Crying babies, drooling seat mates and coughing passengers are everyday minor annoyances on planes, but body slamming someone for being sick and having to cough? Not the right reaction, but it was the one a man from Georgia had at the end of a flight last week.
The 31-year-old was on an American Airlines flight to Jacksonville International Airport in Florida, says The Daily Mail, upon which a sick 19-year-old woman had the gumption to cough.
The police say he spent the flight harassing the woman, and as the passengers deboarded the plane, he called her obscene names, saying she had “infected everyone” on the flight.
According to the report, he then charged her and body slammed her with his shoulder, knocking her against the wall. He was arrested on charges of misdemeanor battery.
We hope he brings plenty of cough drops with him should he ever dare to have a ticklish throat or a cold.
“You’ve infected everyone!” Germaphobe body slams woman who was coughing on flight [The Daily Mail]
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I’m disappointed it wasn’t a true “bodyslam” in the traditional sense of the word. I fully expected to read that he grabbed her – held her above his head then them slammed her onto the ground much like we would see on WWE.
Either way I condone him being added to the no-fly list. People who resort to physical violence over something so trivial should not be allowed to travel in a confined space for hours at a time.
I don’t think the no-fly list should be reserved for one-time violators of a law not relating to air flight.
Yes, obviously it should be reserved for bloggers who dare speak ill of the TSA.
It was a violent unprovoked attack against another passenger. What else do we need? Had he done the same thing to a flight attendant he would be banned from flying… so why is another passenger any different?
This time his rage caused him to lash out at a 19 year old woman – the next time he could be grabbing someone’s neck or ramming the cockpit door. At the very least he should be banned from flying for a few years so he can think about his actions.
Flying isn’t a necessity – it is a privledge. In the past year we have seen people get drunk and assault passengers, we have seen people assault flight crew members or other passengers, and we even saw a guy whip it out and pee on and near a young girl. How is this behavior acceptable? Other people shouldn’t be subject to these types of people when confined in a metal tube flying through the air because there is no escape and nowhere to go.
At least on a bus they could kick an unruly passenger off. Can’t really push someone out the door of a moving plane. I mean you could… but the resulting loss of cabin pressure would pretty much ruin the day of the passengers and the family of the person shoved out might protest that death was slightly excessive punishment for punching another passenger.
I always love how conservatives like to claim that “flying isn’t a right, it’s a privilege”. Last time I checked airlines were private entities. If they want to ban you from using their service then fine, but what right does the government have to deny people access to a private service?
Or furthermore, how conservatives conflate rights (like voting) with privileges like driving a car, renting a movie, or buying a beer (too many so-called small government conservatives to count, I’m looking at you).
I think the government probably got that right about 11 years ago.
You know what I love… I love it being suggested that I’m a conservative whereas a few minutes ago some other poster called me a liberal.
I guess I’m doing something right if I’m pissing off both the lefties and the righties.
Me too. A body slam is what Hulk Hogan does to Macho Man. It’s not a shoulder tackle or body bump or whatever they are calling it.
You are correct in your description of a bodyslam..
This individual performed a body check, similar to what ice hockey players perform during games.
I can’t describe my disappointment when I read the article and found out that the guy didn’t do his best Hulk Hogan impression but just bumped into her.
Either way I condone him being added to the no-fly list.
————
No way. There shouldn’t be a no-fly list. You charge the guy with battery like you would anyone else, and once he’s served his sentence, he’s fit to do whatever he wants again.
The no-fly list is yet another “scarlet letter” system that exists outside the law.
How is it outside the law?
In a sense it really is no different than a company policy. If I as a business owner can refuse service to you then why can’t the airlines do it as well? Just because the government was behind it doesn’t mean it’s “outside the law”…..
Funny that the first comment addresses what I was going to comment on. In soccer, a so called non-contact sport by some, that would be called a shoulder tackle and is a legal play. Maybe the guy was a hooligan on his way to a match…
I was picturing a Hulk Hogan vs Andre The Giant type slam. A shoulder? Sounds more like the first move in a high action “bouncing off the ropes” back and forth sequence. All she had to do is stick her foot out and the dude would have ran straight into it.
This is why we don’t let The Ultimate Warrior on airplanes anymore.
Cmon, now let’s get this right… His true name is “Warrior”
In 1993, Hellwig legally changed his name to Warrior. This one-word name appears on all legal documents pertaining to Warrior, and his children carry the Warrior name as their legal surname.
Warrior is his name. “The Ultimate” just happens to be his formal title. He prefers it to “Mr. Warrior”; it’s like referring to a member of parliament as ‘The Right Honorable [So-and-So]‘
“I’ve looked to the mystical guardians of time and relished in what they wrought. The sky holds no mysteries for one like myself. I destroy those before me, that dare attack my body with toxic amoeboids. Feel the my wrath lady!” /shakes the ropes on the side of the boarding entrance before guerilla-pressing her.
That, or the creepy ass poetry he writes on his site. That man is not all there.
Weren’t there several Ultimate Warriors, due to deaths? Like how there were several Lassies or Flippers?
It was always the same guy. Who, by the way, legally changed his name to Warrior.
There was another guy in WCW called “Renegade” who was basically the Fire Pro Wrestling of Ultimate Warrior.
that and there are no flights to “parts unknown”
true, this sounds like something only a man as crazy as ultimate warrior would do.
1. Misdemeanor battery? When he harassed her the whole flight and then physically assaulted her?
2. Body Slam: “A body slam is any move in which a wrestler picks up his or her opponent and throws him or her down to the ground.” What he did is more akin to a Shoulder Block: A shoulder block sees a wrestler strike an opponent with their shoulder usually ramming their shoulder,
What he during the fight could be assualt, what he did after the flight was battery. Assualt is intent to do bodily harm, such as saying to someone; “I’m going to punch you in the face”. Battery is when you hit somebody.
I was complaining more about the “Misdemeanor” part of it.
In my head all I saw was Celebrity Deathmatch. And then the Hansons from Slapshot. I’ve gotta stop drinking a quart of ‘tussin before going to work.
R.i.P. — Macho Man Randy Savage !
Bodyslam! Ohhhhhhhhhh yeaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!
SNAP INTO A SLIM JIM!
OHH YEEEAAAAAHHH!!
I hope he’s conscientious enough to abstain from flying after someone in jail gives him a highly infectious sexually transmitted disease.
That’s making a big assumption.
One can hope and pray.
Amen, brother!
I see he was unable to pin her for 3 seconds though. If he had managed that then clearly he would have been in the right.
Correct. I think the official decision has to be that she wins via DQ. But remember folks, the title can only change hands on a pinfall or submission.
Stupid stupid stupid. Everyone knows you’re supposed to put sick people in the Figure Four Leg Lock. Body slams are for babies only.
Unless you’re the Iron Sheik. In which case, a camel clutch is fine too.
WOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
Stylin’ and Profilin’
AFTER applying The Polish Hammer.
Why he didn’t just back her into a corner and hammer her with chops like the Nature Boy is beyond me. I predict that move will makes its way to UFC. Woooo!!!!!
No, no, no, no. Babies are for spiking, like in the end zone. Sheesh!
Such a well mannered gentleman, Mr. White!
I hate germophobes. Especially germophobes that use physical violence on teenage girls with a little cold.
I hope Mr. White got a nasty infection from the germs in jail.
Mary Beth,
LOVE the picture. Story is old news.
I am SO glad that there are people like you around to let those of us who don’t keep up with every story from every outlet know what’s not shiny-fresh and therefore unworthy of our attention! Thank you for this invaluable service to the community.
Really, it’s so 17.5 seconds ago…
Draw her in with a compliment before hitting her with the insult. Clever.
Awesome comment yourself. He baited her just to kick her in the ribs. HAHAHA
Then why did you not submit it when it first came out? No reason to point out that it is an old article other than to just make noise.
She must have had a stuffed up nose.
Because she clearly didn’t smell what he was cooking.
Seems highly illogical to me. If you’re afraid of someone’s germs, wouldn’t you want to AVOID making physical contact with them?
You can’t include logic into stupidity.
This is a case where the idea of jailbird forced sodomy appeals to my sense of irony.
Do you honestly think that a penis (or some other hard object) being shoved into someone’s rectum is the appropriate punishment for “misdemeanor battery”?
Ironic: To escape from germs, he does something that puts himself in a place where the germs are a LOT worse.
Nowhere does the poster say that this is appropriate punishment, only ironic.
Haha, no. I’m merely saying it’s ironic that he did something that’ll expose him to lots more germs and our f*cked up penal system where forced sodomy is a normal occurring.
Sorry, you’ll just have to find something else to go be outraged about, kid.
“occurrence”
That’s not a body slam. That’s a shoulder block. Just sayin’
More importantly, did he come off the ropes before tackling her? Sounds like the best flight I could have ever been a part of.
Man if you’re gonna do that, you might as well just go balls-out and do the forward flip off the turnbuckle..
Just think of what he would have done if she had had the audacity to breastfeed on the flight.
Sounds more like a “spear” than a bodyslam
Why shouldn’t you fly when you’re sick?
BECAUSE STONE COLD SAID SO.
She should’ve countered with a hip toss.
I think a front side kick to the groin would have been appropriate in this case.
I am totally digging all the wrestling references on this thread, thank you for the great entertainment people.
“The Rock says you need to know your role and shut your mouth, you coughing jabroni”
This was a body check, not a body slam. Didn’t you learn anything during your time living next door to Deadspin?
Rumor has it that these two are going to settle it once and for all on a flight next month INSIDE THE CONFINES OF A FIFTEEN FOOT HIGH STEEL CAGE!!!!!!!!
I’m sure there is quite a bit more to this story than posted here. “having to cough” is one thing, but if you are very sick why are you flying in the first place? And are you covering your mouth, are you being a “crybaby” as well?
The story, as written, sounds like some girl coughed once and the guy freaked out. I’m quite sure it was much worse than that.
And to call him a germophobe? What would David Putty do?
I had to travel while I was sick once. I didn’t have any money to pay for fees to switch my flights (I was going home) and had no choice. Luckily nobody body slammed me and I kept to myself but I can see why someone would travel when they’re sick.
FUCK YOU STOP USING DAILY MAIL AS A SOURCE, THEY ARE A TABLOID
I think we’ve found our suspect…
If he wasn’t covering his cough, he deserved it. I just got sick after sitting in front of a mother and her preteen who BOTH weren’t covering their cough.
So a person deserves violence because of something beyond their control?
This reminds me of what I heard a comedian say recently
“You know that voice we’re supposed to ignore, well, people are listening to that voice now”
Austin 3:16 “do not cough on a flight, because Stone Cold Said So”
Severely disappointed by misleading title. I was really looking forward to an authentic body slam.
I hate when people fly when they’re sick, but I understand you can’t predict a cold. This guy should definitely not be allowed on anymore flights.
When his cell mate tells him to bend over and cough.
seriously though, if you are sick and in public, whether on the train or on a flight, *you should wear a surgical mask*. People in america don’t do this, but in Japan and China it is more prevalent, and goes a long way in inhibiting the spread of viral diseases (the vast majority of virii cannot survive long outside of a hospitable environment, they mainly get transmitted by microscopic water droplets that we exude when we breath or cough, having a surgical mask can help catch these droplets thereby preventing their transmission to other people, citation: http://www.flu.gov/professional/hospital/maskguidancehc.html)
In both this and hand-washing, we are terribly backwards in the united states, and it’s too bad because we’d simply be less sick if that were the case. Bacterial infections are harder to contract (as our immunological defenses are better) but of course more devastating and can survive outside the body far more easily, whereas viral infections (e.g. the flu, the common cold) more easily reach symptomatic levels when we are exposed to them, but require direct exposure in most cases. Bottom line, it seems like proper hygiene and common courtesy can greatly mitigate the number of cold and flu cases every year.
I do agree that people should be much more careful. I was on a flight today and the woman across from me (who looked quite ill ) repeatedly coughed and sneezed into her hands throughout.
I still harbor some post-chemo fears about people being sick near me so maybe I notice it more now. This time last year I had to fly with a mask to attempt to control picking up a potentially life-threatening virus, and also asked if there was any way for the airline to allow me to move if I were to be seated next to someone like the lady above (they ended up giving me my whole row).
Wearing my mask, I was the one who felt like the oddball and did have comments made near me that I must be the one who was contagious, when it was the complete opposite. It would have been a little nice to know that there were more people out there trying to be a bit more careful when they were sick.
Obviously, the assault by this passenger against another passeger, because she had a cough or for any other reason, is reprehensible, and it’s good he was arrested. But I wouldn’t necessarily describe the situation of a fellow passenger who is sick and potentially infecting others as “trivial,” as some have. We don’t know if she coughed once or twice with a ticklish throat, or if she had a cold, the flu, or something worse. I’m embarrassed to say that a couple of years ago, I flew from San Francisco to Minneapolis while suffering (and coughing) from Type A Influenza, which kills 36,000 every year. (I’d had a flu shot that year, but it didn’t work, and I didn’t realize how sick I was until medical tests confirmed it was Type A a few days later.) It’s not unlikely that the woman sitting next to me on the plane for three or four hours came down with the disease in the next few days. Hardly trivial. I agree that flying is a privilege that should not be extended to those who commit assaults — nor to those who are sick enough to expose others to serious infection.
Clearly an air marshal should have shot you in der face for daring to travel with the flu.
Or, maybe we’re a civilized society?
Really, linking to a Daily Mail story? Somehow the most unreliable tabloid in the UK has the only story on this you could link to?
Zombie apocalypse in 3…. 2….
Sorry, Consumerist, I don’t think he did anything wrong. If someone knows that they are sick, and is visibly sick and contagious, they have no business being in a tightly-packed confined space using recycled air. I think being body slammed is appropriate compensation for infecting me and everyone else on the flight. Or maybe everyone on the flight should be able to give the infected person one punch between shoulders and waist in return for being infected.
Wow, just misdemeanor battery charges? Wonder what would have happened if he was Middle Eastern…
…WTF. So he manages to verbally abuse and slander a person, and not get arrested for it. Thats hard to do in modern airports. But then he attacked her? Seriously I hope they find like..some monstrous tumor that caused a sudden degradation in logic and uncontrollable mindless rage.
Because theres not a lot else that could vindicate this guy, and I do not want to believe that we are a species who can do…That…without having our brains physically destroyed first.