What A Relief

If you've ever wondered whether airline barf bags were really leak-proof, we can put that question to rest.

A SkyWest plane was ready to take off from Boise to Salt Lake on March 7, when crews discovered a light in the cabin rest room was burned out. The captain had two choices... delay the flight until it could be fixed, or declare the bathroom out of service. The flight was a short hop, so he figured it would cause the least inconvenience if he closed the restroom and took off on time.

That worked fine for everyone... except James Whipple. He'd had what he said were two really big beers before departing Boise, and once the plane was in the air, reached the point where he had no other option.

"It was like I had no choice. I started to urinate on myself. So, thinking the way I thought, I grabbed one of those vomit bags," Whipple told the Salt Lake Tribune.

Amazingly, no other passengers reported seeing Whipple use the airsickness bag in a manner its designer had not originally intended... but it somehow came to the attention of a flight attendant, who told the captain.

"I didn't think I did anything wrong," Whipple said. "I could have relieved myself all over my pants. It was almost like that was what she preferred me to do."

After being questioned by airport police in Salt Lake City, a very relieved Whipple (you bet that pun was intended -- Ed.) caught a cab home.

SkyWest has since sent Whipple a travel voucher and apology letter. Perhaps they were afraid he'd be...well, you know?

FMI: www.skywest.com