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Police Called to Quell "Unruly Crowd" at JFK Delta Terminal
By
John Del Signore
Published Dec 22, 2009
Modified Dec 22, 2009
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By
John Del Signore
Published Dec 22, 2009
Modified Dec 22, 2009
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[UPDATE BELOW] There's probably some sort of holiday travel nightmare situation unfolding everywhere today, but we're hearing that the Delta terminal at JFK airport is particularly hellish. A report over the newswire bleats: "LARGE UNRULY CROWD DELTA TERMINAL WEST GATE #12. PAPD UNITS ON SCENE REQUESTING ADD'L UNITS." Who'll be tased for Christmas? Twitter user Joel Clare says, "Whoa, JFK is a NUT HOUSE! If you are flying Delta out of JFK today expect 1.5+hours for the security line."
Twitter user bpopken—as in Consumerist editor Ben Popken—writes, "going to be some bad incident in jfk delta today. I can feel it. Backed up the yinyang. Low staff. No communication. People starting to snap." And agblackbook tweets, "Going to miss my flight, as they only have 1 guy working the counter. This airline sucks!!!! JFK is a nightmare today! Arrive at least 4 hours early if u hope to make a flight!"
The DeltaFail hashtag on Twitter has some preliminary bitching too, with one unlucky flier declaring, "it will be my last time unless miracle manifests itself in the next few hours." But be careful what you wish for Tweeters, that miracle might turn out to be riot police turning the fire hose on you!
UPDATE:NY1's Twitter is reporting that "Delta At JFK Airport Has Minor Delays After Police Break Up A Fight Between Passengers At Terminal, No Injured." The Port Authority tells Fox 5 that the situation is now under control, and police were called in by Delta "to help maintain order and help customer service representatives that bore the brunt of the anger." Another Port Authority spokesman confirmed the security situation, but added, "It's really Delta's issue." You don't say!
A spokesperson for Delta tells 1010WINS that anger boiled over when a group of customers, whose flight to Port-Au-Prince, Haiti, was canceled on Sunday, finally snapped. They've been trying to get home on standby, but haven't been having any luck so far. But as Clarice sings in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, "There's always tomorrow for dreams to come true!" Delta promises they'll definitely get out on a new flight, now scheduled for Wednesday.
Tagged
airport
delta
hell
holiday travel
JFK
jfk airport
lines
mob
nyc
riot
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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