Woman Sues Airline for Sex Toy Incident

St. Petersburg Times ^ | July 26, 2002

[JediGirl]

CLEARWATER -- Renee Koutsouradis was sitting on a plane in Dallas last February, awaiting takeoff. She and her husband were returning to Pinellas County after a Las Vegas vacation.

Suddenly, she heard her name over the loudspeaker. A Delta Airlines security agent met her at the front of the plane and told her to walk with him to the tarmac.

He said something was vibrating in one of her bags.

She says she told the agent what it was: an adult toy that she and her husband had just bought on their trip to Las Vegas.

In a lawsuit, she says the agent took her to the bag on the tarmac and forced her to open it "and remove the adult toy and hold it up for visible view."

One side of the plane's passengers witnessed the scene, the lawsuit says, as three male Delta employees nearby "began laughing hysterically" and offered "obnoxious and sexually harassing comments."

After being forced to hold the item up for a minute, the suit says, Koutsouradis was allowed to re-pack and return to her seat for the flight to Tampa.

Koutsouradis, 36, declined to comment, saying, "I just don't want to be embarrassed any more than I've already been."

Brad Tobin, her St. Petersburg attorney, said, "She was pretty horrified by the treatment. She never contended that Delta doesn't have the right to investigate a security issue. It was their total lack of professionalism."

The security agent should have escorted Koutsouradis to a private area, Tobin said.

A spokeswoman for Atlanta-based Delta declined to comment on the lawsuit.

But speaking generally, spokeswoman Katie Connell said, "We have an obligation . . . to protect the safety and security of passengers. If there's anything questionable about a bag, we have a responsibility to investigate."

Tobin declined to say where his client lived in Pinellas or what she did for a living.

The lawsuit, filed Wednesday, seeks unspecified damages of more than $15,000, accusing Delta of negligence, the intentional infliction of emotional distress and gender discrimination.

Michael Boyd, an airline planning and security consultant from Colorado, said embarrassing incidents have become more common with increased security by all airlines since Sept. 11.

"I think there might be a sensitivity issue here that may need to be addressed by Delta" if the lawsuit is accurate, he said. "But customers now have to be aware that their bags are always subject to search in front of other people."

He said his guideline would be to leave anything embarrassing at home, just in case.

[sheik yerbouty]

"Delta is ready when you are!"

[cajungirl]

Hey, my electric toothbrush did just that but noone laughed at me, haha

[martin_fierro]

Ms. Koutsouradis appeared shaken by the incident.

[martin_fierro]

This story gives me bad vibes.

[HELLRAISER II]

I went on a camping trip where I ran into a similar situation, I loaded my suitcase in our Tahoe & the suitcase started buzzing. I looked at my wife with a baffled look like "what did you put in this here suitcase." No worries though, it was just my electric toothbrush.

[mikeIII]

This may seem crude, but she should be relieved since airlines have been known to ask passengers to demonstrate the aunthenticity of the electrical/electronic gadgets they carry on board!

[irish guard]

She claimed gender discrimination in her suit....hahahaha, given the nature of sexuality today it could have been a homosexual with a vibrator!

[Wolfie]

If we give up our sex toys, then the terrorists have won.

[11th Earl of Mar]

My brother in law works for a Chigcago area builder. A woman called in and asked for the company to examine a strange noise she heard from inside the wall in her closet.

Workers arrived and an hour later fingered the problem... or discovered the problem.

She stored her vibrator on top of the shelf in the closet and left it in the on position, thus causing strange noises to come from inside the wall.

The workers all left with smiles on their faces. The woman called the office the next day to thank them for correcting 'the problem with her electric shoe horn.'

[TightSqueeze]

FMHSP (From My Hot Sweaty Palm)

[HELLRAISER II]

Alright ladies & gentlemen please move to one side and clear the aisle so that Mrs. Koutsouradis can demonstrate the use & the authenticity of this here sex toy.

[discostu]

That sounds like the setup to a porno. Hot Sluts and Baggage Handlers, coming to a brown bag near you.

[Wolfie]

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we'll be landing shortly, please return your sex toys to their locked and upright positions. Thank you for flying Delta".

[HELLRAISER II]

I don't know that upright is the right position, turn it off & lay it side ways so there aren't any accidents. After all we are in a moving vehicle(plane), wouldn't want anybody to fall on it.

[F.J. Mitchell]

If we are sincere in saying it is none of our business what people do in their bedroom, then whatever may light their fire, carried in their own suitcase should be none of our collective business either. It was making threatening sounds and motions and should have been checked out-but not to the amusement of the world. I am rooting for the lady and, just this once I am rooting for a personal claims lawyer.

[11th Earl of Mar]

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we'll be landing shortly, please return your sex toys to their locked and upright positions...

"... until the pilot turns off the 'No Moaning' signs."

[RedBloodedAmerican]

Go ahead and flame away for this not being posted properly.

[HELLRAISER II]

Most of us here don't necessarily disagree with you, it's just pretty damn funny.

[ChadGore]

When she took out the toy and waived it around did it make that Star Wars light sabre sound ? Did she say "By the power of greyskull!"