Cellphone user delays Atlanta flight
An AirTran Airways flight was delayed about two and a half hours in Atlanta after a passenger refused to get off the cellphone.
Houston-bound Flight 297 was taxiing on the runway when a crew member asked a passenger to turn off his phone. The passenger refused after being asked several times, and as a result the aircraft went back to the gate and the passenger left the flight.
Has this ever happened to you? Would you have kept talking? Were you on this flight?
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38 comments Add your comment
phil
November 17th, 2009
8:28 pm
Someone should have just grabbed it and flushed it down the swirling blue chemical death chamber.
Axel
November 17th, 2009
8:28 pm
First!
Orlg8r
November 17th, 2009
8:30 pm
Castration with a TSA approved plastic knife
Farty Marty
November 17th, 2009
8:39 pm
I would’ve repeatedly filled the cabin with flatulence until the cellphone rebel complied with the wishes of the flight crew. If that wouldn’t have made him hang up …………..I then would’ve pistol whipped him over and over and over again with my official Air Marshall issued revolver. If that didn’t work I would have escorted him to the front cabin and introduced him to Pontius Pilot !
The World of Me
November 17th, 2009
8:39 pm
Sadly, it just goes to show you, the passenger only cared about himself, not the other 100+ people on board. Not the parent trying to see their family, the business person hoping to complete a deal and return home tonight, It is becoming a common part of society. And if adults don’t obey the rules, how can we expect the children to obey them? The good news – the man can be sued, and there is precident. He can be held financially responsible for any losses due to the delay. I recommend a good aviation lawyer, there are several on ‘google.’
34
November 17th, 2009
8:47 pm
Even attempting to fly AirTrash is punishment enough.
rave1914
November 17th, 2009
8:48 pm
it would have gone something like this: “..homes, me and these other three or four guys trying to get home/to business meeting/social event/whatever have decided one of us is gonna have to hold on to that phone til we get to houston…”
vivian
November 17th, 2009
8:51 pm
Barring some emergency, i think the uncooperative passenger should have been detained by police. how did they know this passenger didn’t pose some great risk to craft and/or other passengers. i don’t think behavior such as this should be tolerated in these delicate times of threats and terrorist attacks. i don’t think the passenger should be allowed to fly on ANY airline in the future.
Frequent Flyer
November 17th, 2009
8:53 pm
The airline did the only thing they could have done under the current circumstances. However, if we’re going to have rules about such things, we need to have penalties to fit the offense. First, the name of the passenger should be published along with their address and phone number. Obviously they thought they were more important than anyone else on the flight and that being the case, everyone should know how to get in touch with them to find out what exactly made them so special. Secondly, when this passenger books a flight from now on – on any carrier – a warning message (indicated by a photo of a pig) should be displayed to the gate attendant to either confiscate the phone prior to boarding or refuse to board them for the convenience and timeliness of insuring all passengers aboard the flight are not delayed reaching their destination. Actually, more of a concern is the fact that this pig (passenger) probably ignores any and all rules they choose which places us all in jeopardy or, at the very least at risk, due to their arrogance or stupidity.
seriously?
November 17th, 2009
9:06 pm
They didn’t say “get off the phone NOW or we are going back to the gate and you will be arrested!” Or something like you want to delay this entire flight if you dont get off the phone? They should have got the other passengers to make him get off the phone. Regardless, they should post the person’s name to so we all can know who the idiot is, he/she didnt care about all the others, so they do not deserve any respect either. Also, should be fined. You get a speeding ticket and it is just you in your car. This person disrupted about 100 people- there should be a hefty fine.
Dude who hates cell phones
November 17th, 2009
9:07 pm
They should have explained the situation to the passengers, then turned their backs to let the passengers handle the situation. Also the other passengers should have been supplied the name and address of the offender, so as to help with the civil suits over damages.
Also the captain shoul dhave run over the cell phone
mmm, mmm, mmm, Barack the LIAR Obama
November 17th, 2009
9:14 pm
Not normally violent, but don’t push me. So, a GOOD smack upside the head would probably fix that.
Vigilantus Maximus
November 17th, 2009
9:16 pm
I’d have snatched his cell phone, taken the simm card and shoved it up his a–!
More trees are better
November 17th, 2009
9:25 pm
Arrest. Revoke flying privileges. Hefty fine.
$10,000.00+
You can’t do that to 72 people with no consequences.
What an a**.
Jenzen
November 17th, 2009
9:28 pm
Simple: Ask the passenger sitting (if s/he was still sitting beside him/her) to allow you to sit there. Once seated, begin singing or talking in a very loud voice – looking straight at the idiot. S/he would complain but don’t stop until you drive him or her mad.
sokak6
November 17th, 2009
9:30 pm
I sure that person would like a roll of Charmin after what would have ensued.
bigred
November 17th, 2009
9:32 pm
The passenger was not identified but everyone referenced this person as if they were “MALE”! I have seen both sexes use cell phones as if it was a necessary bodily function! I am sure as soon as it is scientifically & medically possible,there will be people standing in line for a phone implant! Then, everyone will be standing around looking like they are talking to themselves like the F**KING looney toons in ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST!I agree with THE WORLD OF ME!
SUE THE BAS***D! THAT IS THE ONLY TRULY UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS!
adrian
November 17th, 2009
9:32 pm
Asked the flight attendant to open the door so I could toss him off on the runway so we could takeoff.
mitch
November 17th, 2009
9:33 pm
I would have collected contact information from the other passengers to use in lawsuits against airtran and the passenger. 2 1/2 hours would be enough time to write about 30 copies of a note.
Just pass out a bunch of handwritten sheets of paper during the flight:
Hello, My name Is Mitch and I’m in Seat 12B. I would like to sue Airtran and Mr. Cellphone. If interested put your name and some contact info on this paper please share this with the other passengers on your row and return to me. I’m in seat 12B.
BubbaDaVigilante
November 17th, 2009
9:34 pm
I would have asked the other 72 if they would support me in the event that what needed to be done got a little bit violent…Once a 72-0 support was acheived I would snatch the phone and simply state if questioned why? “The owner had struck me with it and I have 72 witnesses etc…
Hawk Eye
November 17th, 2009
9:35 pm
I would have just slapped the fool out of em
count_schemula
November 17th, 2009
9:37 pm
hey, that’s just like in the movie theaters! feel me?
Tolja Sew
November 17th, 2009
9:43 pm
Shouldl have gone back to the gate, taken this A@@H— into custody and given him or her five (5) choices other than jail:
- Go on a USA book-signing tour with Wolf blitzer;
- Be forced to watch a 6-hour back-to-back taped program of “The View;”
- Write a 1001 word essay on, “Why I miss bill Campbell and his pal Munson Steed;
- Read the entire 2000+-page House version of the Healthcare Bill in one sitting, or,
- Volunteer to assist Sonny Perdue to write a book on his most memorable accomplishments as Governor of GA
(maybe it’s too cruel even for this idiot to make him or her watch even one session of The View!)
techwreck
November 17th, 2009
9:47 pm
I am afraid I would have simply and calmly snatched the phone away, smashed it into a million pieces, and taken my chances with the jury trial with 72 subpoenaed witnesses to testify in my defense.
Nash
November 17th, 2009
9:47 pm
I hope someone took a picture or can at least describe the person who did this. A lot of public humiliation goes a long way.
What would I have done? I probably would have gotten kicked off the plane myself because of the amount of insults and profanity I would have directed in his/her direction. Believe me, I can make a truck driver cry – this person would have crapped their pants and been on the phone with a lawyer after what I would have told them.
And if public humiliation isn’t enough, a short rope tied to several cinder blocks, the aforementioned passengers ankles, then tossed over a high bridge into a deep river would have made me giggle. What a huge co-ck su-ck-er.
David Milton
November 17th, 2009
9:52 pm
Do we really need a description?
Buford T. Justice
November 17th, 2009
9:59 pm
No charges were filed? wtf, I mean WTF…
Leroy Mercer
November 17th, 2009
10:02 pm
It wudda been a FIRST CLASS asswhuppin!!
Kevin
November 17th, 2009
10:06 pm
I would have advised the Flight Attendant that, “I speak jive”.
Tom
November 17th, 2009
10:11 pm
Every flight has an air marshall right? Have the AM point a gun in his face!!!!
my first felony
November 17th, 2009
10:12 pm
AMAZING>>> & There is nothing else to report? Was the plane full of on NUNS ? How is it that there was no report that there wasn’t a BLOODY RIOT on board this aircraft !??? Maybe everyone was to bust reading there politically correct handbook…..
Q
November 17th, 2009
10:18 pm
immediately pulled the passenger off the flight. then banned them from flying for 5 years. This would also apply to pilots who choose to use their laptops instead of flying the plane.
GA Girl
November 17th, 2009
10:18 pm
Why did this situation take 2 hours? If it were me, my @$$ would’ve been handcuffed two seconds after I refused to hang up! I hope the passengers were given flight vouchers.
Rusty
November 17th, 2009
10:24 pm
Put him on the terrorist watch list for rest of his life. Should make travel fun for him.
This is Mrs. Norman Maine
November 17th, 2009
10:28 pm
I don’t understand why the poor man earlier this year was forcibly blocked from using the bathroom when he developed diarrhea and then arrested and charged while this @sshole was allowed to hold up the entire flight. When they returned to the gate, at least one of the passengers should have tripped him as he walked down the aisle.
Chris
November 17th, 2009
10:39 pm
I was on an Airtran flight from Houston Hobby to Atlanta when a gentleman in the back of the plane refuse to get off his cell phone after the announcements were made to do so. The lead Flight Attendant who was comming from the back of the plane up front just quickly grabbed the phone out of his hand and gave it back to him when he deplaned in Atlanta.
Tracee
November 17th, 2009
10:57 pm
As a flight attendant, I applaud the decision to return to the gate & boot the passenger off. I’m only sorry that they had to take such a delay. We get tired of having to repeatedly talk to passengers about the same thing as if they are toddlers. We grow even more tired of passengers acting as if they are toddlers. No matter how trivial it may seem, its a regulation set by the FAA (one that has been in place for years now), NOT the airlines. Do everyone a favor & comply!
jeff jones
November 17th, 2009
11:00 pm
Hot coffee…trip…crotch…easy enough!
Seriously, the best idea was whoever posted sit next to him/her and sing Roxanne (like Eddie Murphy in 48 hours) and yell and burp so loud they can’t possibly continue their call. Nothing you can get arrested for and very effective.