Woman left sleeping on plane sues airline

Philadelphia Inquirer ^ | 28 May 2010 | Sam Wood

[RogerWilko]

A Michigan woman who fell asleep on a Philadelphia-bound flight and awoke to find herself trapped in the cabin more than three hours after it landed sued the airline Thursday, alleging false imprisonment.

Ginger McGuire, 36, boarded a Trans States shuttle Monday night at Dulles International Airport outside Washington. During the one-hour journey she fell asleep. The aircraft landed about 12:30 a.m. at Philadelphia International Airport, but McGuire said the flight crew hadn't bothered to rouse her. She awoke at 4 a.m., alone on the 50-seat plane with all the doors locked, she said. "Waking up to an empty airplane and not being able to get out was very horrifying," McGuire told WDIV-TV in Detroit.

McGuire, who works for a Michigan radio station, told the Detroit News that she had walked the aisle for 15 minutes. Though she used her phone to check the time, she said didn't think of calling for help, she said. Minutes later, the plane's door opened. She was greeted by a Transportation Security Administration officer and two Philadelphia police officers who questioned her for about 10 minutes....

McGuire's attorney, Geoffrey Fieger, said his law firm filed a lawsuit against United and Trans States, alleging negligence, false imprisonment and distress.

[RogerWilko]

So this lady decides to take a nap on short flight. Nobody wakes her up and she finds she's "trapped" on the plane! She has a cell phone and thinks to check the time, but doesn't think... "Hmmm... I have a cell phone and I'm locked in this plane! I think I'll see what time it is, but I won't think to call anyone to tell them I'm stuck here!"

Ohhh... I know what time it is! It's time to try and make some MO-NAY!!

It's not MY fault I fell asleep, and it's not MY responsibility to wake up! And it's not MY fault that I'm not smart enough to use my cell phone to call for help, but I DID check the time!

United better fight this moron!

[Ancient Drive]

sigh.... everything went downhill after that hot coffee spill lawsuit. We are a nation of victims.

[Gorzaloon]

Heh. Should have started the engines. That would have gotten attention.

[glorgau]

She doesn’t _look_ blonde.

[Vermont Lt]

What kind of drugs is she on that she cannot wake up. My guess is that several attempts to wake her up resulting in an Ambien tirade. And from that point, someone just forgot to tell someone when they got off the plane.

I am not sure what there is to sue about.

Give her a free first class ticket and send her on her way.

[84rules]

Though she used her phone to check the time, she said didn't think of calling for help, she said.

Oh, yeah. This one's a real Einstein.

[gathersnomoss]

Obama voter.

[norraad]

“Ginger” = all you need to know.

[evad]

When I first heard this two days ago,I smelled a gigantic RAT. I didn’t believe it then and now that I see this article, I believe it even less.

[USMCPOP]

I would have called the airline and asked for a wakeup call at 6:30.

[Paladin2]

The doors are designed to be opened from the inside. Did she have a cell phone? Use the radios in the cockpit?

[Lazamataz]

I’d hit it.

[RonF]

I have to disagree here. People fall asleep on planes all the time. I think it’s quite reasonable to expect the crew to wake people up and get them off the airplane at the end of the flight. I can also see waking up in such circumstances and being disoriented for a while.

Now, I don’t think that this should be a lottery ticket-scale payoff for her. One or two free round trips anywhere they fly would be reasonable, I’d say. Let’s not get greedy, and I’ll fault her for that. But I think it’s reasonable to hold that the airline failed in their duty.

[Azzurri]

This dingbat looks like she's still sleeping.

[rawhide]

I’m having a little trouble believing this woman’s story for some reason?

[norraad]

Sort of like "Tiffany", nice name, "for a Lamp"!

[bcsco]

McGuire's attorney, Geoffrey Fieger...

This and not 'realizing' she could use her cell phone for something other than giving her the time is all I need to know. Two money grubbers...

[hinckley buzzard]

Too much to drink before boarding.

[Hacklehead]

This was probably the first time the stupid slut woke up alone and found it horrifying. We’ve become a nation of incompetent jackasses.