Posted on 07/17/2011 11:17:06 PM PDT by nickcarraway
An airline passenger is accused of assaulting and intimidating flight attendants after he allegedly become furious when he was asked to put away his electronic cigarette.
The incident happened Monday on a Southwest Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Salt Lake City, according to a complaint filed this week in U.S. District Court in Utah. During the boarding process, Pogos Paul Sefilian brought out an electronic cigarette and began to smoke it on board, court papers say.
Electronic cigarettes look like the real thing, but they're actually battery-operated devices that turn nicotine into a vapor that is inhaled by the user, according to the FDA.
When a flight attendant told Sefilian that the electronic cigarette was not allowed on board, he argued with her but put the device away, according to the complaint. But not for long.
Sefilian took the e-cigarette out after takeoff and began to smoke it again, prompting the flight attendant to again ask him to put it away, court papers say.
"This enraged Sefilian and he began to loudly argue with the flight attendant," according to the complaint. "Later in the flight, he began to throw peanuts and pretzels at the flight attendant and towards the flight deck door."
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
I can understand banning smoking in a place where the air is recirculated, but how much could this possibly affect other people? More than an asthma inhaler? I doubt it’s fun being addicted to nicotine, but it is what it is, and some flights are pretty long.
Cigarette nazis can’t tell the difference.
Is water vapor a greenhouse gas now?
I use my ecigarette everywhere.
The only time I’ve been given grief was at an Applebee’s.
Hell, most of the waitresses even ask for ecig business cards.
I call ‘em, “Tobaccophobics.”
Peanuts and pretzels? Wow! That is a dramatic assault for sure.
Those devices are strange. Electronic cigarette people are fun to watch. Alison Dubois was the real model for the starring character in “Medium”.
Allison DuBois: #ElectronicCigarette (80 second clip from the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills dinner party from Hell)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFfapfNUbH4
Peanuts AND Prezels? He must have been on one of those super deluxe flights.
What a stupid video...the collective intelligence of my entire lane dropped 20 points when I played that. People one block over felt the stupid from that video.
Just start manufacturing the ecigarette in the form of a Muslim Crescent...then they’ll probably give the guy one of those pilot’s wings buttons they give to kids. Maybe even put ‘em in first class.
Did they let you continue smoking at Applebee’s after you explained?
Nope. I complied.
Another nice thing about the ecig: You can go a long time between puffs and not have the, “Need to light up another,” urge.
Many times I’ll run to the store for something, and forget my ecig. Not a problem.
So glad it has helped you.
If I had a cigarette in my hand (unlit) it'd get the same response.
I hope they hacked their Pavlovian butts hoarse.
I no longer smoke, but I don't generally object to others doing so.
The objections to the eCigs are just so much nonsense--what are they objecting to? I find it far less annoying than a gum cracker.
It’s not up to the airline, for what it’s worth: from http://articles.boston.com/2011-02-12/news/29341421_1_e-cigarettes-real-cigarette-smoking-regulations: The Department of Transportation says the use of smokeless electronic cigarettes on airplanes is prohibited and plans to issue an official ban this spring, according to a letter from Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood obtained by the Associated Press.
The stewardess should have explained that it wasn’t her being stupid, it was those Nazis, Lautenberg and LaHood.
Sounds like the guy was nuts (pun intended). If it wasn’t the fake cigarette it would’ve been something else.
And then she could explain why he shouldn’t be throwing peanuts, and why he shouldn’t stand up and open the overhead bin before the captain announces that it is safe to do so.
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