Chaos and misdeeds: how tourists behaved badly in 2022
(CNN) — In 2022, the world started to travel again – and with that came the return of all the usual misbehavior and antics abroad. But with nerves perhaps frayed by a record year for airline cancellations, delays, lost luggage and inflated prices, misconduct was a particularly strong theme. Here are the highlights from a year of travelers who misbehaved.
« Did you pack your bag yourself? »
Sharp objects and weapons are, as everyone knows, huge no-no’s when it comes to hand luggage at the airport.
A family of American tourists also caused havoc at Israel’s Ben Gurion airport in April after they attempted to ferry an unexploded shell through security. Airport staff announced an evacuation and video posted on social media showed people in panic and running for cover.
Putting a whole, uncooked chicken in your carry-on is guaranteed to arouse suspicion from the US Transport Security Administration, but even more so if you’re hiding a gun inside, as a man in Florida did.
And at least that poultry-covered gun was discovered: An investigation was launched in June after an Atlanta passenger walked through security with a bag that could contain a gun.
Live animals were also part of the circus of chaos in 2022: porcupines, armadillos, turtles, lizards and snakes were among 109 living creatures discovered by x-ray in two pieces of luggage at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport.
A dog is seen in a backpack through x-ray at Dane County Regional Airport in Madison, Wisconsin.
TSA_GreatLakes/Twitter
Two women were arrested and charged with smuggling in this incident, but on other occasions the intentions were not criminal. A live dog was accidentally sent through the X-ray machine at a Wisconsin airport in December, just weeks after a cat was found trapped in a suitcase at JFK airport in New York. He seemed to have slipped inside while the owner of the suitcase was not looking.
And at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport in Ohio in September, a human was the unexpected object hiding among the luggage. A man has been arrested after climbing through the airport baggage carousel in a restricted area.
« For your safety and comfort, please remain seated »
In January, a man in Honduras reportedly damaged the inside of the cockpit of an American Airlines plane bound for Miami, then tried to jump out of the window, while the plane was still at the gate.
NFL star Odell Beckham Jr. was another passenger who was kicked off a flight before takeoff: He was kicked off an American Airlines flight to Los Angeles at Los Angeles International Airport Miami in November after refusing to comply with security protocol, according to a police statement.
And in September, a Southwest Airlines pilot in Houston threatened to cancel takeoff after a passenger dropped a nude photo to fellow travelers.
Video obtained by TMZ Sports appears to show boxing legend Mike Tyson punching another passenger in the seat behind him while on board a JetBlue plane in San Francisco.
Former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson was the most high-profile traveler to have been involved in a physical altercation with another passenger this year, but punching and jumping in the air remained in vogue.
The worst year on record for unruly behavior by airline passengers in the United States was 2021, with nearly 6,000 incidents reported and almost 72% of them mask-related. This year, meanwhile, there were 2,359 greatly reduced Federal Aviation Administration reports as of Dec. 15, with the peak being in February 2022, before the mask mandate was lifted.
This year began with a rowdy group of Canadians stranded in Mexico after their maskless party on a flight to Cancun canceled their flight home and other airlines refused to fly them home.
In February, an American Airlines flight attendant used a coffee maker to hit a passenger in the head after he tried to open the plane’s exit door, according to the airline. And there have been many cases of flights being diverted or returned due to disruptive behavior – such as trying to bite another passenger or assaulting cabin crew.
Fines for McMuffins and tilting your seat
An AirAsia flight in Malaysia has been diverted after a snake was found squeezing through light fixtures. And strange moans and moans were heard on the AP on an American Airlines flight to the amazement of passengers.
At Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport in May, a man was arrested after stepping onto the wing of a taxiing plane after arriving from San Diego.
And the misadventure did not stop after the planes landed. A passenger arriving in Australia from Bali, Indonesia has been fined $1,874 after two undeclared McMuffins and a ham croissant were found in his luggage.
Fines have also been imposed on other modes of transport. A man in China has been ordered to pay $478 for tilting his train seat: it shattered the laptop screen of the passenger sitting behind him.
Bad behavior in the Bel Paese
International tourists flocked to Italy this summer and soon the Bel Paese became the visitor naughtiness capital of the world.
« Italy is special in the wealth of tourism features in the country, and it’s unique in that people occupy these spaces in a way that doesn’t happen in many countries, » said Tom Jenkins, CEO of the European Tourism Association (ETOA). CNN Travel in October.
He underlined that Venice and Rome are living cities in which people constantly rub shoulders with invaluable cultural treasures. Said Jenkins, « There’s nowhere in France [the most visited country in the world] it is also sensitive. And they get 65 million international visitors a year, so the sheer volume of people entering these spaces means a small fraction are behaving irresponsibly isn’t all that surprising. »
Come with your buds, but not for the bud
Visitors have also returned to Amsterdam, with city officials targeting less desirable sex and drug tourists with a move to « actively discourage international visitors intending to ‘go wild' » in the Dutch capital. It has been dubbed the « stay away » campaign.
Thailand decriminalized cannabis in June 2022 and cannabis cafes then started popping up in Thailand’s capital, Bangkok.
Of course, disturbing tourists were only a tiny fraction of the number of people on the move this year and there were also many heartwarming stories from 2022.
There was the retired nurse who helped save the life of a baby who had stopped breathing on a flight from Pittsburgh to Orlando.
Then, at the end of the year, there were the two refugee sisters who tracked down the mysterious woman who had given them $100 for a plane 23 years earlier, a life-changing gift for the young girls.
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