What NOT To Say At The Airport, Volume... We've Lost Count

It doesn't tickle OUR funny-bone, but it apparently seemed humorous to a Scottish businessman at the time. He told a flight attendant on a trip from Inverness to Luton that he had a bomb in his carry-on bag.

The flight was still on the ground -- and it stayed there, as emergency workers geared up for what they could only see as a major threat. Three police units, an armed response vehicle, a fire truck, and three ambulances rushed to the Easyjet 737 as it idled on the tarmac.

Meanwhile, the passenger -- 41-year old Peter Aldred -- fell asleep. The Scotsman reports that when Aldred woke up, he was looking at two armed law officers who'd boarded the plane to arrest him.

The flight was evacuated and searched. Aldred's bag was X-rayed. It contained nothing more threatening than a couple of stuffed animal toys and some candy.

The cost of the whole episode: EasyJet pegs it at about 25,000 pounds... more than $43,000.

Tuesday, Aldred was sentenced to two months behind bars. A spokeswoman for EasyJet says the company is happy with Aldred's sentence. Hopefully, she said... this will serve as a warning to other not-so-funny jokesters.

FMI: www.easyjet.com