A disruptive passenger was restrained with flexible handcuffs and duct-taped to a seat as his flight was diverted to make an emergency landing in Baltimore Thursday night, photos and video from other passengers showed.

Richard Olenick and Juan Mejia were more than halfway through the flight when a man two rows behind them in the first-class section started to become belligerent, Olenick said.

A flight attendant tried to control the situation but the man got increasingly agitated, started to hit the passenger next to him and then hit a woman who tried to intervene, Olenick said.

  • SeeMarkFly@lemmy.ml
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    1 day ago

    If it is supposed to move and it doesn’t…WD-40.

    If it moves and it’s not supposed to…Duct tape.

    • SeeMarkFly@lemmy.ml
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      There is NO duct manufacturer that calls for the use of duct tape.

      It has ZERO official use.

      • Seleni@lemmy.world
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        That’s because it was originally ‘duck’ tape, due to it being made from duck cloth. After WWII the GIs back home from the war had liked how useful it was, and so used it for general repairs, including sometimes taping up air ducts, from which it got its more commonly-known name.

        • krashmo@lemmy.world
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          I have no idea if this is true but it’s inconsequential so I’m going to choose to believe it.

          • webghost0101@sopuli.xyz
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            Did you know that it was originally a band aid for combat situations?

            Also that nowadays the industry massively prefers gaffer tape cause it can be removed without leaving a mess.

            • atomicbocks@sh.itjust.works
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              Gaffers tape is pretty much just non-water-resistant duck/t tape, you see it used a lot to hold cables down in theaters and concert venues. I’ve only ever seen aluminum foil tape used for duct joints and repair.

        • SeeMarkFly@lemmy.ml
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          22 hours ago

          It has too short of a life expectancy to be used for construction.

          The are no manufacturers that call for its use…that I know of.

          It is good for holding things in place till they’ve been secured but don’t leave it on, the sticky stuff will make a mess.

          • Seleni@lemmy.world
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            12 hours ago

            Well, the original-original duck tape, which wasn’t a sticky tape, was recommended and used a lot in construction (and shoes, and fashion) back at the turn of the last century. Duck tape, the original sticky and somewhat waterproof version, was used by the military for quick repairs during WWII. Afterwards it was often sold in stores for quick home repairs.

            But yes, especially these days and for long-term repairs, there are better options.

          • Seleni@lemmy.world
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            From Wikipedia:

            The first material called “duck tape” was long strips of plain non-adhesive cotton duck cloth used in making shoes stronger, for decoration on clothing, and for wrapping steel cables or electrical conductors to protect them from corrosion or wear. For instance, in 1902, steel cables supporting the Manhattan Bridge were first covered in linseed oil then wrapped in duck tape before being laid in place.

      • DevDave@piefed.social
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        It’s kind of like the glass vials with paper flowers in them that are sold at gas stations. Reality is they are one use crack pipes.

        Meanwhile duct tape is actually horrible for taping up the holes in ducting… Reality is it’s for restraining people.

        • SeeMarkFly@lemmy.ml
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          24 hours ago

          A product that FOUND a purpose. Usually the NEED is there first and THEN the solution is found.

          A bit backwards but OK.

      • OwOarchist@pawb.social
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        HVAC ducts are actually one of the places where duct tape doesn’t work well.

        HVAC ducts are often in attics and subjected to high temperatures, and the glue in duct tape doesn’t hold up well in high temperatures.

        Instead, there is actual duct tape out there designed for use in HVAC ducts that works much better for that purpose.

        • frongt@lemmy.zip
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          The best part is when it breaks down and the silver stuff comes off, leaving a ragged backing and crusty adhesive.

          There’s really no use case for duct tape that wouldn’t be better served by another kind of tape. Even if you want a “one roll for almost anything”, gaff tape is better.

          • OwOarchist@pawb.social
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            There’s really no use case for duct tape that wouldn’t be better served by another kind of tape.

            Restraining unruly airline passengers?

          • OwOarchist@pawb.social
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            You’re supposed to clean dust off things before trying to tape them. No kind of tape will work well on a dusty surface.

    • LastYearsIrritant@sopuli.xyz
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      Why? So people who live thousands of miles away can see a headline, dox them, then harass their family based on assumptions for years?

      You have no idea why this happened, or what the situation around it is. You have no reason to judge and punish this person.

      • BruisedMoose@piefed.social
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        That’s fair. But when you’re arrested on suspicion of committing a crime, your identity is made public. I guess I’m more wondering why this guy’s name and image are withheld in this instance.

          • BruisedMoose@piefed.social
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            23 hours ago

            Which is where I am and where this happened and where the article is being published, sooo… I guess my question still stands?

            • deltapi@lemmy.world
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              9 hours ago

              well we do it here in America, so you know it’s the right thing to do

              …how’s that going for you these days?

            • Manjushri@piefed.social
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              20 hours ago

              Probably because the news service doesn’t want to potentially get sued. The same reason they often use ‘allegedly’ when talking about people accused of crimes.

              Also, though they do it here in the states, it’s still wrong to release the names and images of people accused of crimes. People should not have their name and face plastered across the internet merely because they’ve been accused. Being accused of a crime is not the same as being convicted of a crime. Why should someone have their life potentially ruined because they are accused of something. Lots of people are wrongly accused and never convicted. We should at least wait until a conviction before publishing such information.

  • Snowclone@lemmy.world
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    a racist AND a homophobe! what?! but also he might end up being fined as much as 40k for assualting passengers, so that’s nice.

    • Nurse_Robot@lemmy.world
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      If he’s in first class that’s chump change for him. Must be nice being rich and facing no real consequences

      • timochka@lemmy.zip
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        US domestic first is hardly “stratospheric wealth” territory, anyone could afford that if they saved for it (which I really wouldn’t recommend - paying over the odds for a bigger seat on a 3hr shitty 737 flight is how you ensure you’ll never have enough money for real first-class travel…)

        • porkloin@lemmy.world
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          In my experience almost nobody is paying for the first class seats, they’re all frequent flyers who get upgraded there because they have status with the airline they fly on lots for work/business.

          • timochka@lemmy.zip
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            Fair point; the only justifiable reason to actually pay for it is if it’s a feeder for a long-haul first connection (many airlines don’t sell mixed-class bookings easily.)

        • MonkRome@lemmy.world
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          23 hours ago

          You can also get upgraded for free. I’ve flown first many times, I’ve never paid for it.

      • SeductiveTortoise@piefed.social
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        He’ll probably enjoy being banned from at least that airline.

        And the 40k are not for assaulting passengers, that will come in top.

        Besides criminal penalties, the agency can pursue fines of more than $43,000 against any passenger who “assaults, threatens, intimidates, or interferes with airline crew members.”

  • reddig33@lemmy.world
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    If that’s really duct tape, I wonder how easily it comes off of those upholstered seats without ruining them.

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    This won’t stop until countries start punishing airlines for letting these repeat offenders onto flights in the first place

    I would bet good money that this asshole has done this before, probably many times

    • turtlesareneat@piefed.ca
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      From what I know the airlines do enforce lifetime bans for things that endanger others or just plain terrify the crew.

      • eurodyne@piefed.world
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        Of course, but only actions that threaten the crew/staff. OF COURSE, they are important, but fellow passengers? The bans and what might trigger those bans should also come under strict scrutiny!

        Sadly, they do not. Airlines do absolutely not give a shit what other passengers have to put up with the whole point is to discover how much they will put up with to find out terribly. They can be treated while paying the most amount they can be charged for a ticket.

        That also needs to be regulated and stopped. “Free market capitalism” might as well be called “Vampire capitalism” and treated as such.

        • Zak@lemmy.world
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          Airlines care a lot when they have to make an unscheduled landing due to passenger behavior.

          • ravenaspiring@sh.itjust.works
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            Absolutely they’ve about an unscheduled stop, but let’s not pretend this isn’t a complex problem that is contributed to by the airlines themselves (as in Executives) squeezing every penny they can out of passengers at the expense of passengers, crew, airport staff, and more. Deregulating the airlines just made them bigger, which doesn’t help them be responsive and dynamic to a societal epidemic of mental health issues. More rules, lifetime bans, fines, and doing more of the same aren’t going to fix a problem that is bigger than the airlines.

    • OwOarchist@pawb.social
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      I would bet good money that this asshole has done this before, probably many times

      Well, probably not to the point of being taped to the seat and forcing an emergency landing, though. His earlier incidents were probably less severe…

      Which brings up the question: just how offensive does one of these repeat offenders have to be before you ban them from flying forever? Where do you draw the line?

    • saltesc@lemmy.world
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      There is no indication is a repeat offence and the airline would have banned him, as they usually do.

  • frongt@lemmy.zip
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    There have been more than 1,160 unruly passenger incidents reported so far this year, according to the FAA.

    Jesus. Maybe we should make air travel less accessible again.

    • OwOarchist@pawb.social
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      Gate attendants and ticket counter clerks should be incredibly rude to all passengers.

      Any passengers who can’t contain their temper through that are denied entry. And then tada – no more angry motherfuckers on airplanes.