Posted on 04/22/2008 7:00:16 AM PDT by VRWCmember
A globe-hopping executive was grounded by JetBlue after she threw a hissy fit at Kennedy Airport and triggered a bomb scare aboard a flight, the Daily News has learned.
Rosalinda Baez was arrested by the FBI for falsely claiming there was a bomb in her suitcase at JFK, according to a complaint filed last week in Brooklyn Federal Court.
Baez, who earns $190,000-a-year and has homes in Manhattan and Texas, was returning from a business trip in Costa Rica last Tuesday when she was blocked by a gate attendant from boarding JetBlue Flight 1061 to Austin, Tex., because the jetway had closed.
Her suitcase was already aboard the aircraft.
"What if I had a bomb in my bag?" the 44-year-old told the gate attendant, according to the federal complaint. "Well, I have a bomb in my bag, so are you guys going to turn the plane around cuz I need my bag."
Baez then raged that the Transportation Security Administration "does not know how to do their f------ job because if it did TSA would not catch it and let it go through," authorities said.
The flight took off anyway, but was forced to make an emergency landing in Richmond, Va., according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Dennehy.
Three hundred passengers were yanked off the aircraft and screened, while bomb-sniffing dogs checked the commercial jet, authorities said.
Meanwhile, Baez waited several hours in a Wi-Fi computer lounge at Kennedy for another flight - until she was approached by JetBlue officials and federal agents.
Baez, a Web consultant to Dell Computers, said an FBI agent questioned her about "my love of this country."
"I was asked, have I ever had any thoughts of suicide or thoughts of doing damage to the United States," she said.
Baez adamantly denies claiming there was a bomb in her bag.
"The question [to the gate attendant] that got me into trouble was, 'Isn't it a security risk to let my bag travel without the passenger when there could be a bomb in the bag?'" Baez said.
She was arrested and then banned from flying aboard JetBlue until the criminal case is resolved. She is free on $200,000 bond.
"I've never been in any trouble in my life," she said. "Why would I say [there was a bomb]? It makes no sense. We have left the security of our country in the hands of people who are unqualified."
Your post absolutely matches my position on this.
I think where I differ with a lot of people here is not about whether what she did was wrong. I think we all believe it is. It is the apparent loss of civility from our culture - on both sides of such issues. I think there should be consequences to her, just as there are to me when I get caught speeding. But as with my speeding ticket, she should pay those consequences and be able to get on with life.
And like with my ticket, if I get too many I have demonstrated a pattern and lose my license. Likewise with her, if she demonstrates a pattern, she should lose her right to fly.
Spolied little bitch desreves jail.
Yes, that’s a good one too. I LOVE that Bill Cosby special!
Yep, that one too.
I’ve only flown once since 9-11, and that was from Memphis to Houston and back to Memphis. I found the TSA agents to be polite and friendly.
But the judge will.
lets see the no-no for freedoms of speech
“fire” in a crowded theater
“OOPS!” in the operating room when a patient is on the table and opened.
“bomb” when at the airport surrounded by security. (or any mention of drugs etc.)
LOL.
Reminds me of other things you don't want to hear in the operating room as the surgeon has finished stitching you up; "Has anyone seen my watch?"
you are assuming the TSA agent will have an english translator in the courtroom....
(puts on fire proof suit)
1. Never -- EVER! -- mention the word "bomb" near a TSA representative. Those folks have not sense of humorr when it comes to jokes about bombs on aircraft. And that is how it should be.
2. This executive shows up after the jetway is closed and expects the airplane to ocme back for her. I'm sure she is just THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON IN THE ENTIRE WORLD!! Somehow, everyone else on the plane was able to show up on time and board the plane. She was late. She can wait.
Anyone who travels regularly knows that once the gates close, they don't open for stragglers, and they hold up the plane and send someone to go dig through the luggage compartment looking for the bag of some idiot who couldn't make it to the gate on time and thinks the world revolves around them.
I don't know he her pitching a fit sounded like making a bomb threat or not. I do know that it's childish and idiotic to yell at the people at the gate just because you got there after the gate closed.
>>you are assuming the TSA agent will have an english translator in the courtroom....<<
Maybe two posts per year get me actually audibly laughing.
Congratulations! You are the first one this year.
thoughts of doing damage to the United States
does this include the patriot act or the irs and a carton of eggs?
Yeah, I saw it happen just yesterday to some smelly, hairy, camel-humping, jihad monkey.
No, I am a southern boy and I am well familiar with “hissy fit”. I just like to have fun with language.
WTH? Unaccompanied luggage flies all the time. It’s all of those millions of lost suitcases each yeat that gets lost and needs to catch up with the passangers.
I'm sure you would empathize, since you appear to be about as reasonable.
You're complaining about the TSA being liars, when they aren't even involved.
She showed up at the gate and was turned back by the Jet Blue employee working at the gate, not by anyone working for the TSA.
Plus, even if she said what they say she said, a reasonable human being would understand it the way all of us here did.
You people just don't get it. Airport employees are required to report such outbursts, especially when the word bomb was mentioned.
Authorities apparently didn't react fast enough to stop the plane from taking off in this case, but they don't have the leisure to properly investigate the incident before taking action.
The Jet Blue employee probably even thought that she was just throwing a fit which is why the plane was able to take off, but she still had to report the incident, and the FBI isn't likely to assume that she interpreted the woman's actions correctly with a plane full of people's lives at stake. By the time the investigate and determine that she was just being an idiot, the plane has already been forced to land and be searched.
Unfortunately, because of the real threat of terrorism we face, comments by idiots have to be taken as threats until those investigating them can assure themselves that they aren't real threats, and that takes time.
This should have been made really , really obvious to people who fly regularly by a considerable number of well publicized incidents. However, some people are so caught up in themselves, that they can't be bothered to think about the consequences of their actions.
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