An intoxicated first class passenger on a Delta Air Lines flight from New York to Guyana became so angry that coach passengers were allowed to exit before him that he “yanked open an emergency hatch and slid down the chute,” says the AP.
The man was taken into custody and later released on bail. A Delta spokesperson told the AP that they will be filing charges against the man for interfering with flight crewmembers. Well, at least he was paying attention during the “safety lecture,” right?
Angry flier uses emergency slide to exit Delta jet [USAToday](Thanks, David!)
(Photo: balmes )
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No, My Drunk Seatmate Probably Can't Open The Emergency Exit
I think that is kinda awesome. Hooray beer!
@Ash78: The last time I flew to Florida was 2004, so it’s getting a bit hazy now, but I remember them using the doors that are in the bathroom / galley area of the rear of the plane. The staircase was wheeled up to the left of the aircraft same as the jetway, IIRC.
Maybe the alcohol went right thru him and he had to go that bad… Desperate times call for desperate measures!!!
@Skipweasel: Yeah, but only if we can bill Delta for our time of being stuck on their planes.
They airlines are missing the boat here. Charge a $42.95 fee for the privilege.
I just flew Horizon this last weekend, all they have are small planes, when leaving the plane they use both exits, of coarse everyone hits the tarmac and then has to climb the stairs up to the terminal.
Why didn’t the airlines kill all the couch flyers so the first class passangers could walk over their corpses and get out faster?
I forsee a really interesting AA qualification in the future.
@PrestonBerryworth: PrestonBerryworth = Hero
Considering the number of stories of bad parenting for ADD kids, it’s deliciously ironic that an adult is the first to think of pulling the slide trick…
@snapdoodle:
I’d fly that airline to somewhere hot JUST to say I did that.
@EtoilePB: Ft. Lauderdale unloads and loads from both the front and the back. It works out very nice. Of course you have to go across the tarmac to get to the back, which is probably why I have never seen it in colder climates.
On another note, how was first class not unloaded first on this flight? Every plane I have been on unloads from front to back? Isn’t First Class in the front of the plane?
@Trai_Dep:
I don’t think there’s many kids left that would be smart enough.
I can’t believe I’m the first person to mention that the lady airborne ready to slide down the slide has got to be Hillary Clinton.
I’d be interested in some more info…I see a lot of people who would also be in the same whinefest if coach passengers got off ahead of them as a first class passenger, but I don’t see where it says that all coach passengers were allowed to exit ahead of all first class passengers…just this guy. If he was drunk enough to think pulling the chute was a good plan, he was probably drunk enough to be a hazard by way of blocking those exiting the plane and might have been told to stay put. We don’t know. Paying more doesn’t entitle him to inconvenience or endanger everyone else.
@fostina1: Congratulations! You have a regular schtick. I am so happy for you.
@EtoilePB: San Jose has two exits for some flights in Terminal C where both front and rear exits have to exit on mobile staircases. Then it only sucks if you’re in the middle of the plane. (but only ~half as bad)
@Crushmeguy: If there are a lot of people on a flight who have a close connection, often the flight crew will instruct passengers to let those people off first, the majority of which are probably sitting in coach. This happens a lot at hubs and when a flight is late getting in.
@afrix: I think US Airways has already announced that each passenger will have to pay $5 if they wish to use the emergency slide in the event of an emergency (Cash, Visa/MC/Amex – no Discover, please), and if the ‘pay to survive’ program doesn’t generate enough revenue over the next year, they will be forced to remove the slides, in order to save costs and weight.
first class tickets are expensive, i would be annoyed too. anyway, whats the point of paying first class if you cant do each and everything first? at continental you board first and you leave first! — until they cut that too to save on expenses.
I know I have boarded a 747 where two jetways attached themselves to the plain and you picked one based on where your seat was.
But honestly, it was downright rude to tell a premium paying costumer to wait when its generally a self given that First Class can board and exit first. I do agree he should pay, but Delta should then also pay for all their mistakes and delays.
@Roundonbothends: I always wonder that too… particularly on the tiny planes where the aisle is slightly wider than my hips (and I’m a size 8). No matter how careful I am, someone always gets whacked with my laptop when I try to get to the back of the plane.
Plus, you’re trying to get to row 26 but the guy in row 8 is trying to get his stuff situated in the overhead, gumming up the works.
This. Guy. Is. AWESOME. I could totally picture myself doing this.
I hope everyone realizes that if the coach passengers started streaming off the plane like the usually do, he would have been LAST off the plane. Fuck that.
I want to be this guy. Minus the whole arrest thing. But if I were intoxicated at the time, woulda seemed like the best idea ever.
So wait…is Delta responsible for hotels + meal vouchers for the delay? Because it is a mechanical failure.
Whatever happened to “Cabin doors to manual and cross check” – shouldn’t the slides be disarmed at the gate?
These stories are starting to sound more and more like something I’d read on the Onion.
@SkokieGuy: I agree. What ever happened to the “Airline Travelers’ Bill of Rights” we were supposed to see. If they strand me for hours on a plane, I’d lose it and snap.
Having said that… this guy was a real douche…
@BlueTraveler: I’ve been on many American flights that board in the front, going through first class, then deplane using the door between first class and coach. Usually the flight attendants stand in the way to allow the first class passengers to exit, then allow coach to go, so I’m assuming that since he was drunk he must not have gotten off with the rest of the first class passengers and then had to wait for the coach passengers to go.
All airlines I have flown are loaded back to front with the exceptions for elderly, children, and disabled. The problem comes in when those families are in the front and the able-bodied father is stuffing 80 lbs of carryons into the overhead of Row 9 while everyone else is trying to get to row 50.
All the times I have flown its been loaded front to back.
This is just one good example why I never cared about the articles with people getting denied flights.
I’m just glad the guy didn’t open the door of the plane while it was still in flight, that would’ve been a bigger mess.
I wonder what this guy’s charges are going to be? A fine? Community service? Will they ban him from flying for a few months?
What a moran!
Oh how this brings back memories (see ’5′):
Caution: NSFW
Airfun.jpg
HAHAHA! Ok this story just gave me a good chuckle.