Posted on 08/28/2012 10:00:45 AM PDT by scottjewell
HOUSTON (CN) - A gay couple claims in court that Continental Airlines workers humiliated them by taking a dildo from their baggage and taping it outside the bag for everyone in baggage claim to see.
Christopher Bridgeman and Martin Borger sued United Continental Holdings and Continental Airlines in Harris County Court.
The men say they arrived in Houston from Costa Rica, retrieved their undisturbed checked luggage and after going through Customs rechecked their bags for a flight to Norfolk, Va.
"Upon arriving in Norfolk, plaintiffs exited the aircraft and went to the baggage claim area," the complaint states. "Plaintiffs' bags were sent to the baggage carousel where plaintiffs discovered, to their horror, that a private sex toy had been removed from one of their bags, covered in a greasy foul-smelling substance and taped prominently to the top of their bag.
"Plaintiffs experienced extreme shock and horror when they observed the above-described bag and when observing the surprised and/or laughing faces of numerous onlookers in the baggage claim area.
"Plaintiffs were experiencing such a high degree of shock and embarrassment that they felt compelled to call two friends to come to the airport to assist them.
"Fortunately, the friends arrived and were able to assist plaintiffs out of the airport and to their home, but by that time the damage had already been done, and plaintiffs had suffered severe emotional trauma."
The men claim the baggage handlers probably pulled the prank "because of the fact that the sex toy was contained in the bag of a male, and because the employee(s) responsible knew that the bag belonged to a male due to the name tag attached to the bag and the male clothing contained in the bag."
They seek punitive damages for intentional infliction of emotional distress, invasion of privacy and negligence.
They are represented Harry Scarborough.
United and Continental Airlines merged in May 2010 to form one of the world's largest airlines.
That’s what had me thinking it may be another hoax, this time primarily financially motivated. Just too damn over-played.
What exactly would the criminal offense be in this case?
Embarrassment is not Trauma.
Not defending whatever baggage handler did this, but TRAUMA and EMBARRASSMENT are not the same thing.
I’m coming down on the side of a hoax.
Damn those baggage handlers are not only smart but clairvoyant.They need to be working Wall Street or Vegas.
I would assume most bags are being opened anyway given the extreme security measures being taken these days.
Whoever did this should be fired and held liable.
The fact that they were just soooo overwhelmed that they needed two friends to help them from the airport has to be the funniest thing I’ve heard this week. Can you imagine if these guys ever faced any real adversity? Bring the smelling salts....
Agreed, if they were lucky.
Yes, I’m also grossed out, but people should have their privacy respected.
Even his.
Oh, the private kind, not those found in the public square.
This article hits all the right PC buttons. So the two fairies in question were so mortified by events they couldn’t even compose themselves and “had to call a friend” to help? What a load of rubbish.
Also - you couldn’t pay me enough to touch that thing
I’m sort of suspicious of this story.
What else are these freaking idiots taking from bags?? Hope airline gets hammered.
“Plaintiffs were experiencing such a high degree of shock and embarrassment that they felt compelled to call two friends to come to the airport to assist them.
You are HOMOSEXUALS if that fact alone does not embarrass you then nothing should.........
This has TSA written all over it. This is the first time I got an inkling that the TSA had a sense of humor.
Everytime coming of going on international flights, I got a note inside luggage that TSA had opened and inspected. There is no expectation of privacy on international flights.
I am curious what the two other “buddies” did to save them at the fairy dildo go-round.
I am not buying this story at all
it seems way too stupid for even TSA workers
That’s what I more or less thought from the get-go. the whole thing read like a funny gay sit-com episode. Time will tell - I’m sure Continental has webcam surveillance of their baggage areas.
This story sounds queer to me...
Bet it is a set-up.
coming OR going...... I’m blaming it on these damn Walmart readers.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.