Unbearable Delay

[PHXPhlyer]

Bear escapes from crate in plane's cargo hold, causing unbearable delay
Iraq’s prime minister has ordered an investigation into how the animal escaped from its crate in the cargo hold of an Iraqi aircraft as it was due to depart from Dubai airport.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/bear ... -rcna98528

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s prime minister has ordered an investigation into how a bear escaped from its crate in the cargo hold of an Iraqi aircraft as it was due to depart from Dubai airport, leaving passengers disgruntled over the delay and causing a stir on social media.

Iraqi Airways said it wasn’t to blame for the bear’s escape and that the aircraft’s crew worked with authorities in the United Arab Emirates, which dispatched specialists to sedate the animal and remove it from the plane.

A video clip circulating on social media showed the plane’s captain apologizing to passengers for Friday’s takeoff delay because of the bear’s escape from its crate in the cargo hold.

Iraqi Airways said Saturday that procedures to transport the bear were carried out in accordance with the law and with procedures and standards approved by the International Air Transport Association.

The airline said the bear was being flown from Baghdad to Dubai. But a person speaking on the video clip making the social media rounds suggested otherwise, saying the aircraft was an hour late for its trip to Baghdad and that passengers were being asked to disembark until the issue was resolved.

Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest for international travel, declined to comment.

An Iraqi Airways official confirmed to The Associated Press on Sunday that the bear was, in fact, being transported to the Iraqi capital. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he’s not authorized to speak about the matter publicly, declined to name the animal’s owner.

Keeping predatory animals as pets in Iraq — especially in Baghdad — has become popular among the wealthy.

Authorities have struggled to enforce legal provisions to protect wild animals. Baghdad’s police has previously called on citizens to assist authorities in preventing such animals from being let loose on the city’s streets or ending up as exotic meals in restaurant by reporting such cases.

PP

[limeygal]

I may have posted this before-so apologies for the repeat. Back in the day, one of the Al Thani royal family (Qatar)collected exotic animals. During a turnaround, a baggage handler opened the cargo hold on an aircraft on the tarmac next to us. A lion cub was standing in the opening. One of the animals he bought had escaped his cage. I have never seen a baggage handler move so fast.

[PHXPhlyer]

Bear cub peeks out from plane's cargo hold after escaping crate

Once again video from CNN will not copy video's URL.
Any ideas why?


PP

[llondel]

I may have posted this before-so apologies for the repeat. Back in the day, one of the Al Thani royal family (Qatar)collected exotic animals. During a turnaround, a baggage handler opened the cargo hold on an aircraft on the tarmac next to us. A lion cub was standing in the opening. One of the animals he bought had escaped his cage. I have never seen a baggage handler move so fast.

Not necessarily the best option, given the instinct to chase things that are moving.

[limeygal]

On the subject of animals on a/c: coming out of Hong Kong after a two day layover (all maintenance was done there at the time), I was working the first class bar. It was a night flight back to BKK, so we had fed & watered the pax and turned the lights down. I went into the f/c galley to do paperwork and I noticed the galley girl had her trousers tucked into her pop socks. I casually asked why "so the spider won't run up my leg" "what spider?" "the one on your bar cart." I jumped back and sure enough there was a humongous spider. It dropped off the cart and scurried under it. I am terrified of spiders, especially ones as big as my hand. It looked tarantula-esque, black with yellow spots. The no.1 from economy entered at this point and sat in my jump seat. We told him about it and that's when I noticed the bloody thing hanging off the fire extinguisher next to my seat. We pointed to it and the steward jumped to his feet, the seat slamming up and dislodging the spider. Bear in mind all this was done in hushed hysteria as we didn't want to wake the f/c pax. One of the Bahraini steward entered the fray and we told him about the problem, at which point the spider ran across the floor. We all ran in different directions except the Bahraini who grabbed a f/c metal tray and slammed it down on top of it. The resulting crash and muffled screams didn't wake anybody (amazingly) and the nobody could identify the squashed spider remains.