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Man takes airport shuttle for a spin
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A man rolled up to an airport shuttle bus similar to this one in a wheelchair, climbed into the driver’s seat and went on a joyride.
S.F. AIRPORT (Map, News) - Was a man in a wheelchair early Monday morning aspiring for a bigger set of wheels? Authorities at San Francisco International Airport can only guess why a man in a wheelchair climbed into the driver’s seat of a Doubletree shuttle bus and went on a joyride around the terminals with passengers still aboard.
The shuttle arrived at Terminal One with around 15 passengers about 5:30 a.m., airport spokesman Mike McCarron said.
The hotel shuttle’s driver was unloading luggage when the man in the wheelchair, said to be in his late 20s to early 30s, rolled up to the bus. He then climbed aboard the shuttle, ditching the wheelchair he didn’t appear to need and drove off with four passengers remaining on board, McCarron said. The shuttle’s driver gave chase on foot without success, he added.
The shuttle’s passengers, police said, left to catch their flights immediately following the incident. Investigators are attempting to track them down to question them about the incident.
“He drove around the upper terminal twice and finally dropped off the bus at Terminal Three, and then fled,” McCarron said. The man, he said, was gone before police arrived.
The passengers were unharmed and nothing from the bus was taken, he said.
“The whole thing happened in a matter of minutes,” said McCarron, who called the incident one of the most bizarre in his 17 years with the airport.
“I have no idea why he did it,” he said. “Maybe he had a compelling need to drive a shuttle bus? Maybe it was a lifelong dream? I don’t know.”
San Francisco police and the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the incident. The man, if found, will face charges of vehicle theft and kidnapping, sheriff’s Lt. Marc Alcantara said.
Vehicle thefts and carjackings have not been a major problem at SFO, McCarron said, since the airport added police and security cameras in the parking lots and terminal areas five years ago.
“[Vehicle thefts] used to be a problem in the parking lots, but it hasn’t happened in a while now,” McCarron said.
Comments from Examiner Readers
10:53 PM MST on Mon., Jul. 28, 2008 re: "It saves to fly out of San Francisco"
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1:11 PM MST on Fri., Jul. 25, 2008
re: "It saves to fly out of San Francisco"
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12:49 PM MST on Fri., Jul. 25, 2008
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10:01 AM MST on Mon., May. 26, 2008
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12:58 PM MST on Wed., Apr. 30, 2008
re: "Virgin takes off while competitors lay low"
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re: "Lawsuit talk buzzing about airport noise"
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7:03 PM MST on Fri., Dec. 21, 2007
re: "2 flights grounded at SFO"
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Examiner Reader said:
I agree, Southwest aircraft, besides the Boeing 737-700, are pretty beat up and ghetto. Flying Virgin is the only way to go, clean new Airbus Aircraft, freindly staff, and tons of entertainment onboard. I only wish they flew to other destnations out of San Diego.
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Wai Yip Tung said:
Of course they do fly to New York.
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Examiner Reader said:
But the low cost carriers out of SFO do not fly to places like Chicago, New York, or do they?
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Examiner Reader said:
truly poor vender selection,food services extremely limited.... one only needs to travel outside of the U.S. to make a comparison ie zurich, heathrow vender food serivice quite varied... services in sfo are sooo predictably bland off the shelf vendors and services... ray okamoto frequent flyer
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Examiner Reader said:
I read this in the printed copy. It shows Philli coming in first. No wonder the managers at SFO are taking shots at the study. Not like SFO would be a jewel by the sea... but Philli?
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Examiner Reader said:
I find Virgin America a bunch of fun to fly!
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Examiner Reader said:
Go for it! The noise over Montara and Moss Beach has become unbearable on some days. And the claim that the airport cares and calls back is BS. I have called them on really bad days and not once have they had the courtesy to return a call and discuss the issues. They deserve what is coming for them.
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Examiner Reader said:
Once again the genius of the marketplace has brought us the current state of u.s. airlines. I suspect many of us flyers would be willing to pay a bit more not to be left waiting at the gate.
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Examiner Reader said:
southwest is super ghetto with the lack of seat assignments, while it's lax it is not efficient and planes look beat up and in poor shape
73 agree | 85 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Southwest....is the only way to go!
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