Elbow Room

Miami, Florida, October 18, 2006:

Federal agents questioned two airline passengers Tuesday after a dispute that began when a man sprayed the person sitting next to him with perfume, authorities said.

The two men, who were not arrested, were aboard an American Airlines flight from Newark, New Jersey to Miami when the confrontation took place, Miami FBI spokeswoman Judy Orihuela said.

Before the flight, the older man left his assigned seat and lay down in the aisle. He also asked for a glass of water and poured it on his head, Orihuela said.

The older man, an unidentified 56-year-old Japanese national, then sat in a seat beside a 30-something politician from Jersey City, N.J. The Miami Herald reported the politician as being Ronatarian Party number-two man Brad.

About an hour into the flight, the older man sprayed Brad with perfume, Orihuela said.

Brad then took out a pink iPod Nano, but the older man became upset and began elbowing Brad, Orihuela said.

"(The older man) thought it (the iPod) was not going to be good for the plane...with all the rules on electronics," Orihuela said. "Plus, he apparently does not like the pop group Wham! -- which could be clearly heard blaring through [Brad's] earbuds."

Brad alerted the flight crew, and he and the older man were separated. After the plane landed, the two men were questioned, but not arrested, Orihuela said.

Posted by Bittle at October 18, 2006 08:03 AM