Muhammad Abu Tahir's Air Rage Grounds Atlanta to San Francisco Flight
About four hours into the AirTran flight from Atlanta to San Francisco, a flight attendant reported to the Captain that Muhammad Abu Tahir was being disruptive. Muhammad Abu Tahir had refused to sit down, became verbally and physically abusive, and then locked himself in one of the restrooms.
According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution:
"Following standard procedure, the captain of the plane made an emergency landing in Colorado Springs where police detained the man. Two F-16s, under the direction of the North American Aerospace Defense Command, were launched at 11:44 a.m. MST at the request of the captain to escort the flight to the airport."
The flight was delayed for three hours while the passengers were taken from the plane for questioning and the plane was searched as a precaution. Muhammad Abu Tahir was taken into custody to an El Paso County jail to await charges. If convicted he could face 20 years in prison and a two hundred fifty thousand dollar fine.
The cause seems to be less terrorism than an over indulgence in strong drink. In times past, the captain would have come into the passenger department to calm the fellow down. But in the post 9/11, post attempted Christmas bombing world, sterner measures are thought to be necessary.
The age of terrorism has caused air travel to become a living hell, with long, intrusive security checks and draconian rules for passengers, coupled with the cramped seats, bad, recycled air, and rancid food. Add to that the ready availability of adult beverages, and it is surprising that there are not more instances of air rage such as seems to have overtaken Muhammad Abu Tahir. Muhammad Abu Tahir, by the way, did not have the sort of name that creates understanding for someone allegedly attacking one of the flight attendants. Profiling may not be official practice, but the knowledge that the vast majority of people who have attacked and destroyed airliners have been Muslim must weigh heavily.
One suspects that the Muhammad Abu Tahir incident is going to cause the authorities to seriously consider banning the sale of alcoholic drinks on airliners. Considering everything else that is going on with air travel, that might actually be one of the more sensible precautions that comes out of the post attempted Christmas bombing scare.
Source:Unruly man grounds AirTran flight, Mashaun D. Simon, Atlanta Journal Constitution, January 8th, 2009
Published by Mark Whittington
Mark R. Whittington is a writer residing in Houston, Texas. He is the author of The Last Moonwalker, Children of Apollo, Dark Sanction, and Nocturne. He has written numerous articles, some for the Washington... View profile
- AIRTRAN Airlines: the Best of the Best Have you ever been waiting at the airport for some kind of delay or other? Ill as you are at that point, you decide to stroll up to the counter and vow to never fly that airline again.
- Discount Airlines - Deciding Which One is Truly the Best Three companies come to mind when someone researches the Internet to find the cheapest and most flexible airfare: AirTran, Independence Air and Southwest. Others are out there, but these three have the majority of the...
- San Francisco Giants Postseason History Since moving to San Francisco from New York in 1958, the Giants have qualified for the postseason on eight different occasions. Here is a look at the San Francisco Giants postseason history.
- No Hitters in San Francisco Giants History A complete list of all the no-hitters in San Francisco Giants history.
-
The Greatest Moments in San Francisco Giants History
Since moving to the San Francisco, the Giants have had some great players and memorable moments. Here is a look at the greatest moments in San Francisco Giants History.
- What? Wireless Air Travel? Yeah, It's Coming Soon
- AirTran Flight Removes Muslim Passengers: Do You Feel Safer?
- AirTran Airways Offers New Nonstop Service from Newport News
- AirTran Airways, Not Bad for a Discount Airline
- Beware the Horrors of AirTran Airways
- Airline Reviews: Southwest Vs. AirTran
- AirTran Airways Tosses Toddler
|
|
1 Comments
Post a CommentWhile the prices are too exorbitant to get me to indulge, I see the sale of alcoholic beverages as an income stream for airlines. I do not want to make up for that by paying a higher ticket price. I'd rather take the chance that occasionally it will cost me a 3 hour wait and I'll have the pleasure of seeing a disruptive drunk hauled to jail, with the privilege of relating the story for many years to come.