DH's Flight delayed by almost 2 hours from ORD

[DawnCt1]

DH was seated to fly home from Chicago on Saturday evening. He always takes an aisle seat. A nervous looking foreign man dressed in baggy clothing was assigned to the window seat. He motioned that he wanted to sit down. He was fidgety, very nervous and perspiring. DH got up so he could get to his seat. Prior to take off, he pointed to the aisle. DH looked at him and said, "excuse me?
In an unidentifiable foreign accent he said he wanted to get up. He went to the bathroom and didn't return. A short time after, the flight attendant came to DH's seat and asked him if he the man brought anything on board. DH said he didn't think so because he had stood, faced him directly as he allowed him to get to his seat. DH then said that he was behaving very strangely. The flight attendant said he was behaving strangely in the airport as well. A few minutes later another flight attendant came to ask DH the same question. Before long, the cargo area of the plane was opened and all of the luggage was rescreened. That was on Sat, Sept 10th. Good reason to be nervous.

 

[Cyndirella]

That would have been scary! So did the suspicious guy end up flying or did they remove him from the plane?

 

[Mermaid02]

Maybe he was sick or something.... did he stay on the plane in another seat or was he removed?

 

[DawnCt1]

Maybe he was sick or something.... did he stay on the plane in another seat or was he removed?

He didn't fly. DH felt he could have been sick but they searched the entire cargo area of he plane before they allowed it to take off, so I am thinking he was removed.

 

[kasar]

Wow, how scary. I guess that's one of those times that you don't mind being delayed - I know that I would want every single thing checked.

Glad everything was okay.

 

[ducklite]

Did anyone happen to think that perhaps this man was nervous because someone would think that he was a terrorist? Or that he was afraid to fly?

My boss at my former job was the most God-fearing man you've ever met. He was a gentleman, and was horrified by what happened on September 11, possibly more than you or I, because people from his race and religion were behind it. He was ashamed that anyone would use a religion which in reality promotes peace and dignity to murder so many innocent people.

Unfortunately, he is almost always singled out for extra screening, on the basis of his skin color and heritage--not his name which was "Americanized" when he immigrated here 20+ years ago. (He's been a US citizen for over 15 years.) It's terrifying to his young daughters, who don't understand why their Daddy gets yarded off each time they fly to WDW. I can certainly see why someone in the same shoes he is in would be nervous and sweating.

Anne

 

[CarolA]

I was thinking that he could just have been paniced. I have seen folks just break out in cold sweats on planes and have to get off..

If he gets off FOR any reason they may have had to go dig for his luggage. Did they actually xray all the luggage again or just haul it around!

 

[DawnCt1]

I was thinking that he could just have been paniced. I have seen folks just break out in cold sweats on planes and have to get off..

If he gets off FOR any reason they may have had to go dig for his luggage. Did they actually xray all the luggage again or just haul it around!

Carol, they removed all of the luggage on the plane and actually re xrayed it.

To Ducklite; He could have been sick. He could have been afraid of flying, he could have been nervous about his appearance or any combination of all of those. I am glad that the airline assumed the worst and rescreened all of the luggage. I would prefer they waste time than waste life.

 

[ladycollector]

To Ducklite; He could have been sick. He could have been afraid of flying, he could have been nervous about his appearance or any combination of all of those. I am glad that the airline assumed the worst and rescreened all of the luggage. I would prefer they waste time than waste life.

Right. It could have been any number of things. But we learned our lesson the hard way in 2001. You don't take that chance.

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

Oh my gosh how scarey! I agree about them rescreening the luggage.

 

[dis4me]

I am glad to see the airline didn't take a chance and assume it was sick.Better safe than sorry. I feel bad for the innocent people who are racially profiled.
Ducklite: My dh is AMERICAN blonde hair blue eyes and we fly a few times a year. EVERY single time we have flown had has been singled out asked to recheck his luggage carryon and checked and must be wanded even though nothing sets off the scanner. That is the way of the world now. Better safe than sorry. We just know to get to the airport earlier because one time we almost missed our flight because of the extensive search.

 

[karebear1]

Does your DH know if he was escorted off the flight?

I have to tell you that I watched the National Geographic 4 hour special about 9/11 yesterday. They interviewed a guy that worked for one of the airlines that was hijacked. He checked in one of the terrorists ( Mohammad Atta)from 9/11 and said that when he talked to him he had a overriding impression of hate and anger from him. He said to himself that if ever there was a picture of a terrorist, this guy would be it. He had a gut feeling, but "slapped himself" (His words) for thinking such a thing and allowed Atta to go through. Had he gone with his gut reaction- his first impression, some lives would've been saved. If these flight attendents and others in the airport (obviously he was being watched if the flight attendent said he was acting strangely in the airport) felt concern, they had an obligation to hold the flight and take him off. Period. Honestly, I'm surprised they didn't do something before he got on the flight. They probably thought about it, but then "slapped themselves" for thinking such a thing. Fortunately, they got past that "politically correct" feeling and saw what their eyes showed them. I'm all for giving everyone the benefit of the doubt, but when there are obvious outward signs being exhibited...... well, let's just say I agree with the better safe then sorry scenario.

 

[DawnCt1]

Does your DH know if he was escorted off the flight?

.

He didn't see what happened after he left to go to the lavatory so that's an "unknown". He was asked twice by the flight attendants about any carryons however and the first attendant said that he was behaving strangely in the terminal.

 

[karebear1]

Did you guys see Oprah this afternoon? That man I was talking about that did the initial check in of Muhammad Atta onto the airline was on. He was recounting what happened again- and years later STILL regrets ignoring his intuition about Atta. One thing he said that wasn't mentioned in the National Geographic was that he actually withheld one of his boarding passes- making it necessary for him to have to check in a second timeto continue onto his final destitnation. They also mentioned that the girl that actually checked him onto the plane committed suicide because she couldn't live with the fact that she let him on the plane. This is so sad.

Dawn- they (the airline) must've been pretty quick, quiet and sly about the way they got that guy off the plane! Noone even saw him leave? WOW!