genuinegirly

An article caught my attention today about a stowaway that flew from New York to Los Angeles.

Here's a link to the report:
FBI: Stowaway slips onto cross-country flight - CNN.com

What caught my attention was the sheer distance of the flight, and the fact that he wasn't apprehended by security long before he settled in on the plane.

But while this might be the most outlandish tale of its breed, this bandit was not alone in his desire to obtain a free flight.

Just last month a US Airways mechanic stowed away in the tail section of a plane for a flight between Florida and North Carolina.

Then there was the instance in November 2010 where a teenager attempted to stow away in a wheel well and was thrown from the plane near Boston.

I don't understand why someone would risk it all with such an endeavor. Surely there are other, less risky and inexpensive methods of traveling across the country. Yes, America is in a depression, yes, a huge proportion of people are out of work and can't possibly hope to pay for an airline ticket. But I don't understand how that would translate to risking arrest for attempting to travel without a ticket. My only assumption is that the person involved would be either an extreme thrill-seeker (as in the instance of the teen in the wheel well), or mentally ill. Perhaps there are other options. It'd be great if someone could open my mind to what they could be.

Here are a few questions to generate discussion:
What would motivate a person to sneak onto a plane?
Do you see this as a modern manifestation of the old hobo tradition of train-hopping?
What would you do if you realized the person next to you on a flight had no ticket?

__________________
"Sometimes I have to remember that things are brought to me for a reason, either for my own lessons or for the benefit of others." Cynthetiq

"violence is no more or less real than non-violence." roachboy