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"Contrary to some news reports, the young man did not urinate on their daughter, he urinated on the floor next to her seat," the statement said. "While family members have cooperated with authorities in the investigation, they neither welcome nor encourage further publicity. The family will not be making further comments."
The statement was released through their attorney, Robert J. Harris, of Hillsboro, Ore. The family has asked not to be identified, saying their "main concern is the welfare of their daughter."
The fellow passenger, Robert "Sandy" Vietze, 18, of Warren, Vt., was a member of the U.S. Ski Team's development squad. Following the incident, he was dismissed from the team.
Vietze was aboard JetBlue Flight 166 from Portland, Ore., to New York's John F. Kennedy airport the night of Aug. 9 when he reportedly stumbled down the aisle to use the toilet. However, he didn’t quite make it all the way to the lavatory and instead emptied his bladder on a sleeping 11-year-old girl, according to the New York Post.
"I was drunk, and I did not realize I was pissing on her leg," Vietze was quoted as saying in the Post.
Citing court documents, AP reported last week that Vietze had consumed "five or six beers and two rum and cola cocktails before boarding the flight."
Vietze was taken into police custody upon the plane's arrival and issued a federal summons for indecent exposure.
“He’s still facing charges of indecent exposure," Robert Nardoza, spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York, told msnbc.com on Tuesday. "That carries a punishment of up to one year in prison and a $1,000 fine.”
More on Overhead Bin
- Olympic dreams dashed after unfortunate in-flight incident
- 'Drunk' man arrested for urinating on girl during flight
- Gross! 5 things not to do on a plane
Joy Jernigan is a senior travel editor for msnbc.com. Follow her on Twitter.
Leave a Comment:
awww pi$$ on it!
This fellow really can't handle his liquor.
Oh alright that is OK then. NOT! 90 days hard labor for being unfit parent.
unfit parent?! WTH are you talking about?!
huh ? you might want to try reading the story again there sparky
it is better to be pissed off than pissed on
Look, MSNBC, if you're going to use "peed" in a headline, why not just use "pissed" as you did in the content of the story? Too crass? Then why not use the actual word - "urinated?"
I swear, I don't believe anyone writing for any medium these days could possibly have finished high school, let alone an actual journalism degree from a real university.
These writers have the burning desire to climb the bladder and be successful like the rest of us. They feel pressure constantly, while trying to write in a continuous stream. Sometimes there are bumps in the road that shake things up, and turn their sunny yellow days into brown ones. What a relief it must be to see an article like this trickle to an end. After a time, it can drive one to see spots!
Not bad, SLAL!
Nice. A for effort, Sirlafalot.
If the moron was so wasted that he could not distinguish a little girl from a urinal, then I'm sure he was under the influence of something much more potent than alcohol.
He had "R Kelly" in his Ipod.
John Smith -- what? Who's an unfit parent? If the child was actually peed on, it wasn't by a parent -- it was by a drunk young stranger. The child's parents are saying the original story was inaccurate and asking for privacy. Why should you issue a summary judgement call on them? I understand that expecting you to have read the original story is too much, but did you even read or understand this update?
And Miker -- peed, pissed or urinated? Who cares? I think we all understand that what the young drunk did was truly icky.
Why must you dribble on about this?
You reporters are getting like sports writers. Claim a story, take it back, claim a story, take it back, claim a story...........
I'm surprised they didn't charge the idiot for underage drinking...oh well, he pretty much whizzed his Olympic aspirations away, along with any future he might have had. The press should leave the girl & her family alone...their only crime was that they had the misfortune of bumping into this doof.
What is the drinking age on Jet Blue anyways? Most states that I know of have a legal drinking age of 21, and yet they list his age as 18 and the numerous drinks that he had onboard the plane.
No, they didn't say he had any drinks onboard the plane. He drank before he got on the plane. Read the article a little closer.
That's all he had to drink and he was that drunk? Lightweight. He's 18, too, so how is he drinking that much right before a flight? Before the airport I assume.
If he was that drunk, why was he allowed to board the plane in the first place?
Good... he was relieved of his job.. The family should file criminal charges against him for indecent exposure, and creating a health risk to their daughter. Since he exposed himself to a minor, it would be justifiable for him to be a listed sex offender for the rest of his miserable existence...There are many decent young athletes who can only dream of landing a position of such an honor.
In most states it wouldn't be indecent exposure unless you could prove he exposed himself for sexual gratification, such as having an enlarged member or jerkin his gerkin. This is urinating in public with no sexual component so no need to stigmatize him as a pervert.
We sure do want to jump on and crucify this kid! Try this story:
The kid, (skier trying to make the olympics), sat, waiting and waiting and waiting for the plane to get there after ariving two hours early for his original arrival time. He had nothing else to do. He sat in the bar and had a drink. Then he had another drink!, Then he switched to beers because he knew he had had enough hard stuff! They finally called the flight. He boarded the plane. He sat waiting for the seat belt light to go off. He had to go! The light finally went off! He tried to reach the bathroom but couldn't hold it! He dribbled down his pant leg right alongside a sleeping passengers leg that happened to be near the floor! Most folks legs are near the floor!