There’s no use crying over spilled G&T.
A disgruntled passenger was forcibly removed from his flight after being asked repeatedly by the crew to exit, resulting in a teary meltdown – all over a gin and tonic.
The anonymous passenger supposedly requested a pre-flight cocktail but was denied, apparently prompting a meltdown – the man sobbed as he was handcuffed on the jet bridge.
In a 5-minute long clip of the debacle posted in a viral Reddit thread, the man seated in first class is arguing with airport personnel. They attempted to coax the passenger to leave, informing him that the pilot requested his removal “multiple times.”
The American Airlines traveler, according to the travel blog “View from the Wing,” asks what he’s done to prompt his removal, and the two men, who appear to be officers, argue that he was “not being respectful” by “arguing with the flight attendant.”
According to Nerd Wallet, a key feature of American Airlines’ first-class service is the pre-departure beverage offerings; however, the reason for denying this man a drink is unclear.
The Post has reached out to American Airlines for comment.
In the clip, frustrated passengers can be heard yelling at the man to get off the aircraft as he remains seated, unwilling to budge. At one point, he even pulls out his phone to record the altercation, which is promptly removed from his hand.
The officers attempt to wrangle the man into handcuffs in the aisle, eventually resorting to forcefully grabbing the passenger and yanking him out of his seat as he screams out to “stop.” After being run out of the plane, officers push the man against the jet bridge wall to handcuff him as he wails and falls to the floor, losing a sneaker in the process.
The Reddit post, shared in the forum “r/PublicFreakout,” garnered over 33,000 votes and more than 4,000 comments, many of which bashed the unruly traveler for the calamity.
“The whining like a 5-year-old and the jumpy flailing certainly surprised me lmao,” quipped one person.
“I did not expect him to start weeping like that! What a man child!” another shocked viewer chimed in.
“When his shoe came off, it reminded me of my 5-year-old nephew when he doesn’t want to take a nap but is clearly tired,” commented someone else.
“I have never seen a more embarrassing display in my entire career,” volleyed another.
“I want my mommy! And also a gin and tonic!” snarked a Redditor.
“Whether it takes 30 seconds or 5 minutes, the result is always the same – you WILL be getting off the plane,” one user wrote.
“Seriously. I have no idea why these people always try to keep arguing when police show up. You’re not going to be able to sway them or talk your way out of it,” another agreed. “You can either walk off or get dragged off after wasting the rest of the passengers’ time.”
While the passenger asked if he had committed a “crime,” the US Department of Transportation says there doesn’t need to be a crime to prompt a traveler’s removal from an aircraft. In fact, airlines can deny boarding or remove a passenger entirely if the reason is due to “safety, security or health risk, or due to a behavior that is considered obscene, disruptive or otherwise unlawful.”
Redditors volleyed insults at the traveler, laughing at his behavior.
This wouldn’t be the first time unruly travelers have caused a scene on a crowded plane.
Last month, a man was labeled as “fatphobic” for complaining that an “obese man” took his seat, while on another flight, a woman was carried out for allegedly fighting with passengers and biting officers. On one unfortunate flight, a passenger died.
