Woman jailed for attack on cabin crew

[Unwell_Raptor]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/newsid_1318000/1318951.stm

[markbingo]

Excellent news.

Silly / selfish people like that deserve all they get.

[Strangely Brown]

Why not just take away passports from these mindless blockheads. That should go for football hooligans or anyone else who cause embarrassment abroad. On second thoughts we'll probably send her on a Kenyan safari to rehabilitate with a load of other yobs.

[kennedy]

9 months (out in 4 or 5) for grevious bodily harm, endangering an aeroplane, intoxicated on an aeroplane, smoking in the toilet, etc.

Why don't the courts have any balls nowdays and give a proper sentance (5-10 yrs sounds about right.)

[Joaquín]

In view of this and other incidents I wander if it is not yet the time to tackle this problem from all possible corners. Instead, it seems that it is the crew's responsability.

I can remember not long ago in "Airline" a very nice guy letting embark 3 youngsters who were obviously drunk after caution them to behave.

I think the problem is serious enough for EVERYBODY to work to tackle it. Prevention is always better.

Now, the law exists where drunk people are not allowed to embark. PERIOD. I'm sorry for those who behave when drunk, but safety is at stake, so that's it.

I would propose:

- Make it clear in written in the flight tickett, and perhaps some verbal advise in the Travel Agency.
- More notices in all check in desks.
- Suspected people will have to be tested before embarking.
- Maybe, as duty-free goods, a maximum allowance of alcohol in terminal's pubs & bars as well as inside the a/c.
- More training for cabin AND fly deck crew.

I'm sure you can think on more measures (and comment on these as well).


All fly safely.

[This message has been edited by Joaqu'n (edited 08 May 2001).]

[This message has been edited by Joaqu'n (edited 08 May 2001).]

[Hoverman]

kennedy
I don't think she was sentenced for 'grievous bodily harm' - normal sentence about 3 years (more or less depending on the injury)
According to the report, Zoe Campbell, 27, was sentenced at Manchester Crown Court after admitting "endangering the safety of an aircraft, interfering with the performance of the cabin crew and affray."

Personally, and purely as an aside, I'd let people smoke on long flights, partly (but not only) because a lot of these incidents seem to stem from the 'no smoking' ban, but that's a totally different issue. (BTW, I've never smoked.)

[This message has been edited by Hoverman (edited 08 May 2001).]

[Biscuit Chucker]

Wonder if they'd change their sentiments on the sentence if the person manages to actually kill everyone onboard next time. Smoking on board is no trivial matter (everyone knows how quickly a fire on board an aircraft can kill).People like this are pathetic, whether under the influence of alcohol or not..

[Joaquín]

Biscuit

Do you have any figures about on-board fires caused by smoking in the cabin, or know where to find such figures?

[LatviaCalling]

I believe that any attack on anybody on a plane, a bus, a metro, or a tram, goes under the name of a "mass" attacker because of the confined space within that tube and the people within that tube.

Therefore, I do not believe that because you are a heavy smoker is a legitimate excuse. I, for one, smoke, but regularly flying the Copenhagen-Newark route, it does not wind me up to be an axe murderer.

Yes, I can't wait to get out of the baggage control area to have a cigarette, but I think that these people who are bashing heads in a plane have something more mentally wrong with them.

Maybe smokers, plus alcohol, lots of alcohol, can't handle it. I don't know. I know only that for the next eight hours I can't smoke one the plane and have two Scotches and fall asleep for the rest of the trip.

Let's examine air rage for a moment. Thirty years ago people dressed up in a suit and tie to fly on a commercial airliner. It was something! Even today, TWA's interline rule still stands that if you are a spouse or children of a pilot you should "dress accrodingly," and that means a suit and a tie for men and dresses for a woman.

With all the discounts and everything imaginable that airlines are offering today, have we reached that class of passengers that have not previously afforded to fly, and if so, are so afraid to fly today that they have to back them up with lots of alcohol and smokes?

I don't know about you, but I vote for a smoking corner in the aircraft. I don't know what the problem is with these people, but let them have their one cigaratte instead of bashing a nose of a flight attendant.

I may be completely wrong, but reading this site and other news sites, it seems to me that the problem of air rage is not going to go away in the near future. It is just going to get worse, and I don't think it because of the smokers.

With today's holiday crowd packed aboard, it's a bus you're driving -- not an airplane -- except you can't stop at the next bus stop to throw off the offending passenger.

[pakeha-boy]

Question?...would a national/international data base,shared by all airlines,holding all names of offenders on aircraft do any good.The idea being that any time these people show up at a ticket counter to check in...boarding is denied based upon previous behaviour.........kapai

[Airbubba]

>>Question?...would a national/international data base,shared by all airlines,holding all names of offenders on aircraft do any good.<<

Well, we do the same thing with driving offenses, the so called "civil libertarians" would complain but it just might work...

[pakeha-boy]

I believe it would work,...the ability to "trace" these a!!holes is already in place...if the airlines were really concerned about this,they would do something about it...sheet!..how much money is made in selling alcohol?...surely plenty

[newswatcher]

Woman's occupation described as "door person". What kind of a job is that? Is that a polite way of saying bouncer?

[Sid and Coke]

I wonder what the 'Air Rage' incident statistics are for the Dry Airlines, Saudia, etc.Mind you I have to say it is no fun traveling for 7-8 hrs in a Flying chimney, choking to death because the Air Con is set to economy. Maybe they should employ Night Club 'Bouncers' at the departure gate's "sorry Sir/Madam no jeans or trainers and I think you have had too much to drink" I think somtimes it is easier to get on a holiday flight to Benidorm than get into a club after midnight whilst under the influence. Just a thought.
One more thing Have you ever seen the insides of an air con duct or filter housing on a 'smoking' A/C horrible,smelly,layer of nicotine laden tar coating the surfaces, not pretty.

[This message has been edited by Sid and Coke (edited 09 May 2001).]

[sky unlimited]

I think the best way to deal with those crazy and hazardous people is to give them a) time in jail for at least 1 year, b) mental help, c) a life-time flying-ban.

[markbingo]

In my opinion, allowing people to smoke on a plane is about as stupid an idea as allowing this woman to get back on one.

I am a non smoker, and the thought of sitting in a tin tube at 35000ft breathing in somebody elses habit is a nightmare.

I have friends who do the sensible thing when they fly on a long haul flight. They pop into Boots the Chemist and buy some nicorete patches. They tell me it gets them through the flight with no craving at all.

Maybe these patches should be sold at the gate !

[Airbubba]

>>Woman's occupation described as "door person". What kind of a job is that? Is that a polite way of saying bouncer?<<

Yep, that's it and perhaps predictably, she alleged that it was a case of racial profiling. From the article below: "She had claimed the crew were picking on her because she was black."


_____________________________________________


Woman bouncer jailed for headbutting airline crew

Helen Carter
Wednesday May 9, 2001
The Guardian

An air passenger who was challenged about smoking in the lavatory on a transatlantic flight has been jailed for nine months after she lashed out at cabin crew.
Zoe Campbell, 27, a bouncer, made her fingers into the shape of a gun and threatened one crew member, Vanessa Martinez. She then scratched a second, Lisa Johnson, and headbutted a third, Mark Whittaker, and Ms Martinez on the Airtours International flight from Florida to Manchester.

The captain considered turning back the A330 airbus, which carried 350 passengers.

Yesterday Campbell, from Withington, Manchester, who had been travelling with her son aged 10, was sentenced at Minshull Street crown court. She had pleaded guilty to charges of endangering the safety of an aircraft, affray and interfering with the performance of cabin crew in an incident last May.

John Wishart, prosecuting, said Campbell became abusive soon after take-off. "Her language was appalling. She was warned as to her conduct and things generally settled down until three hours into the flight." She then became abusive after the smoking rebuke. She had claimed the crew were picking on her because she was black.

Judge Adrian Lyon told Campbell he regarded her as being of good character. "It's difficult to understand how such a person behaved as you did on this flight," he said, but only a custodial sentence could be passed for such behaviour.

[Ironguts]

Let me first say this: I AM A SMOKER!
and secondly, yes I find it hard after having a nice meal ( with wine , then a coffee and cognac ) to not reach into my pocket and pull out a "coffin nail" and light up. Such is the technology of today that ANY airline if it so wished could provide a "Smokers lounge" onboard any aircraft flying longhaul international routes. In fact they may have to on the lucrative runs out of Japan, Korea etc. - these routes where the last bastion of smoking flights until very recently.

[BenThere]

It would be easy reconfigure a lav on a wide-body as a smoking area without forcing non-smokers to ingest the second-hand smoke. Seating could be assigned as "smoking access" around the lav so the whiff of smoke as the door is opened and closed would not be offensive to those in the vicinity. About 25% of adults still smoke, ergo 25% of our customers are smokers. Why do we subject them to the stress that results in air rage incidents on long-haul flights? I don't defend the perpetrators in any way - throw the book at 'em. But I support the right to smoke, and would like to see access on flights of some duration, say 4 hours or more. To deny it based on the danger of a lit object isn't credible since it was allowed for decades and nobody knows of an accident caused by a smoker-triggered fire.

[WAIF-er]

Okay then, just a few questions for this smoking-configured aeroplane.

As most lavs are near or next to galleys, is it hygienic to let smokers into the lavs?

If 25% of adults smoke, then on an average Airtours aircraft:
A320: 45 smokers
B757: 55 smokers
A330: 90 smokers

I can just picture it now. Everyone has their meals, cabin crew collect in the trays, then 90 passengers all race to the smoking toilet, pushing cabin crew aside, complaining that someone has been in there for 10 minutes, forming long queues into the cabin, disturbing other passengers, coming out of the lav STINKING of smoke.

Like most "nice ideas", I beleive that in reality, this would never work. It would create more problems than it solves.

Allowing smoking on aircraft is a step backwards and it gives out the wrong message to passengers - that the airlines have given in to the air rage thugs.

[ShotOne]

While I have a certain sympathy for smokers, the air on charter flights used to be almost unbreathable, with yellow nicotine running from the outflow valve... But I don't think this attack was really about smoking.

The woman is a very nasty piece of work and happily is now in jail where she belongs. It is a pity most papers described her as a "Mum" as opposed to "Vicious Thug" which would have been a fairer description.

[BenThere]

Maybe we charge for access to the smoking lounge. The rush to chain smoke in the smoking area would be tempered if the smoker had to pay a formidable fee, say $10.