Patrick White from Georgia had a serious problem with a woman coughing on his American Airlines flight to Jacksonville International Airport in Florida.
Patrick White spent the plane ride harassing the sick 19-year-old, according to police.
Unsatisfied that he had made his point, as passengers were getting off the plane last week, Patrick White began calling her obscene names and telling her that she had “infected everyone” on the flight.
The man then charged her and body slammed her with his shoulder, knocking her against the wall, a flight attendant said.
Patrick White was arrested on charges of misdemeanor battery.
According to a police report, Patrick White “continually harassed and chastised (the woman) for coughing and <<spreading disease>>” while they were on the plane last week.
Patrick White was apparently so afraid of getting sick that he became enraged during the flight, police said.
As a small irony, after his arrest, Patrick White was taken to county jail.
However, Patrick White might have had a point, of sorts. A new study suggests air travelers have a 20% chance of catching a cold or other bug.
The Centers for Disease Control says travelers are most at risk from catching a virus from fellow passengers within a two seat radius.
Experts say wiping down tray tables and other surfaces with disinfectant wipes can help prevent the spread of diseases on an airplane.
And in many ways, the recirculated air is fresher than the air most people breathe in their office buildings, since it always contains air from the outside and, in modern aircraft, is passed through a filter.