We’re right on the cusp of one of the biggest travel periods in America, and, of course, a lot of that travel will be on airplanes. The fact that we humans have made air travel work – not just from a technical standpoint, but a behavioral and cultural one – is really pretty astonishing. We’re cramming hundreds of people into aluminum tubes and then trapping them a mile above the ground for hours at a time, in uncomfortable seats and restricted motion. It’s a wonder it works as well as it does, and every flight doesn’t devolve into a shitshow. The truth is the vast majority of flights go just fine, despite everything. That’s probably why seeing an example of a flight turning into not just a shitshow, but a full-fledged shitstravaganza is so incredible, like what seems to have happened on this recent Frontier Airlines flight. It’s a whole variety show of chaos, with screaming and ranting and struggling and security and clambering over seats and singing and proselytizing – it’s got everything, all at once.
I think you just have to see this. I’m not sure how else to describe it:
Wow. Right? There’s so much going on, so many involved players, so much chaos. A lot of media outlets have been covering this, because, really, how can they not, us included? I especially like the headline used in the Daily Mail, with their strange habit of putting certain words in all caps:
SEATS and HYMN? Those were the words they decided to emphasize? So if you’re very quickly scanning headlines, you’re gonna think, what, the Vatican has issued some new papal decree that everyone must stay seated when signing hymns?
It’s not entirely clear how it all started; it seems to be that the woman who flight attendants and later security guards are trying to restrain, the one who later resorted to climbing over the tops of the, um, SEATS, was the source, screaming wordlessly and disturbingly. Surprisingly and impressively, another passenger seems to have calmed her down a bit, but chaos was not to be deterred, with a man in a white ballcap keeping the flames of disorder burning, then the initial woman was screaming about being kidnapped, then we get the evangelical woman seizing the opportunity to blame a demon and attempt to convert some new followers for Christ, all while another person screamed “Straight Texas style! I’m gonna beat your ass!” which, of course, helped. Then came the hymns.
I can’t know the mental state of the woman causing the initial commotion; it’s certainly possible there’s some larger issue going on here, in which case I hope she’s getting the help she needs.
The flight was to be a Houston to Denver flight, but had to land in Dallas because, well, you know why. Upon landing, the seat climber, the preacher, and white cap were all taken off the plane.
Want to see what a flight path looks like when you realize the whole plane is erupting into madness? It looks like this, like a U-turn in the sky:
The whole thing kind of reminded me of this scene from Airplane II, just minus the helpful signage:
Anyway, I hope you have a great time traveling this holiday!
“You’re in TEXAS now!!!”
And like me, you’re still stuck there and can’t leave. 🙁
Americans being American. Nothing to see here.
That route change is pretty much the Captain going “If you kids don’t settle down I’m going to pull over right here and give your ass a whoopin’ you’ll never forget!!… Ok?! I TOLD YOU! I’m doing it!! I’m pulling over RIGHT NOW!..!
Point of clarification, but if they’re only 1 mile in the air that’s not very high.
Yeah nothing to hear or look at. Bad work
I’m just here for the comments.
*makes popcorn*