# don't like your shift? obvious thing to do - set fire to the plane... **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 18, 2008, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-like-your-shift-obvious-thing-to-do-set-fire-to-the-plane/449707 "2008-05-18T01:08:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2008, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-like-your-shift-obvious-thing-to-do-set-fire-to-the-plane/449707/1 "2008-05-18T01:08:26Z")
That’s the allegation, at any rate. Background info - last week, a flight from Minneapolis to Regina, Saskatchewan had an emergency en route - a fire in the washroom. Plane went from 30,000 feet to emergency touchdown in Fargo, North Dakota, in 8 minutes. Passengers were calm, but very frightened. A friend of mine was on it and said it was a very stressful experience, as you can imagine: [‘A look of terror on their faces.’](http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/story.html?id=6bb7a536-b4e8-4a35-9fe5-1eaaa5363fdb) The follow-up in today’s news: a flight attendant has been charged with setting the fire in the washroom, because he was unhappy with the airline at making him fly that shift: [Charge turns fear to anger](http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/story.html?id=e6766f1a-7d78-4fd4-9627-c1575e5b811e). > [@](#): > > Late on Wednesday night, FBI agents from Fargo arrested Eder H. Rojas in Minneapolis. The next day the 19-year-old from Woodbury, Minn., made his first appearance in a Minneapolis federal courtroom for allegedly setting fire to and damaging an aircraft. > > According to court documents filed on Thursday, Rojas told authorities that he was mad at the airline for making him work the route that he was on and admitted that he deliberately started the fire. > > “Rojas further stated that he was preparing his cart to serve the passengers, he set the cart up, went back to the lavatory and reached in with his right hand and lit the paper towels with the lighter,” court documents said. Presumption of innocence, wait for the trial, yadda, yadda, yadda, but… The mind boggles. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![bufftabby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/77aa72/32.png) [@bufftabby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bufftabby)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2008, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-like-your-shift-obvious-thing-to-do-set-fire-to-the-plane/449707/2 "2008-05-18T01:11:29Z")
Holy crap. Where I work, that wouldn’t help. “Work around the flames, guys!” ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2008, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-like-your-shift-obvious-thing-to-do-set-fire-to-the-plane/449707/3 "2008-05-18T01:30:19Z")
[QUOTE=Northern Piper] Presumption of innocence, wait for the trial, yadda, yadda, yadda, but… [/QUOTE] Is presumption of innocence warranted when the suspect confesses immediately? Even in a legal setting, that’s gonna be one short trial. I can’t imagine jeopardizing an entire flight over something like that. Just incredible. You know he’s blacklisted on every damn airline there is now. Who’s gonna let someone like that onboard? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2008, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-like-your-shift-obvious-thing-to-do-set-fire-to-the-plane/449707/4 "2008-05-18T01:37:42Z")
[QUOTE=Bosstone] Is presumption of innocence warranted when the suspect confesses immediately? Even in a legal setting, that’s gonna be one short trial. [/QUOTE] Not necessarily. A confession is not, on its own, sufficient evidence for a conviction if the accused retracts the confession and enters a not guilty plea. Without knowing the details of the circumstances under which the confession was given, it’s not possible to say it’s valid. False confessions are more common than most folks realize. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2008, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-like-your-shift-obvious-thing-to-do-set-fire-to-the-plane/449707/5 "2008-05-18T01:38:27Z")
[QUOTE=Northern Piper] That’s the allegation, at any rate. Background info - last week, a flight from Minneapolis to Regina, Saskatchewan had an emergency en route - a fire in the washroom. Plane went from 30,000 feet to emergency touchdown in Fargo, North Dakota, in 8 minutes. [/quote] _Damn!_ That’s a hell of an emergency descent - that would scare the fucking socks off me and I _like_ zooming towards the ground! > [@](#): > > Passengers were calm, but very frightened. I’m probably going to hell for this, but I call that sort of terrified calm “stunned bunny mode”. > [@](#): > > The follow-up in today’s news: a flight attendant has been charged with setting the fire in the washroom, because he was unhappy with the airline at making him fly that shift _Holy fuck_ what was he THINKING??? > [@Bosstone](#): > > I can’t imagine jeopardizing an entire flight over something like that. Just incredible. You know he’s blacklisted on every damn airline there is now. Who’s gonna let someone like that onboard? Airlines hell - as far as I’m concerned he should be banned from the skies period - airlines, private aircraft, balloon lofted lawnchairs, ladders, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2008, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-like-your-shift-obvious-thing-to-do-set-fire-to-the-plane/449707/6 "2008-05-18T01:40:51Z")
Yes, if ever there was a candidate for a no-fly list, this fellow is it. ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Tyger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Silver\_Tyger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Tyger)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2008, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-like-your-shift-obvious-thing-to-do-set-fire-to-the-plane/449707/7 "2008-05-18T03:30:11Z")
But don’t you know? Fire fixes everything. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2008, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-like-your-shift-obvious-thing-to-do-set-fire-to-the-plane/449707/8 "2008-05-18T03:46:50Z")
I’m sorry, everyone. I just _really_ needed that cigarette. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2008, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-like-your-shift-obvious-thing-to-do-set-fire-to-the-plane/449707/9 "2008-05-18T04:21:06Z")
[QUOTE=Broomstick] Airlines hell - as far as I’m concerned he should be banned from the skies period - airlines, private aircraft, balloon lofted lawnchairs, ladders, etc. [/QUOTE] 19 year old flight attendant? How long was this kid working, and how many minutes of training did he have? Good pilots at least, but I think I’ll steer clear of Compass Airlines. It seems to be associated with Northwest, no surprise there. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2008, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-like-your-shift-obvious-thing-to-do-set-fire-to-the-plane/449707/10 "2008-05-18T12:19:45Z")
19yo _male_ flight attendant. Possibly with some heavy shit going on in his young life: this _is_ a heavily gay male job, and 19 can be a confusing time to be a gay male, if indeed he is one. (I don’t wanna go easy on the kid, but as someone from outside the community I am not gonna baldly blurt out “drama queen issues” in a public forum.) ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2008, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-like-your-shift-obvious-thing-to-do-set-fire-to-the-plane/449707/11 "2008-05-18T12:41:48Z")
So what do you think? Free night in a hotel? First class upgrade? 10,000 bonus miles plus a free carry-on bag? ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2008, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-like-your-shift-obvious-thing-to-do-set-fire-to-the-plane/449707/12 "2008-05-18T13:22:16Z")
[QUOTE=Voyager] 19 year old flight attendant? How long was this kid working, and how many minutes of training did he have? [/QUOTE] Perhaps he was working for his Boy Scout fire starting badge. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2008, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-like-your-shift-obvious-thing-to-do-set-fire-to-the-plane/449707/13 "2008-05-18T13:34:29Z")
It worked perfectly. He’s no longer flying that shift. ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2008, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-like-your-shift-obvious-thing-to-do-set-fire-to-the-plane/449707/14 "2008-05-18T13:43:00Z")
**Northern Piper** : what, you couldn’t think up your own headline? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2008, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-like-your-shift-obvious-thing-to-do-set-fire-to-the-plane/449707/15 "2008-05-18T13:49:12Z")
[QUOTE=Boyo Jim] It worked perfectly. He’s no longer flying that shift. [/QUOTE] Yeah, but now he’s stuck in Fargo! Even without the arrest problem, it’s obvious he didn’t think that one through! Unless Fargo is a far more “happening” town than Minneapolis? ---
**Author:** ![Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brown_eyed_girl/32/3574_2.png) [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brown_Eyed_Girl)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2008, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-like-your-shift-obvious-thing-to-do-set-fire-to-the-plane/449707/16 "2008-05-18T14:04:36Z")
[QUOTE=kittenblue] Yeah, but now he’s stuck in Fargo! Even without the arrest problem, it’s obvious he didn’t think that one through! Unless Fargo is a far more “happening” town than Minneapolis? [/QUOTE] I don’t know if the Minneapolis jail is more “happening” than the Fargo jail, but if he ends up in a federal penitentiary, he won’t be going back to Minneapolis anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2008, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-like-your-shift-obvious-thing-to-do-set-fire-to-the-plane/449707/17 "2008-05-18T14:06:02Z")
He’s got a good chance to be a passenger on Con Air and wreak some more havoc with a match, or maybe a rocket launcher. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2008, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-like-your-shift-obvious-thing-to-do-set-fire-to-the-plane/449707/18 "2008-05-18T15:39:49Z")
[According to his latest Myspace login](http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/5/16/12512/9521/travel/Alleged+Arson+Travel:+Fiery+Flight+Attendant+Eder+Rojas+Is+%22Anxious%22), Eder Rojas (aka “CreWBoY”) indicates his mood is [anxious](http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=180399818). ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2008, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-like-your-shift-obvious-thing-to-do-set-fire-to-the-plane/449707/19 "2008-05-18T18:16:52Z")
[QUOTE=kittenblue] Yeah, but now he’s stuck in Fargo! Even without the arrest problem, it’s obvious he didn’t think that one through! Unless Fargo is a far more “happening” town than Minneapolis? [/QUOTE] Since the flight originated in Minneapolis, I’m forced to conclude he doesn’t think Regina is a happening place… ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2008, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-like-your-shift-obvious-thing-to-do-set-fire-to-the-plane/449707/20 "2008-05-18T19:14:48Z")
[QUOTE=Northern Piper] Since the flight originated in Minneapolis, I’m forced to conclude he doesn’t think Regina is a happening place… [/QUOTE] He probably was too intimidated by all the virulent squeegee kids in Regina. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-like-your-shift-obvious-thing-to-do-set-fire-to-the-plane/449707.md?page=2)