So we’ve all heard about Naomi Campbell’s latest ‘anger management’ issue, right? But do you know the full story? When I first heard she spat on a police officer, I shook my head in disgust and thought, “Well, those anger management classes sure helped”; but I later learned there was a reason for her increasing testosterone rage: lost luggage.
Who hasn’t come off a flight – which was probably way too long and left you starving after your 2 ounces of pretzels and a 4 ounce cup of water – waited at the baggage carousel only to be left standing when everyone else has gone home happily with their bags? I’ve been there and I can tell you that it’s not fun. You plan a vacation expecting your luggage to actually accompany you so when it doesn’t turn up, it can make one just a tad perturbed.
But can you imagine being told before the flight even takes off that your luggage has been lost? Well, apparently that’s what happened to the gorgeous supermodel and that just tipped her over the edge. Naomi Campbell was flying out of London Heathrow’s new Terminal 5 – which is dedicated for British Airways and is run by the British Airline Authority (BAA) – but Terminal 5 has had nothing but problems since it opened on March 27, 2008 with numerous reports of lost luggage, and other operational difficulties leading to the cancellation of multiple flights, according to the BBC News.
British Airways, the airline carrier Campbell was flying – or attempted to fly – sent a representative to tell Ms Campbell that one of her bags – she had checked two- was missing, and therefore requested that she leave the plane in order to try to resolve the issue. Naomi Campbell was less than thrilled with this piece of news, and her blood pressure probably went through the roof causing her latest temper tantrum; thus, the need for police to escort her off the plane. During all of his commotion she allegedly spat at a police officer who placed her in hand cuffs, and eventually the airline got what they wanted: Naomi Campbell off the plane, which was headed for Los Angeles.
Did she have a right to get angry over British Airways losing her luggage before the plane even took off? Absolutely! But her reaction towards the personnel in charge of handling the situation was completely uncalled for; and as someone who has a reputation (and the community service to prove it) for anger management related incidents, she should have known better. Wasn’t this the same woman who poked fun at herself in commercials and said she sought treatment for her behavior? And I could have sworn she even went so far as to apologize to the courts, but yet…..
So what are the lessons learned: if you’re flying out of Terminal 5 in London Heathrow, don’t check your luggage; if you’re unlucky enough to have an airline lose your luggage, stay calm and follow their procedures because if they still can’t find it, then you can make a claim and wind up with nicer clothes than you originally packed; if you went through anger management and have been arrested for rage related incidents, then do the courts a favor and clean up your act, or stay indoors by yourself where you aren’t forced to interact with the rest of us human beings.
