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Chinese passenger once again tries to throw coins into jet engine for “good luck”

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A Chinese national is facing criminal charges are attempting to toss coins into the engine of a Lucky Air flight for "good luck". (www.gatechecked.com) More...

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WeatherWise
WeatherWise 11
The airline is "Lucky Air"...how much good luck do you need?
shenghaohan
Shenghao Han 11
Remember, 30 years ago traveling by Air was only enjoyed by the privileged in China. 20 years ago owning your own store/company is the "hot trend", and 10 years ago they hosted their FIRST Olympics and Expo.
Today only 1/10 of the population is considered as middle class IN CHINA. And many states just got out above the Chinese poverty line.

Safe to say many of them have 0 idea how a jet engine works, they only know it magically suck in air and make the metal thing move.
stansdds
There also are tons of people in the west that have no idea how a jet engine works.
666adt
How many in the west throw coins in jet engines for good luck? THAT is his point. Not that westerners necessarily know how jet engines work, BUT, know enough not to do something abjectly stupid.
FredRio
Fred J. 3
There's more than that. Here in my Brazil you have a lot of people who have not flown, are flying for the first time, only flew few times, etc... I would say 99% of people, regular flyers and all, have no or very basic idea of how a jet engine works, but there is a cultural thing at play here. Most Brazilians I have witnessed flying for the first time are so afraid, or stressed out about where to go, what to do, that none of them would ever even think about doing something like that.... because we don't do that period, and by that I mean throw coins on anything for good luck. As a mostly roman catholic country, what you will see if people doing the sign of the cross I don't know how many times, and praying the metal tube takes them safely where they are going. So it is not a negative thing about Chinese culture, but it is a cultural thing (and they must have addressed it for most part as now you hear about few cases only, as evidence, here we are, a world away, discussing it).
Mike101361
Lloyd Sharp 1
I am also concerned that just anybody has access to be able to throw objects into a jet engine.
This frightens me.
I have flown in places where anyone can walk out onto an airport runway....and they do!
KobeHunte
Kobe Hunte 1
All the places i have traveled to, they have a person in front of the engine and the wing, guiding you to the stairs...

that is really stupid whatever airports don't... what if nobody saw that man through those coins? Could of been a catastrophe.
ashleymberman
Ash Berman 2
I know how jet engines work -- suck, squeeze, bang, blow ; )
amiablebird
Ed Merriam 1
technically correct--the best kind of correct
upchucked
Must work, the plane didn't crash, now did it?

Maybe they need to install some nets to collect the "lucky coins" before the flight ... would probably earn more than with baggage fees.
Cansojr
Cansojr 2
PERFECT!
Moviela
Ric Wernicke 19
It's no wonder that China has not developed a successful jet engine after trying several dozen designs.

None of them could pass the "three coins in the turbine" portion of the test procedure.
KobeHunte
Kobe Hunte 3
LOL..
williambaker08
william baker 9
They just haven’t got the idea right of tearing the engines down and building them back up like Russia does when they steal our technology.
KobeHunte
Kobe Hunte 1
"the usual".. might of well get used to it...
williambaker08
william baker 1
Huh. What’s the usual lol.
KobeHunte
Kobe Hunte 2
that russia steals our technology.
kbeller44
Kyle Beller 6
jet bridge
GaAubie
Ken Hardy 5
I would never throw coins in a jet engine, it might clog up the pistons and mess up the water pump
wylann
wylann 2
Or worse, it might block the propwash pump! ;)
FredRio
Fred J. 4
Now.... see how the Chinese have advanced in flight safety in just a couple of decades. They caught 2 coins near the engine and cancelled the flight. Would that be the case 20 years ago? It's good to know, as they will be aviation's biggest market for all of our - commenters - lifetimes.
Mike101361
Lloyd Sharp 3
Good Grief--
You just can't fix stupid
imaraigump
The idiocy of superstition masquerading as a cultural imperative.
propman46
It appears that malapropisms occur not just between cultures, but within cultures as well. If they can't expunge the behavior, then perhaps the solution is to change the name of the airline. May I suggest "Frugal Air", "Saver's" or "Air Mac Scrooge" or something similar in Mandarin?
gelrod2354
Mike Elrod 2
China Eastern gives you the coins
Cansojr
Cansojr 4
This sounds like a Chinese cultural habit of the elderly. They just Don't understand how those funny pots lifts you in the air they need good luck. He should pay the repair fee and down time fishing out his "golden coins" for safe flight.
WeatherWise
WeatherWise 6
Elderly? The guy was 28!
KobeHunte
Kobe Hunte 4
lol.. he is probably referring to what the "elderly" usually "would" do!

I more call that more dumb than a cultural habit!
mhlansdell00
Mark Lansdell 2
If the airline doesn't want people to throw things into the compressor turbine it would be a good idea to keep them away from them. I suspect it's why they were invented. If you have the money to own or lease and insure an airliner, then you have the money to protect it as well.
KobeHunte
Kobe Hunte 2
Very true. Usually when I board a flight they keep you far away from the turbine and up the stairs..
ExPatHere
ExPatHere 2
Someone recommended havingground crew personnel monitor boarding process by standing next to engine....China has so many people, this is a no brainer...Changing their behavior is quite another matter.
jojo1107
jojo1107 1
and its like that works...
MASMAR
Mike Asmar 1
Hey, you throw a few coins in the city bus fare collection bin when you want a ride.
Maybe the guy thought the big whirly thing on the side of the plane was for collecting the fare.
brucehall1
bruce hall 1
Not to be picky but isn’t that a picture of a 737 engine, not the A320 that was the recipient of the coin donation.
e022850
earl harmon 1
What Are The Passengers Doing That Close To The Engine. There Should Be Shield In Front Of The Engine That On The Boarding Side Of the Aircraft....
duane270
Duane Osman 1
Get the Hara Krishna dudes that usually panhandle on the concourse to stand out in front of the inlet.
airpound69
airpound69 1
Ok, the coin tossing thing is just stupid and it actually results in an really bad outcome lol. Regardless, filing criminal charges against these people is simply absurd and a clear violation of the Ultima Ratio principle. A civil lawsuit seeking financial reparation would suffice for now but only education can solve this issue. Charging a single individual with a crime will not stop equally dumb individuals from doing the same because, in this specific case, we are dealing with some sort of superstition thing which is believed to be somehow bigger and more powerful than people.


P.S.: people who commit actual crimes should be punished for obvious reasons and in such cases the punishment is far more effective because people don’t believe steal or killing will give the, superpowers or something (in most cases).
kw56chevy
Reminds me of the line from the movie the Sand Pebbles, "live steam, dead steam" starring Steve McQueen.
ed7778
Completely harmonious with Chinese medicinal beliefs.
AWAAlum
AWAAlum 1
I imagine there's a solid reason why there's no screening across the engines (to prevent coins, fod, bird strikes, etc.) Why not post signs warning people to not approach the engines...in the jetway, at the ticket counters, on the tickets themselves. Short of that, couldn't something just be rolled in front of the engines while they're on the ground to shield the engines? I fear I may be terribly naive with these thoughts, but it just doesn't seem like that difficult a problem to solve.
racerxx
racerxx 0
after* Not are

KobeHunte
Kobe Hunte 2
bad wording.. as for the Chinese, he obviously didnt have a clue that throwing piece of metal would of made his good luck go really bad...
jet4ang
jet4ang 0
Unfortunately superstitions are still prevalent in ALL parts of the world! I'm not defending this moron but why do we throw coins into a pond? Why won't many people walk under a ladder? What I'm saying is even in the most developed countries, there are a huge majority of uneducated people and and believers of anything they are told.
CarlSmeraldi
Carl Smeraldi -9
This stupid passenger thinks it’s a slot machine at SANDS Casino Vegas dumpstupid idiot ARREST FINE THAT IMBASILE
ToddBaldwin3
ToddBaldwin3 13
That would be "imbecile".
rawhp1
Bryan Jensen -2
What the? Unbelievable! Someone whack him on the knuckles with a "Louisville Slugger".
KobeHunte
Kobe Hunte 2
why whack him on the knuckles when he was an innocent man just going by his stupid beliefs? He had not one clue that if they took off with coins in the engine that his plane would go down in flames..
Cansojr
Cansojr 1
What scares me is one day they are going to catch and surpass us all. I Don't think we should laugh out of the side of our faces.
KobeHunte
Kobe Hunte 1
not a chance... sorry about your luck

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