Stop! Stop the Plane! This One Needs to Be Put Off the Plane!

(Sorry, I was unable to upload some pictures for this story, words only, but I think it might stand by itself!)

Another unusual moment in travel, and not a particularly good one

     So, I am on  my way to West Africa yesterday, via New York's JFK Airport.  I am waiting for a direct flight to Dakar, Senegal, and we begin to load.  Loading a flight to Dakar is always an adventure, with people pushing and shoving, with too much luggage that won't fit, and they sit in the wrong seat, etc.

     But this flight takes a serious turn to insanity, or at least mayhem.  Once we get on board and finally get everyone in the right seat, and the luggage all stored overhead, they close the cabin door and begin to push back.  We're finally leaving.

     Only we get out on the tarmac and there is a loud noise in the back of the plane, and people start raising their voices.  Suddenly a lady stands up and starts shouting!  "Stop the Plane!  Somebody Help!  We need to get this one off the Plane!"  Everyone turns around the flight attendants start running toward her.  This "one"?

     She continues to shout in a heavy accent, and climbs over the person next to her and jumps into the aisle.  "Stop the Plane.  This man is NOT SAFE!  He needs to be put off the plane!"  She is pointing toward a guy in the window seat. 

     What the heck is going on?  Quickly the flight attendant, a big Senegalese guy, gets on the intercom and talks to the cockpit.  After some investigation, the plane stops moving.  There is great agitation in the rear section of the plane.  Suddenly a guy starts yelling at the flight attendant.  This is getting weird. 

     Everyone on the plane is getting a little nervous.  Okay, that's an understatement, everybody is super nervous.  Eventually a couple of cops come on board, (they somehow were able to sneak on the place) and there is a sky marshal on there, and they head to the commotion.  Things are not getting better here ... 

It Gets Worse!

     They are trying to get this guy off the plane, and he is making a huge disruption and starts yelling his guts out, and he starts fighting and pushing people.  It's very hard for people to sit quietly and ignore this, it's becoming a major scene.  

     It becomes obvious that this guy is drunk or high or both, and he is going crazy!   It's also obvious that they are not going to calm him down and he does need to get put off the plane.  Fortunately the armed personnel are fairly adept at handling this kind of thing and they don't make the mistake of matching his anger, they simply insist that he calm down. 

     This guy is freaking out and yelling "you can't put me off this plane, I paid good money for this seat!  This is an outrage!  Keep your hands off me!  I will not get off the plane.  I want to go to Senegal, and I want to go to Touba! (a city in Senegal)"

     He goes on to scream at the top of his lungs, "Why are the police here?  This is an airplane, and I insist we leave for Senegal!  I have a valid ticket!" Like he would have got on without a valid ticket?   

     Ninety percent of the people on the plane are African, including the crazy guy.  Most of them are fed up.  People around him are getting tired of this and tell him to shut up and calm down.  "Shut up you idiot!  Sit down you - you are stupid moron!"  Needless to say, he does not respond well to this ...

     Gradually we notice that they are pulling the plane back in toward the gate ...

     Eventually the authorities convince him to grab his things and move to the front of the plane so they can "talk to him" - which means they are going to throw him off the flight.  He realizes what is happening and reluctantly starts moving up the aisle, until he gets to my seat.  Then he starts going bonkers again and shouting obscenities and flailing his arms.  Fortunately I don't get hit. 

     Keep in mind that travel these days can be risky, what with the recent attacks in Paris, and plane crashes seemingly all over the place, and all the high alerts issued.  People on the plane are really getting edgy.  We've been sitting in the middle of the tarmac for a long time, and nobody knows what exactly what is going on.  Frankly, I think that many people figured this guy had a bomb.

     So this guy finally goes up to the front of the plane where there are more law enforcement officers and they subdue the guy and toss him off the plane.  The passengers erupt into applause.  But not everyone is feeling very confident.  The lady next to me says she is getting off the plane, she is too freaked out to fly at this point.  She climbs into the aisle.  These people can't stay in their seats!

     Guess what happens when they throw someone off a flight?  They have to remove their checked luggage from the cargo hold.  This takes another half an hour, and by this time, take off is way late.  At least by this time, we're back at the gate.   

     Now they announce their apologies and explain that we will have a late arrival in Dakar ... no kidding?  d'ya think?  Coulda fooled me ... 

     I've traveled a lot, but never had this kind of thing happen before.  They said the disruptive passenger was "involved with alcohol", and  drunk and dangerous and been making threats to other passengers.  Good Riddance!

    "Oh," they said over the intercom, "and thank you for flying Delta!  We hope you have a pleasant flight!"   HA HA HA 



     Made it to Dakar Senegal in one piece, more to follow soon ...