It's easy to get annoyed on an airplane. The food is terrible, you don't have any space, and sometimes you have the misfortune to sit next to a screaming toddler. But no matter how bad it feels, remember that it could always be worse. Sure, it sucks when you get some bad turbulence from a strong gust of wind. But it's better than your neighbors breaking wind.
A Transavia Airlines flight was traveling from Dubai to Amsterdam, when an altercation broke out between three passengers. One passenger was farting loudly, and could not, or would not restrain himself. It is not clear if he had a medical condition, or was just being obnoxious. In any event, his flatulence greatly offended two Dutch men, who despite being Dutch, were not keen to be part of a Dutch oven. After exchanging harsh words, the two parties got into a fist fight.
Due to the ruckus, the pilot had to make an unscheduled landing in Vienna. After getting reports about "passengers on the rampage," Austrian police boarded the aircraft and removed four passengers from the flight. The officers escorted two Dutch men away - presumably the same two Dutch men who were offended by the man breaking wind, although that has not yet been confirmed. In addition,
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One of the young women identified herself as "Nora L.," while her sister did not give her name. They hail from Rotterdam, and complained to the local media in Austria that they had been unfairly removed from the flight. "It was crazy that we were included," said Nora, "We had no idea who these boys were, we just had the bad luck to be in the same row and we didn't do anything." Transavia Airlines banned all four of the booted passengers from future flights, so the ladies had find another airline to take them to Amsterdam. (But hey, at least that flight smelled better.)
There were no arrests made after the incident. While one man violated the fresh air of the cabin, nobody violated any Austrian laws. (Also, it is unclear if in Austrian society they abide by the rule of 'he who smelt it, dealt it.')
I feel bad for the other passengers. We've all been on a flight that got delayed before, whether due to the weather, or an unexpected detour, or they're waiting to pull up on the runway. Can you imagine being on a plane that had to make an unscheduled stop because some passengers got in a fight over farting? That situation stinks for everyone. If that's the sort of clientele on Transavia, a low-cost airline, it might be worth it to kick in a few extra bucks and pick a different service. Or invest in a gas mask.
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