Miami Traveler Allegedly Slaps Air Marshal

WFTV.com ^ | 6/8/04 | AP

[KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle]

MIAMI -- A plane passenger slapped a federal air marshal after refusing to sit down and ignoring instructions to end her cellular phone call, which she said would have been "rude," prosecutors said Tuesday.

Lilia Belkova has been jailed since being charged with assaulting a federal officer and interfering with a flight crew last Wednesday as a US Airways flight prepared to take off from Miami to Philadelphia.

A bail hearing was set for Thursday. It was unclear late Tuesday if Belkova, 38, had yet been assigned an attorney.

According to prosecutors, Belkova refused flight attendants' instructions to turn off her cell phone as Flight 26 taxied for takeoff, saying: "It is rude to hang up on people. I don't have to turn my phone off."

After ignoring more flight crew instructions, one of two air marshals ordered Belkova to be seated and put a hand on her shoulder to show her where to sit.

Belkova reached back and slapped the marshal across the face, causing "minor swelling," according to court papers. She was handcuffed and taken off the plane.

[Rebelbase]

The woman sounds like one of John Kerry's ilk.

[martin_fierro]

Good riddance.

Now she gets a cell without a phone.

[BlueLancer]

Oh, but you can be sure that this thread will become infested with the whiners complaining about the loss of freedom in .. as they spell it .. "Amerika" and the heavy-handedness of "government jack-booted thugs".

[csvset]

[billorites]

Rhymes with...

[verity]

Agree!

[Drawsing]

This woman is another by-product of our "Aint nobody gonna tell me nothin'!" culture.

I like the part about the handcuffed exit from the plane.

[small_l_libertarian]

She's probably just a crazy lady, but if the air marshals are going to morph into flight attendants for just any old situation, might this not be a good way for terrorists to identify the marshals?

I'm just sayin'...

[Drawsing]

I don't think this was just any situation. The plane was getting ready for takeoff and the woman wouldn't turn off her cell phone. Supposedly there is some danger of electronic interference with the plane's electronics in this situation.

[traumer]

Zsa-Zsa Gabor...
HA!

[FRMAG]

Interference with their systems or a desire on the airline's part to "encourage" folks to use their "sky phone" at runinous rates?

[Labyrinthos]

I don't think this was just any situation. The plane was getting ready for takeoff and the woman wouldn't turn off her cell phone. Supposedly there is some danger of electronic interference with the plane's electronics in this situation.

True, but in the pre-flight marshall world, the flight attendants would have handled the situation.

[widowithfoursons]

First thing I thought, too, when seeing the pic. Watch out for those Bulgarian babes!

[widowithfoursons]

Sorry. Hungarian.

[Guillermo]

Airplanes are private property.

Do you think you have the "right" to do as you please on anothers property?

[sr4402]

The thing we are missing here is that they were Air Marshals. Air Marshals are there to prevent hijackings and terrorism. They don't have any special uniforms or markings. This wasn't an international flight, so it is obvious to me that security was increased on this flight. This may be due to the fact that the flight would go by D.C.

The woman was warned by stewardesses and then by the Air Marshals. They were very right to take her out in handcuffs. They obviously stopped the takeoff to do this.

I hope that she gets to ride Greyhound for years to come.

[Wurlitzer]

"Supposedly there is some danger of electronic interference with the plane's electronics in this situation. "

Yes that is the exaggeration and the lie used to prevent cell phone use. There is a very good reason not to use them but it has nothing to do with the operation of the plane.

The cell phone companies had asked the FAA to ban the use of cell phones while airborne because it screws up the software as many more towers pick up the signal than if you were on the ground. The system is designed to normally expect 2 to 3 towers picking up your phone in more or less a line of sight manner. However, when you are flying overhead many more towers can possibly pick up your signal and again the software was never designed for that to happen. Putting that aside for a moment, think about this logically. The plane's electronics has to be designed to ignore spurious communication from TV, Radio, Cell Phone Towers, weather radar, etc, etc. If it would get screwed up by the milli-watt signal from a cell phone then you should never get on a plane.

I have no problem limiting my use of my phone while flying, I just object to the typical lie that everything is for safety and security. If they really want me to be secure stop taking guns away from law abiding citizens everywhere.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Looks like she has been attending the Zsa Zsa Gabor school of law enforcement officer relations.

[River_Wrangler]

"Supposedly there is some danger of electronic interference with the plane's electronics in this situation. "
"Yes that is the exaggeration and the lie used to prevent cell phone use. There is a very good reason not to use them but it has nothing to do with the operation of the plane."

You are absolutely correct. There has never been any instance in test or reality of a cell phone interfering with avionics. It is a fear without fact.