What funny/sad/scary or odd thing have you witnessed in an airport?

[katiemack Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close katiemack]

Years ago, PRE 911 era, at JFK, when we were heading out to Aruba, we saw a woman running, yelling heading toward a gate agent. She had missed her plane, and was accusing them of making her miss her call....it became clear that she was out of control...the agent tried to reason with her, assuring her that she could be placed on another flight, but she wanted THAT ONE, so she kept escalating and getting near violent in her body language .....eventually security arrived and she was dragged away. I still hear her screaming when I picture the scene she made. I really felt for that agent...of course, I wondered what was so important about that flight that the woman just had to be on it....why couldn't she accept the next flight and be grateful!

[Beaglemom3 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Beaglemom3]

Odd: I was pulled out x3 leaving Heathrow and patted down & wanded x3. This was the day that something happened at JFK airport May 2007. As I was being patted down, a man of Indian/Bangladeshi extraction who was also taken out at least twice from what I saw said to me, "it happens to me all the time. I work for IBM USA and somehow I've made some sort of a list". We both laughed at our newly found celebrity.

Poignant: An elderly man in a wheelchair, while in the waiting area at Boston/Logan ,apparently had an "accident" that his Depends could not contain. The gate staff was kind, considerate and protective of him and whisked him off (with his elderly and seemingly bewildered wife) to clean and change him.

Oddly funny: People watching at Heathrow. Best show in town.
Also, Kuwait & Brunai airlines have an economy section. That struck me as funny.
(probably are served the cheaper caviar and Dom ).

[Glitter Brunello Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Glitter Brunello]

Years ago (long ago and far away in another lifetime) I was in a small plane heading home from Martha's Vineyard. The pilot thought it would be fun to give us a close up tour of NYC, turns out in violation of airspace regs, even then. So when the plane landed, we were greeted by a throng of officials in uniforms, with weapons. I wasn't scared in the plane (I had no idea anything illegal was happening and we weren't close enough for me to feel in danger), but I was sure frightened when we got on the ground.

Last month, I was traveling with a knee brace, causing me to get "extra special treatment" at the security checks. My hands tested positive for something (gunpowder?) at least 6 times at LGA before they finally decided there was something wrong with the machine and let me go.

[Luanne Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Luanne]

I'm not sure exactly what category this would fall into, and I'd forgotten it until now, but:

Two summers ago on our flight from SFO to Kona we were in the waiting area. There was a woman with 3 kids I think. She left the waiting area with 2 of her kids, the 3rd was sitting/sleeping with their stuff nearby. When she got back the 3rd child (a son about 10 or 12 maybe) was gone. She lost it. She was running around, screaming, saying how she'd asked someone to "watch" her kid while she went with the other kids to get something to eat. She kept wanting to get on the airplane to look for him. The gate agents kept telling her that no one had boarded the plane yet. She wouldn't listen and continued to rant and rave. Meanwhile my dh is muttering things like "they need to call Security and get her out of here". Anyway, the son finally turned up, I think he'd been in the bathroom. The plane gets boarded and by this time she's all smiles. When we get to Kona and deplane we find her, with the 3 kid, in the baggage claim area where she's allowing the kids to play on the baggage carousels.

[dmbrand Member Find all posts View Profile Close dmbrand]

During my sophomore year in college, I went with my roomie to Venice Beach, CA to visit her sister. This was my first flying experience. As we were waiting at LAX in the baggage area, I watched in shock as 3 or 4 uniformed policeman ran from seemingly out of nowhere to jump on a tall, lanky young man, tackling him down to the floor. Then my roomie's sister exclaimed, "Welcome to L.A.!" This image has stuck with me for over 25 years.

[MargeS Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close MargeS]

The day before we were leaving FIji (in mid 80's) there was a coup. We had to get a police escort to the airport, as travel was not allowed. When we got to the airport, creepy guys with machine type guns, opened random luggage (mine was one) and threw struff around while searching (for what??!!). My normal inclination was to protest, but my "smarter at the moment friend" stomped on my foot and gave me the look. It was a great place to visit...

[Keitht Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Keitht]

Funny We flew into Cyprus on the same flight as the pop group Boney M (yes it was a long time ago ). A number of officials gathered around them in Arrivals and the group clearly thought they were being given VIP treatment. They were certainly being given special treatment - as we left we saw all their luggage being opened and searched.

Funny/Potentially Scary Waiting to board at Orlando airport we watched a number of people take a wrong turn when disembarking from a plane. They ended up walking down steps and onto the airside area beside the aircraft. In a classic 'Follow the leader' moment they all assumed that the person at the front knew where they were going. It took a couple of minutes for the security staff to realise what was going on, but they can't half shift when they need to.

[dougp26364 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dougp26364]

Several years ago we were flying on NWA out of Kansas City for Lake Tahoe. A very large man was escalating his threats to suit the airline. What was his claim? He was to large to fit in a standard seat and was demanding that they HAD to upgrade him to first class, despite the fact that first class was sold out.

Again on a NWA flight leaving Wichita for a connection in Memphis. We had a bad snow storm that had flights backed up. There were actually two planes outside this gate when there really was only suppose to be one. They finally started bording the first flight (I was on the second flight) and had everyone onboard except for one woman. They called her name three times and then finally announced final boarding. The entire time I'm watching a woman just chatting it up on her cell phone, oblivious to everything going on around her. They finally closed the doors and that's when the woman hung up the phone and approached the podium. She went balistic when they told her the flight was closed and she'd have to take the next flight (remember that plane is also sitting just outside the gate). She accused them of not announcing the filght was boarding, not calling her name and not announcing final boarding. Normally, I stay out of these things but, I sensed that she wasn't going to stop and it was going to further delay my flight if she didn't sit down and shut up. So I walked up to the podium, asked if she was mrs so-and-so to which she applied yes. At that point I told her they had called her name THREE times, they had called final boarding and that I wouldn't have known her name except for the fact I was watching her chat it up on her cell phone and wondered if SHE was the one they kept paging. Stunned she sat down and shut up. She boarded our flight, which couldn't have arrived in Memphis more than 30 minutes behind the first flight. When she got off the plane she was back on the cell phone, complaining the NWA made her miss her connection and how she was going to get an attorney.........

On our W. Med cruise, everyone was delayed getting off the ship and all flights were missed. The cruise line arranged for a charter flight to get everyone to JFK and they were to arrange connections home for everyone from there. When we approaching JFK, I noticed on the little flight map on the back of the seat in front of me that we appeared to be flying north towards Canada instead of NY. Eventually we turned south and landed at JFK. They announced to the passengers that everyone needed to have their passports out to exit the plane. Seems someone forgot to get clearance for this flight and JFK had no idea the flight was coming in. There were several armed imigration agents just outside the door's checking passports before we were allowed to proceed.

I work as a cardiac nurse and often handle nitroglycern pills. AT one point I was working as a travel nurse and my assignment was in CA. I was leaving through SFO heading home when the bomb sniffing machines alarmed on my computer case. After a quick question and answer session the TSA agent told me it was probably residue from the nitro tablets the machine was picking up and they waved me on threw. It had never happened before and has never happened since.

Many, many years ago I was flying with my mom (I was maybe 13 at the time) to visit friends in Tampa, FL. Right when they started to board the flight, my mother decided she had to use the restroom. I implored her to leave our tickets with me (back in the days of paper tickets) while she went but no, she had to take them with her. When she came back out, she could only find one ticket. Needless to say things got a little frantic before she noticed that both tickets were stuck together. I'm still not sure I've forgiven her for giving me my first heart attack at such an early age.

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

My son and I were flying to Sarasota and had to change planes in Atlanta. A very large family, 2 adults and 6 or 7 kids ranging from young teen to infant, walked by our gate area all wearing the same "Where's Waldo" red striped polo shirt.

I guess if you have that many it's easier to keep track that way.

We found that very funny.

[Beaglemom3 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Beaglemom3]

BEST !

I was onboard a Virgin Atlantic overnight flight from Boston - London when I noticed that the "flight attendant" pushing the beverage cart looked familiar.

It was Richard Branson who apparently does/did this from time to time.

He gave me a Schwepps and a Cadbury chocolate bar during the flight. I thanked him.

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

I flew home from Denver with Pink Floyd once and Marylou Retton was on another of my UA trips.

[vintner Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close vintner]

I flew home from Denver with Pink Floyd once and Marylou Retton was on another of my UA trips.

Was anyone talking or were they staying far away from each other?

[happymum Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close happymum]

I passed Colonel Saunders and entourage in an airport many years ago.

[shaggy Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close shaggy]

After 911 security was tight and I was flying by myself to St Martin. It was so tight that it was holding up the planes as we were all still in line. This lady rushed in frantic screaming the plane is going to leave me, let me through. I asked her to calm down that there was a big mess and I guess all the planes are going to leave with no passengers. She said oh yeah, what time do you leave, looked at my ticket and said hmmm, a half hour ago, she still had over an hour before hers left!!!She finally calmed down , apologized, and explained she was new at this so I showed her what to do and no, my plane didn't leave me, they knew of the mess.

Coming back from Nashville, all of a sudden Kelli came running up the aisle, get the camera!! It was Billy Currington waiting at the carousel and he graciously took a pic with Kelli. Made her night.

In the Charlotte airport we ran into the Road Warriors. She got their autograph but their manager Paul Ellering wouldn't and basically told her to scram.

shaggy

[vintner Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close vintner]

Sorry, I have not had an exciting airport experience.

We had to do an 'O.J.' run through the airport last time on our way to Myrtle Beach. We got to the gate counter and the agent asked 'are you Kim and Don?'. When we answered that we were, he rushed us on the plane.

I need to get out more often.