Fair dinkum! Aussie lingo sparks security scare

[Heracles 417]

Fair dinkum! Aussie lingo sparks security scare

Jano Gibson

August 10, 2007 - 3:10PM

Strewth. Crikey. Bloody hell. An Australian woman has reportedly sparked a security scare aboard a US flight after her use of a common Australian phrase was apparently misinterpreted as an act of aggression.

Sophie Reynolds, 41, from Queanbeyan, was flying aboard SkyWest Airlines from Atlanta to Pittsburgh this week when she asked a flight attendant if she could have a pack of pretzels instead of crackers.

"[The flight attendant] said they didn't have any [pretzels], and I said, 'Fair dinkum,' out of frustration," Reynolds was quoted as saying in the The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Before she knew it a second flight attendant asked her for her passport and copied down her name.

Then, when the flight landed, three uniformed officers greeted her.

"They said, 'You swore at the hostess and there are federal rules against that,"' Reynolds said. "And I said, 'I did not swear at the hostess, I just said 'fair dinkum."'

A spokeswoman for the airline said it was not simply a matter of misunderstanding the language.

"We witnessed aggressive behaviour throughout the flight," she said.

Reynolds was not charged and allowed to go on her way, she said.

This is like a scene out of a Seinfeld..

I am really going to love flying Virgin America..

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[Dr_LHA 3]

Have Virgin America promised not to employ morons as their flight stewardesses then?

Also I'd love to know why they didn't have pretzels, its seems like every flight I take these days all they bloody well have is pretzels! I hate pretzels!

[Heracles 417]

Have Virgin America promised not to employ morons as their flight stewardesses then?

Virgin Airlines have a great reputation around the world. They tend to hire fun and exciting people. They seem to get it. That an airline actually needs to invest in the service it provides and listen to the customers. On both a service as well as customer service level.

Edited August 11, 2007 by Boo-Yah!

[Fandango 1,440]

Virgin's awesome...can't say enough about the pleasant experiences I've had flying them multiple times.

Meanwhile, their letvafly.com site has some AMAZING deals.

[Dr_LHA 3]

Virgin Airlines have a great reputation around the world. They tend to hire fun and exciting people. They seem to get it. That an airline actually needs to invest in the service it provides and listen to the customers. On both a service as well as customer service level.

It just takes one though, personally I've never had any issue with US Airways personel.

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

Stupid Americans need to travel the world more.