On Friday a mother in her 20s was waiting to board a British Airways flight from Tenerife South to London Gatwick along with her two kids. So she kills the time as one does on a holiday route traveling with young children: by drinking.

And by getting into an altercation at the gate, “a spiralling argument at the gate about being a “benefits mum”.”

She declared, “I work for my money. I’ve got a proper job.”

British Airways Airbus A319

British Airways Airbus A319

Which sort of reminds me of the time I was 18 years old and went to Tijuana one night with friends. The drinking age there was 18, so Southern California college students were basically driven by law to leave the country to let off steam. By the time the night was over I had way too much to drink. Back then you just had to show your drivers license at the border and answer a simple question, “Are you a citizen?” One of my friends was trying to coach me through this process. When it was my turn and the border guard asked me if I was a citizen, I pointed to her and said, “She says say yes.”

Clearly once on board the plane the crew knew her state, and a flight attendant let the woman know she wouldn’t be served anymore alcohol. To which she replied, “I’ve paid for my flight and I know I am entitled to it!”

Things apparently escalated from there because after pushback “the pilot eventually ordered her and five other people in her party to leave the Airbus A320.”

You can see the plane pushed back nearly on time but was delayed by almost two hours — the time required to return to the gate, offload the passengers, and get back on their way.

In this case the issue wasn’t drinking too much inflight it was drinking too much before flight.

• In May a drunk Alaska Airlines passenger started demanding hugs.

• In April two drunk women played music on their speakers, became abusive when flight attendants wouldn’t serve them more alcohol, went to the lavatory declaring “I’m a suicide bomber” and started an argument with a flight attendant over whether other passengers were behaving properly.

• That same month a drunk American Airlines passenger urinated in his seat. (A JetBlue passenger did this recently as well.)

• In March an Alaska Airlines diversion for a drunk passenger cost the airline $100 per passenger. This was after a drunk passenger declared everyone was going to die onboard when flight attendants cut him off.

Flight attendants had to take down a drunk passenger using an ice pick and a pot of coffee.

Perhaps they should install breathalyzers beside boarding pass readers? Scan your mobile app and blow in order to get on the plane?

(HT: Le Chic Geek)