Bizarre Passenger Behaviour
who was a passenger on a Frontier Airlines flight. She Medications/Medial issues
spanked her children and raised her voice after her Bloody This July, US Airways flight 705 – inbound to Los Angeles,
Mary spilled. The woman wound up clashing with the flight California, from Charlotte, North Carolina - had to divert to
attendant and ended up spending three months in jail. Her Albuquerque, New Mexico due to a male passenger removing
children were also removed from her care. They are currently all of his clothing. When asked to cover up with a blanket, the
in the process of being adopted by their foster care parents. man became aggressive and the situation resulted in the man
being restrained by two off-duty police officers upon landing. The
Smoking explanation: the man suffered from a bi-polar disorder and it was
The ban on in-flight smoking on the majority of carriers world- assumed he had not been keeping up with his medication.
wide ended one problem, but created another. It’s no secret Bi-polar disorder is just one of the many medical issues
smoking is an addictive habit that goes hand-in-hand with crewmembers encounter. Dementia, psychosis, acute anxiety,
severe withdrawal symptoms such as intense cravings, anger, and panic disorder can all contribute to outrageous
fatigue, anxiety, depression, irritation and dizziness. behaviour. Lieberman says, “Ideally, people with mental
Tara Laxson, therapist and owner of Oak Cliff Counseling illness or psychological problems, such as a severe fear of
practice near Dallas, Texas says it’s no surprise smokers flying, should be accompanied by someone they know or
struggle with flying. “Passengers who are addicted to smoking someone from the airline, like the special accommodations
rely on cigarettes as a coping mechanism in their daily life and children are given. Either way, the airline should be discreetly
that’s without the stress of flying. When put in a situation that alerted to this issue to be able to prevent tragedies like the
increases stress levels the results are bound to be negative.” male passenger with manic depressive illness who was shot
When it comes to safety, smoking is a major concern for coming off the plane in Miami a few years ago.” In 2005,
flight attendants. Passengers sneak into the lavatory to take a Rigoberto Alpizar, a 44-year-old US citizen (originally from
few puffs then, out of panic, they discard the cigarette in the Costa Rica) was returning with his wife from South America.
trash, creating a potential fire hazard. The man began acting irrationally and was eventually was
Obviously, smoking on most commercial airliners is a thing gunned down by federal air marshals as he disembarked the
of the past, so what are the airlines to do? Lieberman says, aircraft. His wife later explained that he was bi-polar and
“Areas set aside in airports for smokers are helpful for hadn’t taken his medication.
passengers needing a ‘quick fix’. These areas should be Not all passengers who “freak out” on a plane have been
comfortable enough not to be punitive for smokers, but not so diagnosed with a disorder. Laxson points out, “Many passengers
comfortable that they encourage passengers to loiter there.” board an aircraft with an anxiety of being in close quarters with
Otherwise, maybe the airlines should sell nicotine gum? strangers for several hours. Add to that an uncomfortable and
unfamiliar environment and that anxiousness begins to build up.
At that point, humans naturally go into the “flight or flight” mode
PREPARE FOR THE WAR
and that’s when passengers run to a cabin door trying escape.”
AGAINST TERRORISM
The “B” Word
The word “bomb” has been known to initiate airport and
aircraft evacuations for hours, even when a passenger says it
SECURESEARCH INC. specializes in in jest, or better yet, writes it on luggage for kicks, such as the
the production of training aids for the
young German couple who caused an evacuation at a Perth
recognition and disposal of hazardous
airport on 22 May 2009. The couple wrote “BOMB!” on a blue
devices and explosives. Our diverse
cooler and had planned to take it through security for fun to
selection of I.E.D. training aids will help
see what type of reaction they would receive. The pair
changed their minds and ended up abandoning the cooler
prepare any agency for the unexpected.
under a bench. Australian Federal Police officers discovered
the bag while performing a routine patrol which resulted in an
Be prepared. Call us today.
airport evacuation. The couple received a $1500 fine.
It’s common knowledge the use of the word “bomb” or other
similar threats or terms can result in one being arrested.
Laxson says of passengers who toss the word “bomb” around,
Securing the Global Community since 1970.
“Most people don't think it through - they may believe that
Based in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
after they cause the big commotion, they will simply explain
that they were kidding around and all will be forgiven. Much to
the chagrin of the couple (above) involved and others who do
this, that is not how it ends.”
“Other people live their lives with an exaggerated sense of
entitlement,” Laxson says, “And these people are the individuals
www.securesearchinc.com
who call in false bomb threats, without regard for the staff of the
info@securesearchinc.com airline, security or the other passengers, all in an attempt to take
(416) 492-5349
care of some personal gain.” Such an example occurred in
August 2009 when Vijay Khandelwal, 35, was headed for the
airport in a taxi when he realised he was going to miss his IndiGo
24 Register now for FREE instant access to ASI online by visiting www.asi-mag.com October 2009 Aviationsecurityinternational
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