While this story originates from Florida and took place in Boston, it could have just as easily happened anywhere in the world where paranoia pulses through the populous like greed in the veins of a bank CEO. The story, written by Miami
NBC correspondent Todd Wright, rises to the occasion and slices to the center of the real issue of
Bagels on a Plane.
Florida Professor Arrested For Having A "Suspicious" Bagel On A Plane
A Florida professor was arrested and removed from a plane Monday after his fellow passengers alerted crew members they thought he had a suspicious package in the overhead compartment.
That "suspicious package" turned out to be keys, a bagel with cream cheese and a hat.
Ognjen Milatovic, 35, was flying from Boston to Washington D.C. on US Airways when he was escorted off the plane for disorderly conduct following the incident.
Monday's incident is another example of other passengers essentially becoming the authority on terrorist activity on planes.
Recently, passenger complaints have resulted authorities taking action against innocent passengers who went to the bathroom too often on a flight and who were just being annoying.
In the hyper-sensitive world of flying, sneezing too often could get you kicked off a flight and questioned by the FBI.
Milatovic, who is a mathematics and statistics professor at the University of North Florida, was minding his business when other passengers turned into super sleuths. Passengers reported hearing strange noises coming from a plastic bag. State police said later that the bag contained a set of keys, a bagel with cream cheese, some other small food items, a hat and a wallet.
When confronted by the US Airways crew about his "suspicious package," Milatovic got on his cell phone. The crew asked him to hang it up and sit down. When he refused, he was cuffed.
Milatovic was also charged with interfering with the operation of an aircraft.
What I think is the biggest surprise here is that NO ONE WAS DRUNK OR ON DRUGS!!! Isn't that amazing? This is just a case of busy bodies at work. Now I don't no what Prof. Milatovic looks like, so I can't say this was a case of profiling, but really...the jingling of keys being a "strange noise". Someone clearly has it in for people of Eastern European heritage. Or they just can't stand the idea of cream cheese on a bagel. Personally, I like a little schmeer.
I also love the list of other suspicious activities that can get you removed from an airplane - sneezing, peeing, being annoying - what's next making unnecessary eye contact? It's going to sound like the back seat of the family car every time you get on a plane. "He's looking at me." "She touching my side of the seat." "Are we there yet?" Passengers are now the authority on terrorist activities and the REAL authorities take them for their word. Crazy.
But what kills me is why does the professor make a cell call when all he had to do was politely ask them to look into the bag so they could see the contents where harmless. Prof was just as guilty as annoying rat, tattle tale person who started the whole bomb bagel rumor to begin with. "But I could have sworn the cream cheese was C4...REALLY!!"
I can just picture the bomb squad carefully taking the paper bag off the plane, opening it up to find a bagel and bunch of miscellaneous personal items. They probably rolled their eyes and said "What the Hell?"
