A man has claimed that he and his father-in-law were removed from a flight for saying the word “penis” in front of staff.
Jayson Bauer and his father-in-law were waiting to depart on a flight to Florida from Flint Bishop Airport in Michigan, US, when he claims they were approached by staff who asked them both to leave the plane.
The flight was being operated by Nevada-based domestic airline, Allegiant Airlines.
Once off the aircraft, Mr Bauer said Allegiant staff refused to tell him why they had been deplaned, adding that it wasn’t until police officers arrived that he was told the alleged reason.
“Finally the Flint police and the airport authority came over and said we were removed because I said the word ‘penis’ on board an airplane,” Mr Bauer told Fox 2 Detroit.
“I meant it in no derogatory [way]. I mean, it’s part of the male anatomy and we were literally kicked off an airplane in Flint and we had to drive.”
The pair say they were later offered a different departure with Allegiant but chose not to take it as it would not have got them to their destination on time.
Mr Bauer claimed that several other passengers were removed for being disruptive, adding “there was another person who was intoxicated while a fourth person also threw up”.
However, an Allegiant Airlines spokesperson told Fox 2 that two passengers had become disruptive and verbally abusive after boarding the plane.
“When crew members instructed them to cease their unruly behaviour, the passengers failed to comply. As a result, both were deplaned and reaccommodated to other flights,” read a statement from the company.
“This decision was made with the utmost safety of our customers and crew members in mind. Unruly behaviour from a passenger presents a safety risk.
“As I’m sure you are aware, failing to comply with a crew member’s instructions is a violation of FAA regulations. Allegiant does not tolerate disruptive, abusive, or unruly behaviour of any kind.”
It’s not the oddest reason a passenger has been removed from a flight.
In 2020, a Muslimwoman said she had been removed from an American Airlines flight after a white male passenger said he didn’t “feel comfortable” with her being on the plane.
American Airlines insisted that the passenger had been removed after a “verbal altercation” with the man, who she also filmed.
In June, 25 passengers were removed from an Air Canada flight, seemingly for no reason. The airline later said it was a mix-up over mask compliance rules.
