[Weird file item #2.] www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-biz-drunk-passenger-bites-flight-attendant-505,0,6448081.story
Soap drinking, leg biting, handcuffs: Another wild flight on United Apparently woozy from a combination of pills, alcohol and lavatory hand soap, passenger allegedly tried to bite a flight attendant in the leg. By Julie Johnsson Chicago Tribune staff reporter 1:10 PM CDT, May 5, 2009 United Airlines diverted a flight bound to London after an incoherent and disruptive passenger, apparently woozy from a combination of pills, alcohol and lavatory hand soap, allegedly tried to bite a flight attendant in the leg. Galina Rusanova, a British citizen, was charged with interference with a flight crew and assault for disrupting United flight 934 from Los Angeles to London Heathrow Airport on April 29. She could face up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. In a Monday hearing before a U.S. District Court in Bangor, Maine, Rusanova waived her right to a detention hearing and agreed to be detained pending trial. According to court documents, Rusanova was returning home to the United Kingdom after traveling to California to visit a man she had met over the Internet. Fearful of flying, she had taken sleeping pills and consumed two or three bottles of red wine, according to a statement she made to FBI special agent James McCarty. About three hours into the flight, a United flight attendant said she found Rusanova with her feet on her in-flight food tray, kicking the seat in front of her. Rusanova, who appeared to be very intoxicated, according to a court filing, requested more wine and then fell asleep when it was denied her. A short time later, the same United crew member was told by passengers that Rusanova was incoherent and bothering fellow travelers. As she approached, she saw Rusanova "drink a bottle of liquid soap that she had apparently removed from the bathroom," according to the court document. A melee ensued as flight attendants attempted to subdue Rusanova while moving her to a flight crew member's seat at the rear of the cabin, where she was eventually handcuffed. Rusanova allegedly threw punches and even tried to bite a flight attendant's leg, according to the filing. Rusanova told McCarty that she remember little about the flight, aside from fighting with a flight attendant over seating and the quality of United's red wine. "She added that what she did was terrible and she feels embarrassed," McCarty said in an affidavit to the court. -- ================================ George Antunes, Political Science Dept University of Houston; Houston, TX 77204 Voice: 713-743-3923 Fax: 713-743-3927 Mail: antunes at uh dot edu *********************************** * POST TO [email protected] * *********************************** Medianews mailing list [email protected] http://lists.etskywarn.net/mailman/listinfo/medianews
