Flight to Hawaii diverted due to fight over a blanket
While $12 does seem steep for a flimsy airline blanket, being able to make it to your destination without diverting an entire flight and having to explain to police why you threatened to take someone out "behind the woodshed" is priceless.
A Hawaiian Airlines passenger learned that valuable lesson, as well as the importance of always traveling with a coat, on Wednesday, Los Angeles Airport Police Department spokesman Rob Pedregon told the Los Angeles Times. Not long after taking off from Las Vegas, a 66-year-old passenger said he was cold and asked for a blanket. After being told it would cost him $12 for a blanket, the passenger said he shouldn't have to pay this, because it wasn't his fault the plane was frigid. He asked to speak with a representative from the corporate office, and during an in-flight phone call, allegedly told the person, "I would like to take someone behind the woodshed for this."
That did it — the flight was diverted to LAX because of an "unruly passenger," Pedregon said, and police and federal authorities greeted the frosty traveler. After interviewing him and the flight crew, police determined there was no criminal threat, and Pedregon said the passenger was able to get a seat on a different, hopefully warmer, flight.
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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
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