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Pilot had passenger detained for not flushing toilet
Philly.com ^ | 04/29/2013 | Sam Wood, PHILLY.COM

Posted on 04/30/2013 11:36:53 AM PDT by Responsibility2nd

A passenger who flew from Philadelphia to San Francisco was detained on arrival by federal agents after a vindictive flight attendant claimed he had not flushed a lavatory toilet, according to a federal suit.

The suit, which seeks $500,000 in damages, was filed last week in the Northern District of California.

Salvatore Bevivino, 52, a business manager for Genentech, boarded a Virgin America flight on April 28, 2012. After the plane reached cruising altitude over Indiana, the former Amblerite pushed the call button and asked for a soda.

According to the suit, a male attendant told Bevivino that if he wanted a drink he would have to use a computer touch screen installed on the back of the facing seat.

When another attendant passed a minute later, Bevivino made the request for a second time and asked why they couldn't deliver a drink like other airlines. After Bevivino said he would contact Virgin America, a third attendant brought him the soda.

The aircraft landed at San Francisco International. But as Bevivino began to disembark he was pulled aside by the plane's captain "as a person of suspicion."

Bevivino said he had no idea why he was detained. Initially he believed that his swarthy Italian complexion may have caused him to be mistaken for someone from the Middle East.

Then the pilot asked him why'd he'd been yelling obscenities at his crew.

And added that he'd left the toilet unflushed.

The pilot then asked a half-dozen uniformed police, FBI and TSA agents to remove Bevivino.

According to a police incident report, a flight attendant told an investigator that Bevivino had gone to the restroom after asking for the drink:

 

"[He] came back out with a smile on his face and began using profanities. [Name redacted] passed by the restroom and saw that Bevivino left the door open and did not flush the toilet."

The police report notes the captain didn't believe he or his flight crew ever felt threatened by Bevivino.

Bevivino, who now lives in the Bay Area, told police he had not yelled obscenities at anyone or left any toilet unflushed. He only had been trying to order a drink, was flustered with problems with the onboard computer, and had become frustrated when the flight attendant ignored him, according to the police report.

Bevivino was eventually released, but only after the incident had caused him embarrassment, humiliation, mortification, mental anguish and emotional distress, and damage to his professional reputation, according to the suit.

The complaint states that Virgin America violated Bevivino's civil rights through false imprisonment, discrimination, and denial of equal rights

 


TOPICS: Local News; Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: aviation; virginamerica
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Hoo Boy!
1 posted on 04/30/2013 11:36:53 AM PDT by Responsibility2nd
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To: Responsibility2nd

Is America going slowly abso-effing-lutely nuts, or is it just me?


2 posted on 04/30/2013 11:38:36 AM PDT by Jack Hammer (American)
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To: Responsibility2nd
saw that Bevivino left the door open

Hmm how many airplane head doors do you know of that stay open on their own....right ;) Most seem to be spring loaded to close shut or at least just stay against the frame
3 posted on 04/30/2013 11:47:47 AM PDT by battousai (Conservatives are racist? YES, I hate stupid white liberals.)
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To: Responsibility2nd

Might have been a vindictive gay-guy flight attendant. Vindictive seems to go hand in hand with sodomists, I”m noticing.


4 posted on 04/30/2013 11:48:29 AM PDT by bboop (does not suffer fools gladly)
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To: Responsibility2nd
Knowing a few pilots, my experience is that some passengers think that pilots are their employees, and don't understand that the pilot is the king of the aircraft.

(Not commenting on whether the facts here are true, or not).

5 posted on 04/30/2013 11:48:48 AM PDT by 1rudeboy
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To: Responsibility2nd

Sounds like an ahole.


6 posted on 04/30/2013 11:49:44 AM PDT by lp boonie (Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment)
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To: Responsibility2nd

Yes, he was embarrassed, humiliated, mortified, ad infinitum.

But nothing half a mill large won’t cure.


7 posted on 04/30/2013 11:50:17 AM PDT by IronJack (=)
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To: Jack Hammer

“Slowly?”

Nothing slow about it. America is running as fast and as hard as we can towards idiocy, lunacy and complete and utter stupidity.


8 posted on 04/30/2013 11:52:51 AM PDT by Responsibility2nd (NO LIBS. This Means Liberals and (L)libertarians! Same Thing. NO LIBS!!)
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To: Jack Hammer

Isn’t that on a list of capital crimes in Singapore? Or is that just an urban legend?


9 posted on 04/30/2013 11:53:32 AM PDT by Buckeye McFrog
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To: Jack Hammer

Nuts? Maybe, but likely that we are being managed by computers programmed by kids with very limited life skills or common sense. Add the persons serving can not think beyond what the computer is demanding. Laziness may be a better explanation.

Was in a hardware store this morning at checkout. The elderly gentleman ahead of me had 2 bottles of fuel additive, to which the checkout girl said she had to know his date of birth to prove he was over 18, inspite of his grey hair and obvious more than 18. Common sense and thinking are gone.


10 posted on 04/30/2013 11:53:32 AM PDT by X-spurt (Republic of Texas, Come and Take It!)
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To: Responsibility2nd
I read it as the passenger was an arrogant ass. While the first flight attendant should have brought him a soda, he was informed of the proper procedure (using the console in front of him). Rather than follow that procedure, he then bothered two more attendants and started threatening that he was going to file complaints and what-not. Why couldn't he had just used the console? Because he wanted to be boss.

Then the pilot showed him who was really boss on the plane: the pilot. Rather than apologize for his behavior toward the pilot's crew, he became belligerent. Result? King of the plane sends arrogant ass to holding.

11 posted on 04/30/2013 11:54:04 AM PDT by Anitius Severinus Boethius (www.wilsonharpbooks.com - New Robin Hood book out!)
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To: Responsibility2nd

“[He] came back out with a smile on his face and began using profanities. [Name redacted] passed by the restroom and saw that Bevivino left the door open and did not flush the toilet.”

That right there give lie to the story.

The doors automatically close when leaving or occupying a restroom. This is a safety feature to ensure the isles are clear of obstructions.


12 posted on 04/30/2013 11:55:55 AM PDT by Vendome (Don't take life so seriously, you won't live through it anyway)
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Comment #13 Removed by Moderator

To: Responsibility2nd

Being boorish isn’t against the law unless you are up against two supposed professionals, the pilot and the flight attendant.

This story should have never got beyond the steward telling the pilot “we have an upset passenger but don’t worry ,I can handle him”


14 posted on 04/30/2013 12:02:37 PM PDT by Cyman
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To: Responsibility2nd
Bevivino was eventually released, but only after the incident had caused him embarrassment, humiliation, mortification, mental anguish and emotional distress, and damage to his professional reputation, according to the suit.


15 posted on 04/30/2013 12:05:12 PM PDT by Cyber Liberty (I am a dissident. Will you join me? My name is John....)
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To: Jack Hammer
Is America going slowly abso-effing-lutely nuts, or is it just me?

So it seems. There is also a markedly higher, and deplorable level of crudeness in much of our communication, these days.

16 posted on 04/30/2013 12:05:34 PM PDT by RobinOfKingston (Democrats--the party of Evil. Republicans--the party of Stupid.)
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To: Responsibility2nd

Slightly different than an incident I had with a flight attendant recently on a transatlantic flight. Soft drinks were being served (it was morning), water, soda, juices. I asked for coffee, and the reply was an even “You may have just what you were offered.” I thought that was a little rude, but that maybe she was having a bad day, and I took an OJ. About five minutes later she returned with a fresh cup of hot coffee, and added “Hot and steamy like the attendant...”


17 posted on 04/30/2013 12:06:28 PM PDT by Jack of all Trades (Hold your face to the light, even though for the moment you do not see.)
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To: Responsibility2nd

This story sounds like a big load to me. ;-)


18 posted on 04/30/2013 12:07:57 PM PDT by Average Al
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To: Jack of all Trades

Was it a Southwest flight?


19 posted on 04/30/2013 12:11:02 PM PDT by sauropod (I will not comply)
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To: Jack of all Trades

Is that the beginning of a mile high club story?


20 posted on 04/30/2013 12:15:25 PM PDT by Triple (Socialism denies people the right to the fruits of their labor, and is as abhorrent as slavery)
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