MARCY'S FLIGHT NUN TRAVEL BLOG- WHEN PANIC TAKES HOLD OF A PASSENGER!

 I already wrote about the woman who had me in a death grip after we hit a flock of geese.  That's when I realized that panic can make someone extremely strong! I had a few other extreme cases I'll share with you.

It was a DC-9-30 trip one Spring.  Needless to say, we encountered very turbulent air! We were rocking and rolling more than if we were in a boat during a storm! If I remember correctly, we had several stops on this trip, and the flights were fairly short.  This meant we didn't reach a very high altitude, so couldn't get out of the weather!

On our next to last landing of the day our landing was so hard one of the window exit windows actually came loose and fell in and on to a passenger! Here the poor man was, holding the window up as we slowed down and taxied to the gate. He wasn't hurt, just a bit shook.

The Captain came back and worked to put the window back in place.  That's when I noticed that the young woman who sat in a row behind the window exit was crying.  Going to her aid she stated that the whole thing scared her to death!  I did all I could to reassure her!

Off we took for another bumpy ride.  All at once the young woman came up out of her seat, crying and screaming she wanted off!  She couldn't take it anymore! Before I could stop her she was banging on the cockpit door! All she kept saying was "Let me off! Let me off!!"

Now came my mistake.  I put my hand on her shoulder, thinking I'd turn her away from the cockpit door and perhaps calm her down. She swung around.  Since she was already flailing her hands, pounding on the door- I ended up getting hit in the mouth- then the right eye!

I ended up half sprawled in the galley, clutching my face with one hand and clutching the galley counter with the other!! She immediately snapped out of it!  All she could say was "Oh my God!  I'm sorry! I'm sorry!! (Sob Sob) I'm SO sorry!"

Meanwhile the second Flight Attendant was running up from the back, and the First Officer had just exited the cockpit. He took one look at my face and said "What the Hell!?!"  The second Flight Attendant escorted the young woman to a seat at the back of the aircraft and got her seated. The First Officer was relaying to the Captain in the cockpit that I had just been in a fist fight with a passenger- and the passenger won!  (Excuse me- I never threw a punch!)

Now came the reality of my face.  The second Flight Attendant was trying to do first aid, putting ice on my bloody mouth and eye. (That hurt like hell!)  The First Officer went to the panic passenger and made sure we were not going to have any more problems.  Her fear was that the exit window would come open again and she'd be sucked out!

We wrote up a "incident" report and I did what I could to clean myself up.  Interestingly enough, the other passengers just stared. No obvious reaction from any of them.  It was like they were embarrassed on my behalf and wanted to pretend it didn't happen. Needless to say- no service on that leg of the flight! It wasn't a long flight anyway, and with all the hub bub we were just getting ready to land after all the drama!

Once we laded- passengers deplaned- (with the panic passenger apologizing again as she deplaned) we crew members deplaned and headed for the hotel. Looking in the mirror I thought "Holy Cow! That gal really threw a punch!!" Both my mouth and eye were swollen!  This was not going to be good! It was the end of day one- with two more to go before I was finished!

I thought about calling in "sick- or beat up", but we weren't going to be at our home base until our last day. I decided I'd have to stick with it.

Day two I looked like I had been in a bar room brawl! I had a black eye and a swollen lip!   I used as much makeup as I could on the eye- but what to do about the mouth?! I iced it whenever I could! I had passengers ask what happened to me!  I even had one lady try to council me about domestic violence! Ha!

Day three and the mouth returned to normal- sort of.  I had a scab where my lip had split. Not pretty! But the eye was worse!  The white of the eye was all bloody!  And the "black" eye was now purple, blue, and  dark yellow! 

I began to feel bad that I hadn't knocked the gal out! (Just kidding!) But-- It would've made me feel better! Lol! Finally we returned to our base. Needless to say I went to see my supervisor- who gave me my next three day trip off! My wounds healed. 

The other "Panic attack" passenger was one that got stuck in the blue room! (Airline talk for the bath room)  Evidently she was claustrophobic.  As she tried to exit the bathroom she was in a panic. She tried to open the door.  Her foot was actually in the way of the door opening! She started to pound on the door, crying for help. 

Every time I unlocked the door she relocked it, thinking she was doing it right.  Obviously in her panic  she wasn't thinking clearly.  Finally I told her to stand as far away from the door as she could. Now I could get the door open easily.

Once out of the bathroom she almost collapsed!  She was pouring sweat and shaking all over!  Poor thing said she was in there and couldn't breath!  The walls felt like they were closing in on her!  She was weak as a kitten- no punches from this one!

Then there was the "Fear Of Flying" lady. This happened on a Convair. She was sort of weepy when she got on the aircraft. This was Spring, so we indeed had some turbulence. Every time we swayed or bounces she let out a cry of distress! Clutching the arm rests she would let out a "Oh my God!" sob.  I did all I could to comfort and reassure her, but her fear was so strong that she made herself sick! (Well- her fear plus the turbulence! ) After picking up several sick bags from her she announced she was never doing this again! For once I didn't try to talk a passenger into flying again!

I've had many a "White knuckled" passenger on my flights- but those three were extreme cases, for sure!

I've heard stories of passengers trying to open the main boarding door in the air to "get out" or faint from fright.  One Flight Attendant told me a man brought a large bottle of scotch onboard.  When told he couldn't drink that he claimed that's the only way he could fly- as drunk as he could get! Thankfully I never had those situations.   My bloody lip and black eye was the ultimate "Panic Passenger" story. 

Until Next Time, Dear Readers!

Life Is Indeed An Adventure! And You Never Know When You'll Meet Someone With A Great Right Hook!