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Jeanie Daniels' story should serve as a warning to potential travelers: Never curse at a flight attendant and always paint your nails before boarding.
KTRK reports that the Burbank, Calif., resident was told by a flight attendant to stop painting her nails because of the polish's smell. With only a couple fingernails left, Daniels decided to finish the job in the bathroom, so as not to offend anyone's nasal cavities.
But upon exiting the lavatory, Daniels told the station she was confronted by a flight attendant. After she cursed during the ensuing altercation, Daniels found police officers waiting for her when she landed in Houston.
She was handcuffed and detained for ten hours until a judge dismissed later the charge of "abusive profane language."
In response to the incident, Southwest Airlines released the following statement to KCAL:
"The Customer in question was taken into custody upon arrival in Houston for behavior she displayed while onboard a flight from LAS - HOU on Feb 26th. The airport police became involved because of the passenger's behavior and a verbal altercation with a Southwest Airlines crew member. Southwest Airlines is responsible for the safety of all of our passengers and Employees."
So how bad is the smell of nail polish on a plane? A CNN commenter claiming to be a flight attendant wrote that only the peeling of a hardboiled egg is comparable to the stench.
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Flight attendants may appear to be waiting staff, but they are in fact federally required safety personell to manage evacuation in emergencies. Serving drinks and meals is a sideline but not the main reason they are there. Airlines cannot afford to have an impression created among passengers that their instructions can be ignored and must make an example of any passengers who try to argue the point.
Having said that, the best and most professional staff will be able to do their job effectively without escalating a situation with a difficult passenger. Everyone is human (including the staff)and everyone has days where they are less patient with someone who can't or won't accept their point of view. If push comes to shove, while the plane in in flight, it is vital for everyones safety that everyone knows it is what the cabin crew says that is the law.