A mum was left humiliated when she was escorted off a Ryanair flight by police after she tucked into a packet of Pringles before she could pay for them.
Ann-Marie Murray, 55, asked for crisps, water and a cola totalling £7 (€10.50) during her trip from Tenerife to Bristol on March 28. However, when the card machine failed to process her payment and she didn't have any cash on her, things took a turn, reports the Mirror.
The housing association worker found herself in the back of a police van after three officers boarded the plane upon landing. Ryanair claimed they requested police backup because a passenger "called ahead for police assistance after a passenger became disruptive".
But Ann-Marie countered: "I wasn't disruptive. There were no raised voices."
She explained her side of the story: "I was doing my best to pay. I tried to tap and pay, but the machine didn't work. They tried with another machine, and when it still didn't go through, I offered to get cash when we landed, but they said I couldn't do that."
The Gloucester resident recounted how her partner even asked if the crew wanted the Pringles returned, only to be told "no". She continued: "I thought it was a joke when the crew said they had called the police."
"I was shocked when the police came onboard and we were asked to leave. It was so embarrassing. I had done everything I could to resolve it."
Ann-Marie stressed: "They then told the police I had refused to pay, but that wasn't the case. I wanted to pay, but my card didn't work, and I had no cash."
Ann-Marie's romantic birthday getaway to the Canary Islands with her partner turned sour due to the incident that she claims spoiled their four-night stay. She recounted how, on a previous Ryanair flight, someone else had trouble paying with a card from the same bank and expressed disappointment that the staff hadn't been more understanding this time around.
Recounting her ordeal, she explained: "Luckily the police were lovely and after I explained the situation they took me to a cash machine and I was able to pay the £7 (€10.50). The officers were laughing and couldn't believe it."
But the resolution wasn't without consequence as she added: "After I paid, the crew told me we're banned from flying with Ryanair, but I'd never fly with them again anyway after what happened."
Local law enforcement weighed in on the matter. Avon and Somerset Police commented: "We received a report of a disruptive passenger on an inbound flight to Bristol Airport. Officers briefly attended, but quickly established it related to a civil dispute and no action was taken."
The airline itself issued a statement on the situation: "During this flight, this passenger attempted to purchase food onboard, however the card did not process payment. As crew looked to resolve the payment issue, this passenger proceeded to ignore crew instructions, consume the items prior to payment and subsequently became disruptive.
"The aircraft was met by local police upon arrival at Bristol Airport and this passenger was removed. Ryanair has a strict zero-tolerance policy towards passenger misconduct and will continue to take decisive action to combat unruly passenger behaviour, ensuring that all passengers and crew travel in a safe and respectful environment, without unnecessary disruption."
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