Passenger Pokes 'Loud' Snoring Seatmate With Pen, Delays Southwest Plane
— -- A woman was removed from a Southwest Airlines plane at a Chicago airport on Thursday afternoon after allegedly "poking" a seatmate with a pen to try and stop his snoring, airline officials said.
The incident happened before the plane took off, airline officials added, saying the flight was scheduled to leave Chicago's Midway International Airport for New Hampshire at 1:15 p.m., but was delayed almost two hours as a result of the incident.
"Imagine being asleep and then being stung by bees and waking up and going, 'Ouch!' the poked man, Lenny Madarski, told ABC News affiliate WMUR.
Airplane witnesses told WMUR Madarski really was snoring "loud" and that he was also loud in his reaction after apparently being poked.
"He said, 'She stabbed me with a pen!'" witness and passenger Charlie Ray said. "He just kept saying he was sleeping and 'She stabbed me with a pen!'"
The Chicago Fire Department, who responded to the scene, said the man was not injured, and Madarski continued on the delayed flight, Southwest spokeswoman Brandy King said in a statement.
The woman who was removed for allegedly poking Madarski, was accommodated on another flight, King added. She has not been identified.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
