Family Mourns Woman Who Died at Airport

AP ^ | 9/30/07 | KAREN MATTHEWS

[stevem]

I realize the technology of law enforcement changes year after year. Still, how do you choke yourself to death trying to extricate yourself from hand cuffs? What am I missing?

[org.whodat]

I haven’t quite pictured how you could strangle yourself with any kind of cuffs front or back>

The only way I see it happening takes another person putting pressure on the neck.

[QQQQ]

Many of the airlines employ people with a very low skills(pilots are exception).I had to deal with the gate clerks who have an IQ somewhere in the 90’s.

[woodbutcher]

To all of those who have referred to dope, bitches, spoiled, etc., I ask the question:

Have you ever seen a woman in hysterics?

This could have been a simple case of a woman who became hysterical because she was going to miss an important connection, meeting or whatever.

I have seen a normally stable, always under control levelheaded woman go into hysterics over something that ordinarily would not be anything other than an unpleasant event.

Only once in the 35 years I have been married to her.

To accuse this woman of everything from being a bitch to an addict is over the edge.

Unless you really know something that has not been published.

[pandoraou812]

I can only come up with she may have tried to get the cuffs in another position, got stuck & panicked. Maybe they weren’t checking on her as often as they said ...I don’t know but I feel bad for her family. Something just is too strange about this.

[stevem]

To all of those who have referred to dope, bitches, spoiled, etc., I ask the question...Have you ever seen a woman in hysterics?...This could have been a simple case of a woman who became hysterical because she was going to miss an important connection, meeting or whatever...I have seen a normally stable, always under control levelheaded woman go into hysterics over something that ordinarily would not be anything other than an unpleasant event...Only once in the 35 years I have been married to her...To accuse this woman of everything from being a bitch to an addict is over the edge...Unless you really know something that has not been published.

I plead, "Not guilty," in this case. I've been married to the same woman for over thirty years. For the large majority of that time it's been a treat beyond my wildest expectations. Still, there are times when her weapon is sarcasm with which she can sour milk in a referigerator down the street. Then, I have seen her utterly hysterical on one or two occasions. At such times I wouldn't wish her on my worst enemy, or Lucifer himself, without a sense of pity.

I'm just curious as to how a woman (or anyone) in handcuffs can strangle herself.

[woodbutcher]

“I’m just curious as to how a woman (or anyone) in handcuffs can strangle herself.”

Or another way of asking the question:

How many times have you ever heard of this happening?

But how many times when a choke hold is involved?

This is a strange story and it is probably good that her family are professionals at making others squirm.

Too much power has been put in the hands of airline employees and this might be the event that brings movement back to a reasonable level.

[SteveMcKing]

Do you know how many jerks are dying to write "Jewish woman" right now?

I say this specifically because I'm not thinking that. That seems kind of backwards, but you can't fight stereotypes without acknowledging them first.

[SteveMcKing]

Too much power has been put in the hands of airline employees and this might be the event that brings movement back to a reasonable level.

They offer a service, not an entitlement.

Don't like it? Don't fly.

[woodbutcher]

“Don’t like it? Don’t fly.”

I don’t.

I quit after 40 years.

If I can’t sit in the left seat, I will go another way.

There are things being said and done in the cockpit that are not to my standards.

In addition, I refuse to spend big bucks to be treated like cattle. Just a personal thing of mine.

[woodbutcher]

And it depends on how you define entitlement.

In my world, and I made a living selling for over 50 years, when a person spends money with you he is entitled to a certain amount of courtesy. As the price goes up, the personal attention and courtesies go up.

So it is somewhat of a curiosity that people expect and get more courtesy from a kid working at McDonald's or even a taxi cab driver than they are getting from the airlines.

And yet they continue to, like sheep, accept it.

I don’t.

[Zeon Cowboy]

What a bizarre story...

[TigersEye]

The only way I see it happening takes another person putting pressure on the neck.

Uhh, yeah, and that would be a slightly different story. Hmmmm.

[Mila]

“Perhaps when discussing the death of a person, we would do well to remember that they are people, capable of mistakes and beauties, and not merely objects of our derision.”

A very wise statement.

[bolobaby]

“wtf????

She may have had some panic attack or was claustrophobic.”

That’s not why she was arrested in the first place. She was arrested because she flipped out on the gate agents when they wouldn’t let her on a flight for which she was late.

THAT’S the video I’m talking about.

[Canali]

I’m thinking that she must have triangle choked herself. I can sort of see how it might have happened. She does appear to be thin in her picture.

Starting from being cuffed from behind...if she raised her hands up her back all the way to her shoulderblades...then could bring one elbow around and try to get her head through (yeah which is pointless)...she’s got one shoulder on one artery...and the handcuffs on the other artery of her neck.

But she’d have to be very flexible.

[Vinomori]

More imoportantly, why do we have "holding cells" at airports?

Three guesses.

[AD from SpringBay]

Unless there was a long chain between the cuffs, how on earth could she choke herself with them?!?

She might have damaged her trachea or some part of her airway trying to push them off with throat. Just guessing, obviously.

[HIDEK6]

She may have had some panic attack or was claustrophobic.

Did anyone investigate the possibility that she might have been allergic to peanuts?

[HIDEK6]

Have you ever seen a woman in hysterics?

This is a joke, right?