Woman Tries to Attack Gate Agent After She Was Denied Boarding

Image: PHOTO: Rows of chairs at an airport gate. (photo via iStock / Getty Images Plus / baona)
Image: PHOTO: Rows of chairs at an airport gate. (photo via iStock / Getty Images Plus / baona)
Rich Thomaselli
by Rich Thomaselli
Last updated: 12:20 AM ET, Sun October 4, 2020

Well, the circle of naughty passengers is complete now from head to toe.

Where wearing face masks on airlines has been an issue for months now on airlines, now comes the news that a woman who was barefoot was denied boarding on an American Airlines flight last week.

And she made matters worse by lunging after gate agents.

Police say they were called to Miami International Airport by American Airlines after Brittney Mohammadi, 23, of California leapt at agents behind the counter in response to being told she could not board a flight barefoot, according to the Washington Post.

The incident is not related to anything about the coronavirus, just a long-standing policy by the airlines that you can't board the aircraft without shoes. You know, 'No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service' kind of thing.

That said, there are also numerous instances where passengers have taken off their shoes during a flight, as well-chronicled by the hysterical Facebook group 'Passenger Shaming.'

Nonetheless, Mohammadi and her boyfriend Manuel Arteaga, 26, were arrested by Miami-Dade police for disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.

"On Sunday, September 27, two customers were denied boarding on flight 1061 with service from Miami (MIA) to Los Angeles (LAX) after attempting to board the aircraft without shoes," a spokesperson for American Airlines told The Washington Post via email. "After being informed of our policy, the customers became irate and one attempted to strike an American team member at the gate."

The couple were wrestled to the ground by police outside the airport.

When asked if she knew she couldn't board a plane without shoes, Mohammadi told a local Miami television station, "Okay, you know what? I don't go on the airport that often."

"Violence of any kind is not tolerated by American Airlines. We thank the Miami-Dade Police Department for their quick action to ensure the safety of our customers and team members," an American Airlines spokesperson said.


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Rich Thomaselli

Rich Thomaselli

Associate Writer

Editor Associate Writer true 9281 14744 Rich Thomaselli has written for TravelPulse since 2014 and has been a professional journalist for nearly 40 years. His work has appeared in USA Today, the New York Times and New York Yankees publications. He is an 11-time writ

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