JetBlue's "Toilet Man" Talksby Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger 13 May 2008 10:39 AM You had to know this guy wasn't going to stay quiet for long. Think your last flight on JetBlue Airways was bad? Well, I doubt it was as horrific as the one Gokhan Mutlu sat through a couple months ago. The New Yorker says his flight from San Diego to New York stunk--literally. And, guess what? He's now suing the airlines for more than $2 million because of it. "It" includes being forced to sit on the plane's toilet for more than three hours during a flight from San Diego to New York. According to court papers, Mutlu maintains that the pilot told him to "go 'hang out' in the bathroom" about 90 minutes after the flight departed from California. The reason (per the lawsuit): A flight attendant reportedly complained that the "jump seat" she was assigned to sit in was "uncomfortable." To better understand how Mutlu ended up spending the majority of the flight in the plane's restroom you should know that he was traveling on a "buddy pass," which is basically a free voucher that allows a person to travel standby on certain flights. Commercial carriers give them to their employees who can in turn present them to their friends and family members. According to court papers, Mutlu was initially told that a JetBlue flight attendant had taken the last seat on the plane and he would have to wait for a later flight, but a few minutes later he was informed that the stewardess could sit in the employee "jump seat," which meant he could have the last seat on the flight he wanted. The lawsuit goes on to say that 90 minutes into the 5-hour flight the pilot approached Mutlu and told him that he would have to give up his seat so the flight attendant could sit in it. He was also informed that he could not sit in the jump seat because only JetBlue employees were permitted to sit there. When Mutlu asked where he would be moved to the pilot directed him to the plane's toilet. According to the lawsuit, when Mutlu expressed concern about riding in the bathroom, the pilot reportedly told him "he was the pilot, that this was his plane, under his command that (Mutlu) should be grateful for being on board." Adding insult to injury Mutlu claims that the aircraft hit turbulence and despite the fact that passengers were told to return to their seats he was forced to remain in the plane's restroom. According to court papers, "the plaintiff had no seat to return to, sitting on a toilet stool with no seat belts." In the end Mutlu did find relief in the form of a male flight attendant, who finally knocked on the restroom door and told him he could return to his original seat. Unfortunately for the airline help didn't come fast enough for Mutlu. He filed his lawsuit in New York last week and is claiming JetBlue negligently endangered him by not providing him with a seat with a safety belt or harness, which is a violation of federal law. I smell a settlement. How about you? Related Articles: "You're No Sanjaya! You Have To Board Like Everyone Else." The Nation's Most Frequently Delayed Flights How to Handle Flying with Smelly Seatmates Benadryl Flight Attendant Saga---The Untold Story Breastfeeding At 35,000 Feet = High-Flying Controversy Learn more about Michele Cheplic  Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism. Relevanttravel tags User Comments Starrlight (5255) 13 May 2008 12:16 PMAccording to court papers, Mutlu was initially told that a JetBlue flight attendant had taken the last seat on the plane and he would have to wait for a later flight, but a few minutes later he was informed that the stewardess could sit in the employee "jump seat," which meant he could have the last seat on the flight he wanted. The lawsuit goes on to say that 90 minutes into the 5-hour flight the pilot approached Mutlu and told him that he would have to give up his jump seat because only JetBlue employees were permitted to sit there. Ok if the stewardess was in the jump seat (that the stewardess could sit in the employee "jump seat," ), then how is it he was asked to give up his jump seat (he would have to give up his jump seat)? I thought he ended up getting the last seat on the flight because the stewardess was going to sit in the jump seat (that fold down seat near the exit).  Michele Cheplic |
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