Opening an umbrella inside a plane isn’t just bad luck… it’s a punishable crime!
With all the temperature and humidity regulators at work on a commercial aircraft, it’s not uncommon for a little condensation and leakage to happen from time to time.
The dripping itself isn’t a big deal but when you’re strapped in a chair next to a sleeping 300-lb man, the annoyance factor gets amplified. As captured in this photo aboard a Cathay Pacific flight, one man decided to deal with it by pulling out his trusty umbrella.
However, surprisingly, the act of opening a parasol mid-flight is a violation of Hong Kong aviation regulations and could land this man in prison.
According to the Civil Aviation Department, if a passenger opens an umbrella mid-flight it has an impact on the orderly operation of the aircraft. It is also possible the man violated some “unruly behavior” related regulations including not complying with crew instructions.
Police are reported to be investigating the incident and will determine whether to go forward with charges. If the violations amount to a summary offense then he could face a HK$10,000 (US$1,300) fine and/or six months in prison. If his offenses are serious enough to be an indictable offense he can be penalized by a maximum HK$50,000 ($6,500) and/or two years in prison.
So, if you ever feel a little dripping while flying the friendly skies, Cathay would like to remind you to leave the umbrella in your bag and ask a flight attendant to take care of it, as shown in the photo.
Source: Apple HK (Chinese) via MIC Gadget (English)
