I am not sure how I got onto a series of posting about what happens on the plane. But this one was too good not to share.

The safety instructions become very monotonous after a few hundred flights, but we all know that smoking is not allowed on the plane. For that matter, smoking is pretty much banned in any public establishment in the world. Dirk mentioned that everyone knows not to smoke on a plane, why do they keep telling us. Then you land in Ireland and the Garda gets on the plane.

The usual announcement is made upon landing. ‘Please stay seated until the captain has switched off the seat belt sign.’ And as usually, several people completely ignore her and stand, grabbing their things out of the overhead bin. This time she is not polite about it, her face is pissed, her voice is louder, she tells everyone to sit back down.

With a less then pleasant looks on their faces they sit down, one man lingers with a look of ‘fuck you’ on his face. That looks stops when the Garda enter the plane and walk right to the back. An interesting looking gentleman is asked to stand then lead off the back of the plane.

Dirk and I have no idea what he did or what is happening. When we get to the luggage carousel, and are standing our appropriate distance away, we mention it to Dirk’s dad. He was surprised we didn’t know what was happening and filled us in.

This guy decides he needed a smoke. His first smoke with in the bathroom at the rear of the plane. The alarms were ringing and staff were trying to get the man out of the toilet. Once out he was told to return to his seat. The crew then pulls the curtain closed to do something that no one can see. He takes this as the opportunity to go to the front toilet. Again, more alarms and the crew is up there trying to get him out, it takes awhile. He is escorted back to his seat, but this time a ‘man’ (a.k.a. air marshall) comes over and sits beside him the rest of the flight until the Garda arrive.

Looks like they take that no smoking rule seriously.”