Posted on 05/28/2010 8:11:56 AM PDT by 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.
(Excerpt) Read more at philly.com ...
“TSA should be investigating the crew of the aircraft for numerous security violations”
If this story is true, the airline is in for some HUGE violations. It’s BOTH an FAA regulation and a TSA regulation that passengers are not allowed to be on board without the crew present. (Ever had to stand there at the gate and wait to board because the Flight Attendants weren’t there yet?).
Like I said - if it is true - this is going to cost the airline a bunch.
The only other scenario that makes sense is that she didn't want to be found after landing ... of course, my best conspiracy theories come from Star Trek when Ben Finney accused James Kirk of scuttling his career!
Separate issue, IMO. What you're describing is between the FAA/TSA and the airline. What this story is about is a personal lawsuit which is based on highly questionable behavior. While there's no doubt the crew may have acted negligently, there's sufficient suspicious behavior on the part of the woman to question her motives. And that's what this thread, and most posts are about.
Don’t be so harsh, okay? Do airplanes actually have outside locks on the doors that can be operated from inside?
If so then why don’t we hear of maintenance people locking themselves in?
I wouldn’t doubt it is entirely a set up. My first reaction is she did fall asleep and is now just lying. She had a phone but didn’t use it? Come on - I could come up with a better lie than that.
I take Ambien on a regular basis, no rants, no raves - just lots of weird dreams...
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.
Ditto. This could even be considered a security issue. A would-be terrorist could feign sleep and do untold mischief. The airline definitely failed to secure the plane.
I'm quite sure that it was. The video was a spoof on how some people act as if they're completely helpless.
Here's a link to it: Stuck on an escalator
highly questionable behavior...
Even if the woman was “hiding” in the bathroom, it is the responsibility of the crew to secure the plane at the end of each flight. They failed to do their duty.
The crew’s failure to do their duty is why the woman is able to effect any kind of complaint or lawsuit. Her motives aside, this is the kind of thing that we are supposed to be particularly vigilant for. What if “someone” had left a suspicious package on the plane? Let’s not wait for the “cleaning crew”. They’re probably “undocumented aliens” anyway...
you aren't wrong about the "nation of victims" or that some people are seeking easy money. But you are wrong about the coffee case.
1. before ever filing suit, the elderly woman just asked McDonalds to pay her medical bills, which they refused.
The reason they refused to pay is there were many other cases pending, and to pay would have been viewed as an admission. You see, McDonalds super-heated its coffee after brewing to near boiling, because some people liked it that way.
As i said, other cases were pending. McDonalds knew its coffee was causing burns. Some say any idiot knows coffee is hot. True. But would you expect to suffer THIRD DEGREE burns from a cup of coffee?
The lady had something like 13 surgeries, including skin grafts and having part of her labia removed.
The huge punitive damages award was set aside. I imagine McDonald's lawyers breathed a sigh of relief when they heard how large it was. The USSC has said anything outside a single digit ratio punitive award (i.e. 10x actual damages) violates due process. Other legal factors as well.
In the end, the woman settled for enough to pay her medical bills.
Those wrongfully sued should more actively defend themselves and discourage plaintiff's lawyers from pursuing bad cases in the hopes they offer a settlement. But if you are going to cite a case to make that point, don't use the McDonalds coffee case.
I’m not arguing the point. I agree with you. But the fact remains; the personal injury lawsuit will be based, in part, on the crew’s failure to insure the plane was empty, yet personal responsibility is also an issue and there’s much to question in that regard.
I agree with the assessment that a couple free tickets to wherever, and upfront apologies by the airline are in order. However, if this suit persists, we’ll all know what’s uppermost in the mind of this woman, and Feiger. That’s the separate issue.
I think in that small plane, in the post landing confusion, she slipped into a restroom and hid out. NO way her word on the issue is enough. She’s probably lying abiout the whole thing.
And trapped in a closed dark airliner, but but never thought to use her cell to call someone? BS,,
point taken. =)
I suspect she’s an obama voter
I agree that the crew muffed up, by not finding her. But there’s NO WAY she should be able to cash in on her stupidity/scam, whichever it turns out to be!
The crew should get in trouble though for not searching the plane for “hidden” passengers.
Frankly, I do suspect the story a bit. I once had an issue with cabin pressure. As the plane landed, I felt like my eyeball was going to pop out of the socket, and I was in great pain. I stayed in my seat for several minutes to recover after everybody else had gotten off. Several times, the flight attendants checked on me to see if I was ready to get off.
“It’s eyes like that that keep me single.”
Come on bro,, crazed women never lie! I mean just because of the runaway bride, Susan Smith, The Duke lacrosse team stripper who got “raped”, the girl who visited and doinked Kobe in his room at midnight and said it was rape, Tawana Brawley, Elizabeth Edwards deceit on America to achieve her goals, Ellie Nordgren who lied about smashing Tiger in the face with a golf club, Lindsay Lohan who conveniently “lost” her passport in France ,,etc etc,,,
A few minor examples like these don’t mean this one shouldn’t be COMPLETELY trusted./
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