The couple alleges their bag was left open with the sex toy showing and wrapped with plastic tape bearing the Continental logo. The zipper still worked so there was no reason for handlers to tape the bag, according to the couple, and a foul-smelling lubricant had been smeared on the dildo.
A gay couple from Virginia is suing Houston-based United/Continental Airlines after baggage handlers allegedly removed a sex toy from one of their checked bags, smeared foul-smelling lubricant on it, taped it to the top of the bag and sent it back down the belt.
Michael Hamar at The Bilerico Project reports that the couple was returning from a vacation in Costa Rica to their hometown of Norfolk, Va., last year when they had a layover at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston.
When the gay couple arrived at George Bush, they retrieved their checked luggage and went through Customs. They then rechecked their bags and boarded their flight for Norfolk. When they arrived in Norfolk, the bag shown above was one of the last to come down the carousel. It was partially open with the dildo showing, and wrapped in clear plastic tape bearing the Continental logo. The bag was left open despite the fact that the zipper still worked, so there was no reason for baggage handlers to tape the bag open.
According to the lawsuit filed Friday in Harris County district court, the couple “experienced extreme shock and horror when they observed the above described bag and when observing the surprised and/or laughing faces of numerous onlookers in the baggage claim area.”
Hamar reports that the couple is suing the airline for emotional distress, invasion of privacy and negligence.
“Because of the fact that the sex toy was contained in the bag of a male, and because the employee(s) responsible knew that the bag belonged to a male due to the name tag attached to the bag and the male clothing contained in the bag, there is a high likelihood that these egregious actions were directed towards Plaintiffs because they are homosexual and because they are males,” the lawsuit states.
