Overly fearful airlines

[MrsMo]

Three passengers - two men and one woman, strangers to each other, were seated in a row on a recent Denver to Detroit flight. During the flight the two men stood up at about the same time and went to use the bathroom - one man because he had to go and the other because he was feeling ill. The woman never left her seat, and there was never more than one person in the lavatory at any time. Still, this caused the airline attendants to become alarmed. The flight landed Detroit, but at one of the remote terminals, and the three passengers were detained and questioned by the FBI.

Huh? Now you have to be careful not to need to use the lavatory at the same time one of your row mates does because some flight attendant might become suspicious? The heading on the news report was almost as insane: "No Charges for Passengers on Detroit-Bound Flight." Really? There were almost charges brought for two people needing to use the bathroom at the same time?

I understand that some day I may be forced to fly somewhere again, but it will be one hell of an emergency that causes me to do it. Until then, much as I used to love flying, I will remain on the ground until airlines and our "Homeland Security" grow some brains.

Here's a link to the whole story: http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/dpps/news/no-charges-for-passengers-on-detroit-bound-flight-dpgonc-20110913-fc_14997675

[Kitz E Kat]

It's gonna be like a shootout in a Clint Eastwood movie, passengers looking at each other, wondering if it's time to make 'the move' to the bathroom.
I guess you could stand up and strip naked and show you have nothing and declare the need to use the washroom and hope that's a good enough excuse not to get you arrested on suspicion of being a potential suspect for a possible suspect activity.
Or just get the ferry instead :-)

[MrsMo]

The third passenger in the row, the woman who never even stood up, has been interviewed. She believes she was also singled out because she looks middle eastern (and I think she's right). The poor woman wasn't only taken off the plane and questioned, she was taken off the plane in handcuffs, strip searched then detained for hours.

Here's a link to her interview: http://news.yahoo.com/passenger-cuffed-searched-over-appearance-003800344.html

[Kitz E Kat]

That kind of thing would turn you off flying if you didn't have to. Insane.