PixabayWaking up hungover after a heavy night out, struggling to remember where you are or how you ended up in such a state, is admittedly not the best feeling in the world.
Every morning after drinking, I question all of my life decisions and wonder why I put myself through it every single week. But then someone says, ‘wine?’ and I immediately forget about the imminent hangover.
I’ve never gotten so drunk that I’ve woken up 500 miles away from home though, which is exactly what one baggage handler had the misfortune of doing recently.
According to USA Today, the American Airlines baggage handler fell asleep on the job – inside the plane’s cargo hold – admittedly intoxicated.
The unnamed employee works for American Airlines subsidiary, Piedmont Airlines, and was working on the ramp for American Flight 363 last week, October 27.
The flight was due to take off from Kansas City International Airport, however the handler decided to take a break from his duties, before quickly falling asleep.
At this point I’m wondering how he got away with this – if I turned up to work hungover and decided to take a nap, I’m almost certain someone would have something to say about it.
PixabayThe napping worker went unnoticed though, and the plane took off just before 6am local time with him still inside the cargo hold.
A source told ABC News the man probably wasn’t discovered before departure because there was no luggage loaded into the forward hold for the flight.
He wasn’t discovered until the plane landed in Chicago at O’Hare International Airport, just before 7.30am local time.
Can you imagine waking up, probably with a raging hangover, and realising you’ve made a massive mistake and could lose your job over it? The hangover anxiousness would be at level 100.
An American Airlines spokesperson told the Express the cargo hold was ‘heated and pressurised’, meaning the conditions aren’t suitable for people to spend long periods of time in.
The spokesperson went on to say:
Our top priority is ensuring the well-being of the Piedmont employee. He did not request any medical attention upon arrival in Chicago, and we are grateful that he did not sustain any injuries.
The American team is very concerned about this serious situation, and we are reviewing what transpired with our Piedmont and Kansas City colleagues.
PixabayAfter he was discovered, the Express report the man was interviewed by the Chicago Police Department, FBI and US Attorney’s Office – as is standard procedure regarding aviation security.
According to ABC News, police have said the employee has admitted he was drunk when he fell asleep inside the Boeing 737 on the flight.
The unknown man has not been charged with a crime, but he’s been suspended from his job at regional carrier, Piedmont Airlines.
If you have a story you want to tell, send it to [email protected].
A Broadcast Journalism Masters graduate who went on to achieve an NCTJ level 3 Diploma in Journalism, Lucy has done stints at ITV, BBC Inside Out and Key 103. While working as a journalist for UNILAD, Lucy has reported on breaking news stories while also writing features about mental health, cervical screening awareness, and Little Mix (who she is unapologetically obsessed with).