"My Bag Contains a Bomb" ... The Full Story Behind the Incident That Turned a US Airport Upside Down

Traveler Makes Joke to Staff at Chicago Airport, Prompting Response from Special Unit
No Explosives Found, but Traveler Arrested... Police Call It an "Inappropriate Joke"

[Image source=Pixabay]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] A traveler was arrested at an airport in Chicago, USA, for joking that there was a bomb in their bag. Although no explosive device was actually found, the traveler was detained for making an inappropriate joke in a crowded place.

On the 25th (local time), ABC7 Chicago reported this, citing a post on social media by the local police. According to the report, the traveler told an airport employee assisting with luggage handling at Terminal 1 of Chicago O'Hare International Airport around 10 a.m. that "there is a bomb in the bag."

The startled employee immediately reported this to the bomb disposal unit, and the specialized bomb disposal team was dispatched to conduct a search. However, no explosives were found. The traveler's statement was a joke and not true.

Although there was no bomb, the police arrested the traveler on the spot. The police explained, "This is never a joke to be taken lightly," and "an investigation is underway regarding the traveler in question."

There have been previous cases where travelers were arrested overseas for making jokes. One such incident involved a passenger falsely claiming to be infected with COVID-19 during a flight, causing the plane to return to its origin.

The incident occurred in February 2020, when COVID-19 was beginning to spread, on a WestJet flight departing from Toronto, Canada, bound for Montego Bay, Jamaica. According to AFP, about 240 passengers were on board, and halfway through the scheduled flight time, a passenger suddenly stood up and claimed to be infected with COVID-19.

As a result, the passenger was given a mask and gloves by the flight attendants and isolated at the rear of the plane. The aircraft turned back to Toronto two hours after takeoff. Because the plane did not reach Jamaica, passengers intending to return to Canada from Montego Bay were stranded.

However, test results confirmed that the passenger showed no symptoms. The claim of being infected with COVID-19 was a false joke. The passenger was eventually arrested by the police, but the inconvenience caused by the false claim drew strong complaints from other passengers. One passenger on the same flight told CBC, "They must have thought this was a funny joke," adding, "We lost a day of vacation. It's really selfish." Passengers who returned to Toronto reportedly took another flight to Jamaica the next morning.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.