Ebola comment gets man hazmat escort from U.S. Airways plane

[webfact]

Ebola comment gets man hazmat escort from plane
By Ben Brumfield, CNN

(CNN) -- Ebola is no laughing matter, especially not at airports or on planes, where screenings have gotten tighter.

So, when a man on a flight on Wednesday may have joked that he had been to Africa and had the deadly disease, he received a special escort off the plane.

Four officials in blue plastic hazmat suits boarded U.S. Airways Flight 845 to retrieve him after it landed in Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic.

"I was just kidding," he could be heard saying in a video posted to social media. "I ain't from Africa!" he continued, as he walked with the officials down the aisle of the plane.

The Dominican officials had met the plane coming from Philadelphia on the tarmac "due to a possible health issue on board," U.S. Airways said in statement.

"We are following the direction of, and strictly adhering to, all Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines in place for airlines in response to the Ebola virus," the airline said.

Full story: http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/09/travel/dominican-ebola-plane-scare/index.html


-- CNN 2014-10-10

[TVGerry]

Bomb, Allah, Jihad and now Ebola.

OK got it!

[PiPiFFS]

Simply ban this man from every airline. Lets see how funny he finds that

[BKKBrit]

Oh..and never say <deleted> under your breath when you hear the ding of the Seat Belt sign and then switch on the cabin lights to check that seatbelts are secure - for the umpteenth time crossing the Pacific. I had a finger wagged at me for that by someone's grandmother of a trolley dolly.

[Chicog]

[Gulfsailor]

What I read, the guy didn't mention Ebola. He only sneezed, then joked he had just come from Africa. Super overreaction from the flight crew in my opinion. But hey we're talking an American airline here, so no big surprise.

[Jingthing]

The reaction to this man's unwise joke is a case of pure HYSTERIA.

He was obviously just joking.

Imagine what it's going to be like if this virus REALLY spreads.

[zydeco]

What I read, the guy didn't mention Ebola. He only sneezed, then joked he had just come from Africa. Super overreaction from the flight crew in my opinion. But hey we're talking an American airline here, so no big surprise.

Click through to the entire story. He said, "I have Ebola. You're all screwed."

[Tywais]

The reaction to this man's unwise joke is a case of pure HYSTERIA.

He was obviously just joking.

Imagine what it's going to be like if this virus REALLY spreads.

So if someone says I have a bomb, ok just joking, they are going to let that pass also?

Perhaps community service for him in Africa with an Ebola aid group for a while will make him think twice.

[Jingthing]

I understand. But check out the reactions of the staff and people on the plane. It is CLEAR they are not really afraid and they KNOW based on this person's attitude that he was just playing around. Unwise of him of course, you could call him a moron, but the reaction was really a waste when there are real things to worry about.

Also considering him a likely Ebola carrier wasn't even logical.

First of all, yes he's a black man but appearance and accent, definitely NOT from Africa. He's totally American.

Secondly, if he had come back from a trip in Africa to Philadelphia infected he would have sought treatment there.

He would not have flown to beach resort in the Dominican Republic!

Thirdly, he sneezed.

It is not passed by sneezes.

Edited October 10, 2014 by Jingthing

[zydeco]

Go to the 3:36 mark on the video. It looks to me like there is a gap open on the hazmat hood and the person wearing it is exposed. Not very reassuring, is it?

[Jingthing]

BTW, is the joker going to have to take a BOAT now back to Philly?

[Seastallion]

Go to the 3:36 mark on the video. It looks to me like there is a gap open on the hazmat hood and the person wearing it is exposed. Not very reassuring, is it?

I was waiting to see the bubble machine that the hostess said was coming on board.

[F430murci]

The reaction to this man's unwise joke is a case of pure HYSTERIA.

He was obviously just joking.

Imagine what it's going to be like if this virus REALLY spreads.

So if someone says I have a bomb, ok just joking, they are going to let that pass also?

Perhaps community service for him in Africa with an Ebola aid group for a while will make him think twice.

Yep, the same people would be critical if the flight crew did nothing to protect its passengers. Accused of inaction, now accused of over reaction. What it really boils down to is some just like to bellyache and will complain regardless what action was taken.

Even the flight attendant referred to this guy as an idiot. If he was near me and my family, I would want him removed from the plane just on the off chance he was telling the truth.

[F430murci]

What I read, the guy didn't mention Ebola. He only sneezed, then joked he had just come from Africa. Super overreaction from the flight crew in my opinion. But hey we're talking an American airline here, so no big surprise.

Here is what is being reported. Sounds like you are missing some facts and that the flight crew's reaction and comments to the passengers was very level headed and on point..

They landed at regularly scheduled stop and was it airline or airport personnel following current CDC protocol by coming in wearing hazmat suits?

----------

Dominican press reported that a passenger sneezed and said: I have Ebola. Youre all screwed. An airline official told Fox News Latino an unidentified passenger yelled: Ive been to Africa.

Another passenger overheard the comment and notified a flight attendant, who then alerted the captain, ABC News reported. The plane was stopped on the tarmac in Punta Cana due to a possible health issue on board, the airline said in a statement. Then a flight attendant told passengers to sit down and listen.

Its going to look worse than it is, she said over the PA system. Ive done this for 36 years. I think the man that has said this is an idiot, and Ill say that straight out. If you hear me thats fine.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/10/10/ebola-joke-rattles-passengers-on-us-airways-flight-to-dominican-republic/

Edited October 10, 2014 by F430murci

[manarak]

What an idiot.

But it gives me to think that it's strange that with all the NSA spying on passenger flight data they could not debunk within minutes his claim of a visit to Africa.

[MJP]

They had to send another hazmat team in afterwards to clean up all the Number Two's.

[a99az]

You know what is truly scary? The day some IS nutters visit west Africa expose them selves to Ebola then fly off to a dozen European and US Capital cities. It would be just too easy to spread this disease and the twisted sick minds of the fanatics out there must of already been thinking about it.

[Scott]

Inflammatory posts with aberrant spelling of a country's name has been deleted along with a post attempting to bypass the profanity filter.

[misterphil]

I got on a flight from Dallas to New Orleans last week, and the person in front of me was told to remove everything from his pockets as they do. His reply was "I'm not a terrorist" No one batted an eye lid, no one gave a shit about what he said. Come on America, what happened to all this high security you keep banging on about?

[Credo]

Did he remove the stuff from his pockets?

[Jingthing]

Of course he did or he didn't fly. What's the big deal? He said he was NOT a terrorist, not that he was one. Basically just a whiner.

[ClutchClark]

Great post. Thanks.

Flight attendant lacked professionalism with her comment. She is an authority figure and needs to maintain herself as such. Passengers who did not even attempt to move out of the sick guys path as he walked down the aisle would have become infected in the event this was legit. The guys in HazMat suits should have moved the sick passenger off the plane far more rapidly and he should have been wrapped in a plastic to prevent the risk of contact with passengers as he deboarded.

If there is a decision to respond then the response needs to be handled as a real threat. Period. This was a poorly executed response.

Edited October 11, 2014 by ClutchClark

[Strangebrew]

It is against the law to yell fire in a theater too. Idiot got what he deserves Hope you enjoy your bus ride home.

[Jingthing]

Nobody actually thought this was ever a real threat. That's why it's such a weird story. Basically it's an absurd example of security THEATER. I guess one silver lining might be that people reading this story if they already didn't know will get the message not to make jokes in airports and on planes.

[Chicog]

The guys in HazMat suits should have moved the sick passenger off the plane far more rapidly and he should have been wrapped in a plastic to prevent the risk of contact with passengers as he deboarded.

Like this you mean?

Edited October 11, 2014 by Chicog

[ClutchClark]

The guys in HazMat suits should have moved the sick passenger off the plane far more rapidly and he should have been wrapped in a plastic to prevent the risk of contact with passengers as he deboarded.

Like this you mean?

That would work; however, I had something more like this in mind:

[ozsamurai]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Nobody actually thought this was ever a real threat. That's why it's such a weird story. Basically it's an absurd example of security THEATER. I guess one silver lining might be that people reading this story if they already didn't know will get the message not to make jokes in airports and on planes.

So they just called the Hazmat team in for a drill then? In that case they failed miserably as has been pointed out. A legitimate case handled in this way is what is truly the scariest part of all of it. Let's say he had intended to purposefully carry ebola, you think going in unarmed,in the white fronts and a rubber suit and negotiating with this kind of person for 10mins would be effective? The size of this guy, had he been hostile....just sayin'

Oz

[Jingthing]

I think nobody involved thought it was real and they were just going through the motions because they felt they were obligated to. I guess we'll just have to see later if such incidents occur when people think it is for real.

[ozsamurai]

In other words the flight attendant believed the 'wing badge' on her uniform made her into a patriot Navy Seal? Happens a lot I hear.... very unprofessional conduct, operation et al. I think if I was on the plane and American I would have grounds to take them to court for mental anguish.

1) Confine the suspected case.

2) De-plane all non-related parties and quarantine (nobody flies)

3) Remove him from the plane and quarantine for more than 21 days

See if he still finds it funny when he is billed for the

- cost of the flight

- Sterilization of the plane

- All other passengers ticket cost and sundry

etc.. etc.. you get the idea.

It would only take it to be done once, it would never happen again.

Oz