Homesick man who flew as cargo recounts journey (big-time HMB alert)

CNN.com ^ | 10 September 2003 | AP

[Moose4]

DALLAS, Texas (AP) -- A homesick shipping clerk had himself shipped from New York to Dallas in an airline cargo crate, startling his parents -- and a deliveryman -- when he broke out of the box outside their home.

Charles D. McKinley, 25, was arrested and jailed on unrelated bad-check and traffic charges after his overnight odyssey. Federal officials are considering additional charges of stowing away on a plane.

[Moose4]

Hold muh freakin' beer.

}:-)4

[Moose4]

You KNOW I'm gonna ping you on this one...

}:-)4

[mhking]

Come see the idiot in his flying cubicle!

Just damn.

If you want on the new list, FReepmail me. This IS a high-volume PING list...

[martin_fierro]

Shipping Clerk, ship thyself.

[Damocles]

But the stowaway told the TV station that got out of the crate during flights once or twice and walked around.

Hello secutiry risk! YIKES...

[humblegunner]

This guy obviously is a rookie.
I can easily beat both his rate and transit time here.

[akorahil]

The freight cost -- billed to McKinley's employer -- was $550. At that rate, "he could have flown first-class,"

I have a hard time beleiving that $550 gets you first class from New York to Dallas. Call me a cynic if you must...

[Rebelbase]

Good thing it was a pressurized cargo hold. Had it not been, his parents would have had the shock of their lives opening Junior's package.

[joesnuffy]

His boss picked up the tab as freight...so he defrauded the company he works for?

[tx_eggman]

Lou Reed wrote a song about an idiot like this a long time ago ..

Inside the package, Waldo was so transfixed with excitement that he could barely breathe. His skin felt prickly from the heat and he could feel his heart beating in his throat. It would be soon. Sheila stood quite upright and walked around to the other side of the package. Then she sank down to her knees, grasped the cutter by both handles, took a deep breath and plunged the long blade through the middle of the package, through the middle of the masking tape, through the cardboard, through the cushioning and right through the center of Waldo Jeffers head ... which split slightly and caused little rhythmic arcs of red to pulsate gently in the morning sun.

Lou Reed The Gift (Velvet Underground, White /White Light 1967)

I love the last line :-)

[kinghorse]

thank you sir for exposing a huge loophole for some islamanazis to exploit. Add another billion to the burn pile and we'll get this fixed.

[tx_eggman]

For the complete lyrics:

http://www.alwaysontherun.net/velvet.htm#13

It's actually a story he wrote and then set to music.

[martin_fierro]

Then she sank down to her knees, grasped the cutter by both handles, took a deep breath and plunged the long blade through the middle of the package, through the middle of the masking tape, through the cardboard, through the cushioning and right through the center of Waldo Jeffers head ... which split slightly and caused little rhythmic arcs of red to pulsate gently in the morning sun.

Yeah, but can you dance to it? <|:/~

[humblegunner]

he defrauded the company he works for?

It sounds that way.. it's a pretty fair bet he is fired now.
Bus fare would have been quite cheap, but boring and slow.
So in the interest of saving money and rapid transit time,
he is now both unemployed and locked up.

Granted, he might have evaded the authorities, but when the bill for freight comes
in and there is no way to reconcile it against an order, likely he'd
have been fired, regardless.

[tx_eggman]

I imagine Waldo twitched a couple of times, does that count as dancing?

[Koblenz]

Jet Blue doesn't fly to Dallas, but American does. Of course, by shipping himself in that crate, he also was able to save taxi fare from DFW Airport to his parent's house. Still, he could have beaten $550 for a one way trip even with cab fare.

[Just another Joe]

How about this? All on Oct 1, 2003, all on AirTran Airways, all connecting in Atlanta.

$450.50

6:15 am Depart New York (LGA)
Arrive Dallas (DFW) 10:52 am Wed 1-Oct
Duration: 5hr 37mn AirTran Airways 369 / 443
Connect in Atlanta (ATL)


$450.50

11:10 am Depart New York (LGA)
Arrive Dallas (DFW) 4:10 pm Wed 1-Oct
Duration: 6hr 0mn AirTran Airways 361 / 107
Connect in Atlanta (ATL)



$459.50

11:24 am Depart Newark (EWR)
Arrive Dallas (DFW) 4:10 pm Wed 1-Oct
Duration: 5hr 46mn AirTran Airways 575 / 107
Connect in Atlanta (ATL)

No first class but -
Do you have first class?
Ours is a Business Class any business can afford. You'll get 7 inches more legroom than you would in coach, and a much wider seat too, since our Business Class seating is 2-across, like first class on other airlines. This means plenty of room to open your briefcase and spread out, or to work on your laptop without sharing the information on the screen with the person next to you. In addition to soft drinks and snacks, you receive two complimentary alcoholic beverages.

Business Class upgrades are available in advance for $35.00 over the full one-way coach fare for nonstop flights ($50 for Las Vegas and Los Angeles) and for $70.00 over the full one-way fare for connecting flights ($85 for Las Vegas and Los Angeles). They are not available for use with discounted fares.

Currently, as a special promotion, for the amounts listed above, you may upgrade from any fare class on a first come, first served basis, upon checking in for travel.

[tracer]

"Good thing it was a pressurized cargo hold. Had it not been, his parents would have had the shock of their lives opening Junior's package."

Talk about a "Kodak Moment".....

[ffusco]

Yeah, but can you dance to it? <|:/~

Sally Can't Dance!

[ffusco]

Can you get me a nonstop from NYC to Houston this friday and returning sunday for less than the cost of a used cessna?