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Don’t joke about ebola on an airplane or a hazmat crew will detain you

So a man walks onto an airplane and says, “I have ebola. You are all screwed!” The passenger next to him laughs uncomfortably, and says “Umm … You’re joking, right?” “No, I’ve been to Africa,” he cheerfully replies. Both laugh. Next thing he knows, the plane’s crawling with a hazmat crew and he’s getting tested for ebola.

The story sure sounds like the kind of joke you’d tell your friend over Sunday brunch, but it’s a real story. Apparently, the jokester never saw Meet the Parents. Remember when Gaylord Focker makes a joke about a bomb to a flight attendant and then gets questioned by the FBI?

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One passenger on a US Airways flight from Philadelphia to Punta Cana, in the Dominican Republic, joked that he had ebola after he sneezed. The other passengers seemed completely unconcerned, realizing that it was a joke, but the airline staff sure didn’t take it that way. Shortly afterward a hazmat crew entered the plane in blue suits to escort the man from the plane. He was later tested for ebola and found to be healthy. Further investigation revealed that he’s never even been to Africa, the Diario Libre reported.

Nonetheless, all the flights’ passengers were detained for hours to make sure there was no trace of the disease. The entire debacle was recorded and uploaded on YouTube for all to see. You can hear passengers joking, watch them filming, and see the hazmat crew leading the man off the plane.

Malarie Gokey
Former Digital Trends Contributor
As DT's Mobile Editor, Malarie runs the Mobile and Wearables sections, which cover smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, and…
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