LINTHICUM, Md. (AP) — A tarantula that escaped in the cargo hold of a passenger flight from Maryland’s BWI airport to Atlanta grounded the plane before it could take off and sent passengers onto another flight.
Brian Kruse, spokesman for Delta Air Lines, tells The Baltimore Sun that baggage handlers noticed a baboon tarantula had gotten out of its container on Flight 1525 Wednesday night.
Kruse says the captain grounded the plane so it could be searched for any additional arachnids. Passengers were put on another flight.
Kruse says the spider was confined to the cargo hold and never entered the cabin. No other tarantulas were found.
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Information from: The Baltimore Sun, http://www.baltimoresun.com
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Kind of dumb. This was a business decision ( giving the image of concern ) rather than a needed one. The animal is quite harmless.
I don’t know about that, the baboon tarantula has a pretty nasty bite and is not afraid to use it in defensive positions, like if someone’s foot was moving near it.
Keep your weirdo hairy spiders to yourself, Baltimore. Atlanta has plenty. We don’t need any more.
And I’m not just saying that because I have to leave my apartment on all fours to avoid angering Shelob Jr living by the hallway light.
We used to get quite a kick out of being “brave” enough to pick up tarantulas at Girl Scout camp.
But I can see not wanting to deal with a bunch of freaked out people who are afraid of them on an airplane in flight.
Why would they have been told anything had the plane taken off with the spider isolated in the cargo hold?