It seems to be dying out, fortunately. Perhaps because people started to realize that the security theatre at the airport was more about theatre than security...

 

Now, can I have my bottle of water back, please?

[roamingguy 300291]

It seems to be dying out, fortunately. Perhaps because people started to realize that the security theatre at the airport was more about theatre than security...

 

Now, can I have my bottle of water back, please?

 

Well I just flew Toronto to Tampa Florida and back. Going through security both at Pearson and Tampa I had to take my shoes off, as did others. Also, on the way back security at Tampa patted me down since I was wearing a hooded sweattop and they said bulky clothes are easy to conceal things in.

RG

[LeeRichards 177238]

My only question, with all the security screening, why are cigarettes/lighters/matches allowed on flights to begin with. If you go through security with a pack of cigarettes, they should be immediately seized and not returned

I know they made me empty my pockets and take off my shoes when I flew to Florida and back

RG

 

RG RG.... I am a smoker. Keep my shoes and my change from my pocket. No prob. Take my smokes and my lighter then I WILL turn terrorist and blow up the damn airport ! ;)

 

But I can wait till we get from point A to point B

[EmilyRushton 253346]

Interesting that I've never been asked to take my shoes off (flying within Canada). I always thought it was just Americans who did that out of habit.

 

You only have to remove your shoes if they have metal in them or a heel. If your in runners, deck shoes, uggs or other flats they wont ask you to take them off.... However at Pearson, if you get the real happy camper in security he will ask you to remove your shoes regardless....

[brockvilleman 615]

i am a 2 pack a day smoker and have traveled south 3 times in the last year. anyone ever hear of niocet. i take it with me but only used it once.i hope they punched out for riuning others vacation.also maybe an alert to the airlines in case they travel again.

[Guest s******ecan****]

hefty fine and put them on a "no fly list" for 5 years plus 5 years probation.

[roamingguy 300291]

hefty fine and put them on a "no fly list" for 5 years plus 5 years probation.

 

Or better yet, lock them up, well five years a tad too long, how 'bout two years. Smoking isn't allowed in Canadian federal correctional institutions

Two years without a cigarette to reflect on how their smoking disrupted other passengers

RG

[fredsmith 5240]

Looks like they may get sued for the cost of diverting the plane. I think that would be appropriate. I don't think throwing them in jail is the answer. It appears they are well to do people in their small community so maybe they thought airline rules don't apply to them. This is a good lesson for them and others.

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/02/04/smoking-airplane-passengers-sunwing-bermuda_n_2615999.html

[backrubman 64800]

Looks like they may get sued for the cost of diverting the plane. I think that would be appropriate. I don't think throwing them in jail is the answer. It appears they are well to do people in their small community so maybe they thought airline rules don't apply to them. This is a good lesson for them and others.

 

One pleaded guilty to behaving in a disorderly manner by using abusive and offensive language on the flight. Another pleaded guilty to disobeying a lawful order by a flight attendant (failure to return to their seat when ordered to do so) and both have been fined. A third charge was dismissed, criminal case closed.

 

While I agree this type of behavior cannot be tolerated (and wasn't) the onus with a law suit to recover costs will be on Sun Wing to prove that it was both "prudent and necessary" to divert the aircraft in that the offending passengers continued to pose a further risk to the safety or security of the other passengers as opposed to continuing on and allowing law enforcement at the final destination to deal with them. Depending on the exact circumstances this could be a hard case for Sun Wing to win. I'd be surprised to see the actual law suit be filed.

 

I have assisted a flight attendant in the past with restraining and controlling unruly (drunk) passengers but once that was accomplished we simply continued on to the planned destination where they were immediately arrested.

[fredsmith 5240]

Depending on the exact circumstances this could be a hard case for Sun Wing to win. I'd be surprised to see the actual law suit be filed.

 

Hard to say what really happened without being there, I have to believe the flight attendants and flight crew are trained on how to react to incidents like this. Using their training and experience they took what they thought was the most prudent action.

 

You may be right as far as the lawsuit being filed, whether they win or lose I would like to see the suit filed. I really can't stand people who think rules don't apply to them.

 

On another note, I was getting my hair cut the other day and the lady who cut my hair said her friends went on vacation and were on that flight with the assholes. They were scheduled to come home at the time of the big snow storm. What a vacation :P