Flight Delays Spark Riot in Argentina

Reuters on AOL News ^ | January 13, 2008 | Jorge Otaola

[rightwingintelligentsia]

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (Jan. 13) - Frustrated passengers smashed ticket counters and threw objects at airline staff at Argentina's main airport on Saturday after the country's flagship airline canceled international flights for a second day.

Television images showed damaged ticket counters and broken glass in the main hall of the Aerolineas Argentinas terminal, where passengers angry at delays caused by a baggage handlers strike and a walkout by ticket counter workers shouted down an Aerolineas Argentinas employee and threw objects at him.

The strike for higher wages had sparked delays at the airport in a Buenos Aires suburb since Friday. Several thousand passengers were stranded when Aerolineas Argentinas canceled its flights abroad, according to local media. Phone calls to the airline and airport company went unanswered on Saturday.

[InABunkerUnderSF]

We obviously need to send them some of the highly trained professionals from our Department of Homeland Security.

[Farmer Dean]

Note to self:Don’t fly to third world countries.

[Mr. Jeeves]

Note to self:Don’t fly to third world countries.

Argentina shouldn't be a Third World country...only a kleptocratic government not unlike what Hillary has in mind for the US is keeping it that way.

[blu]

OK, maybe I’m just slow, but the headline says, to me, that there was a group of people who were going to riot about sparks, and their flight was delayed. so I’m thinking: are they mad about spark plugs? Sparklers? Who are these people who can afford to FLY to a location just to put on a riot? Democrats? Was AlBore involved????

More of life’s persistent questions!

[lilylangtree]

Absolutely!

[BlazingArizona]

Frustrated passengers smashed ticket counters and threw objects at airline staff at Argentina's main airport on Saturday after the country's flagship airline canceled international flights for a second day.

I wish Americans would do this after particularly flagrant instances of airline outrage. Customer service would be vastly improved.

[Red in Blue PA]

The sheep in this country are always told “it will be fixed” when it never is. Sometimes actions like this are indeed called for.

Flame away!

[rusty millet]

One of the strangest experiences I had was in an unnamed African country. The bag checker/ticket issuer was to take the bags, put them onto a short feeder belt to the side, that moved the bags to the main conveyer belt behind her.

The 4’ long feeder belt stopped working, so this woman would not check anybody in until someone came to fix the belt. About 50 people waited in line behind me. I finally stepped behind the counter to load my suitcase directly onto the functioning main belt so I could get my ticket.

Sometimes flying to third world countries gives a greater appreciation for how blessed we are in the U.S.