Scorpion stings man on American Airlines flight
 

Scorpion on a plane to Pearson
Flight delayed by venomous stowaway

Toronto Star
January 08, 2007

Curtis Rush
Nick Kyonka
Staff Reporters

A scorpion that stung a man after getting loose aboard a Toronto-bound plane caused an hour-long delay yesterday at Pearson airport as transportation officials combed the aircraft for other possibly dangerous critters.

The arachnid apparently got through security in Costa Rica in the man's carry-on knapsack, according to airline officials.

The man was preparing to return to Canada from a Costa Rican camping trip with his brother when the scorpion crawled into his bag undetected, airline officials said.

The American Airlines flight had a stopover in Miami and no one saw a sign of the scorpion – until the plane took off for Toronto.

Suddenly, the scorpion managed to crawl out of the knapsack and stung the passenger on the back of the knee, according to airline officials and passengers.

"A young man on board said he was bitten by a scorpion," said American Airlines spokesman John Hotard, adding, "he even caught the scorpion because he felt it crawling up his pants leg."

When the plane touched down in Toronto, the man was taken off the plane and tested and treated by paramedics before being taken away on a stretcher.

The man, a bearded man with long hair and believed to be in his late 20s or early 30s, was being treated as passengers were getting ready to board American Airlines Flight 1011 to Miami.

Since the incident was an accident, airport police said the man would not be charged.

The return flight to Miami, due to start boarding at 11:30 a.m., didn't start boarding until 12:30 p.m. after passengers were assured that no other scorpions were found on the plane.

"As a precaution, we did go in and search the aircraft just to see if we could find anything else," noted Hotard, who said the incident was not completely unheard of.

"We've had cases where passengers have brought critters on board in their backpack and they get out and crawl around but it's rare."

Although the scorpion was killed during its capture, animal control officials that attended the scene identified it as a non-lethal type of scorpion and said the man should recover from the sting.

Passengers waiting in the departure lounge at Terminal 2, meanwhile, were kept apprised of the situation by airline officials.

"I had never heard anything like that in my life before," said passenger Jocie Espinoza, 24. "I was held up at security and the passengers were all talking about how a scorpion could get through security. How is that possible?"

"This is crazy," Espinoza said.

The moment wasn't without some humour.

When the passengers finally boarded the plane about an hour later, the captain came on and announced to passengers: "Welcome to Scorpion Flight 1011."

http://www.thestar.com/News/article/168830

Quote--
"I had never heard anything like that in my life before," said passenger Jocie Espinoza, 24. "I was held up at security and the passengers were all talking about how a scorpion could get through security. How is that possible?"
Unquote
What? They didn't check it's passport? Shock,horror!

breath in.breath out .relax.
god (or who ever) give me strength.

Scorpions on a Plane? Guess snakes didn't do it.

You'll have to explain what you mean,we're not mind readers!

Charged with what? Being in possession of a beard and long hair, or not fumigating his bag before boarding?

Perhaps it was a pet:)

Charged with one "animal" fare - no luggage entitlement or seat, must sit on your lap for takeoff and landing.

The little critter was probably looking for somewhere dark and damp to continue his hibernation. On reflection, the pax was extremely lucky that he chose to do his biting when he reached the knee. :E

oshkosh george.
i find some of the qoutes from pax so silly that i cant believe that these people are let out on there own!.

Part Deux
 

Wonder if one of the Scorpion's relatives took United instead of AA...

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/01/10/sco....ap/index.html

Strange as to how these things come in threes. Wonder where the next one will be.

Newarksmells

He should be charged as the venom wasn't declared at security in a clear plastic bag. Does anyone know if the scorpoin was smaller or larger than 100ml?

And people were whinging because in an earlier thread a few of us liked to take properly packaged lobsters as hand luggage!!!

The Bush administration would probably consider this incident another attempt to breach the security of its homeland from the "axis of evil". I expect to see costa rica carpet bombed to root out any other potential threats. :rolleyes:
6

arachnids?
 

You sure scorpions are arachnids?

Do they spin webs?:confused:

What a weird story.

"The man was preparing to return to Canada from a Costa Rican camping trip with his brother when the scorpion crawled into his bag undetected, airline officials said.

The American Airlines flight had a stopover in Miami and no one saw a sign of the scorpion – until the plane took off for Toronto.

Suddenly, the scorpion managed to crawl out of the knapsack and stung the passenger on the back of the knee, according to airline officials and passengers.

"A young man on board said he was bitten by a scorpion," said American Airlines spokesman John Hotard, adding, "he even caught the scorpion because he felt it crawling up his pants leg.""

If it crawled into his bag undetected, how do they know? And if someone saw it crawling out of the knapsack, why didn't they say something at the time? I know in these days of individualism and I'm All Right Jack we're none of us beholden to others, but basic human decency should dictate that someone speak up with "Excuse me, did you know there's a scorpion - an invertebrate animal with eight legs, belonging to the order Scorpiones in the class Arachnida - about to crawl up your trouser leg?".

"Although the scorpion was killed during its capture, animal control officials that attended the scene identified it as a non-lethal type of scorpion and said the man should recover from the sting."

Isn't that usually the way with non-lethal stings?

I'm dismayed that the man's not going to be charged. As Guantanamo Bay commander Read Admiral Harry Harris said when some inmates committed suicide, ""They are smart. They are creative, they are committed. They have no regard for life, either ours or their own. I believe this was not an act of desperation, but an act of asymmetrical warfare waged against us." I have no doubt that this man deliberately got himself stung as an act of terror, and he should immediately forfeit all human rights. He's Canadian, for a start, so he probably wants to overthrow the US by selling its old people affordable medication.

R

Yes, it's a myth that all arachnids are spiders, in fact spiders are in a minority when compared to other arachnids.

LMAOROTFL !!:D :D :D