A passenger on a commercial flight got stuck in the lavatory of a Boeing 737. SpiceJet, a low-cost Indian carrier, was operating an hour and 45-minute trip from Mumbai to Bengaluru earlier this week when the unidentified male passenger got up from his seat after takeoff to use the bathroom, the Indian Express reports. After all the efforts to free the man from his unfortunate predicament were exhausted, a flight attendant slipped an apology note under the door.
The note scribbled out on a napkin also warned the trapped passenger that the plane was preparing to land. The message read:
“Sir we tried our best to open the door, however, we could not. Do not panic. We are landing in a few minutes, so please close the commode lid and sit on it and secure yourself. As soon as the main door is open, an engineer will come. Do not panic.”
Getting a note after the cabin crew and several passengers had attempted to pry the door open and failed isn’t really the most reassuring gesture, like they’re leaving me to my fate. However, the directions were sensible. You absolutely don’t want anything in the toilet bowl splashing out when the airliner touches down on the runway. Securing yourself is a hard ask depending on how tall you are. Ideally, you would want to stay seated on top of the lid while bracing yourself with your legs against the jammed door.
The passenger was eventually rescued when engineers broke down the door after the aircraft landed in Bengaluru around 3:42 a.m. local time. The airline released a statement which reads, “SpiceJet regrets and apologizes for the inconvenience caused to the passenger. The passenger is being provided a full refund.”
Mentioning “Do not panic” might provide the perfect transition to reference “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” but it’s a legitimately good mindset to encourage. There was no chance of an immediate escape, and no chance of assistance should panicking create a medical emergency. Yes, it was a bad situation, but you should do everything you can to prevent it becoming worse.