Passengers on Stranded Aircraft Revolt

Been sitting on this item all week. Sorry for the delay! Here's the scoop: Late last month, passengers on Continental flight 1669 found themselves diverted from Newark to Baltimore, having flown all the way from Caracas, Venezuela. (Lovely town, try the veal!) Sitting on the tarmac for five additional hours (after a lengthy flight), they finally said they'd had enough, so they got off.

How'd they do it? By clapping and drumming on the overhead bins in unison, a kind of annoying yet organized protest against their mistreatment at the hands of an airline that really didn't care about the overflowing toilets and empty cupboards, or the diabetic and pregnant passengers who needed attention. Pilots called the cops when they got worried the hand clapping would lead to "mayhem." Because, you know, clapping is a gateway to terrorism.

The upside is that they finally got off the plane. Never mind the threats from the flight attendants that they would all be arrested for "destroying airline property." 70 passengers ultimately signed a petition (demanding what, I don't know) outlining the horrid conditions of the plane. Continental replied that the toilets did work and that "chips and pretzels and water" should have held everyone over. Other complaints fall into the he-said/she-said realm. Passengers said they had to beg for wheelchairs. Continental says they were provided "for everyone who needed one."

Ultimately, the scariest part of the scene is the description of the debarkation, with passengers forced against a wall in the terminal by cops with dogs. Amazingly, the horror story gets worse and worse... read the whole thing for the sad finale.

What can I say? Every week there's yet another story of passengers stuck on airplanes, unable to leave or unable to get off a plane when they arrive in a diverted city. The airlines point fingers. Consumers complain. Promises are made that things will get better, but the stories, like clockwork, keep happening. The public eventually forgets about it. They said 2007 was going to be a terrible year for air travelers, and they were right. I've heard, firsthand, from numerous people affected by epic delays and errors. Whatever happened to progress? I guess that's a forbidden word in the world of air travel.

Now who's ready for a bullet train? 

LINK: Right There on the Tarmac, the Inmates Revolt