Robert_hershey_bruinsPhew.

In further evidence that Boston is full of assholes, the guy who tried to open the door of a Delta A320 flying from Florida to Boston was Robert Hershey, a Bruins fan. [BBC]

Mr Hersey was charged on Tuesday night with interfering with the operation of an aircraft.

Passengers told local media that Mr Hersey, who was wearing a shirt supporting the Boston Bruins hockey team, was foul-mouthed, intoxicated and unhappy the flight was late.

He tried to open the exit door on the Airbus 320 about halfway between Orlando, in Florida, and Boston, Massachusetts, passengers told the Boston Globe.

Bail was set at $1,000 by the court in Boston.

 

Bruins fans: Terrorists.

 

Meanwhile, in sports mediocrity, one eyebrow raising detail in the accusations brought against the Mets clubhouse attendant, Charlie Samuels, who was arrested today, was that he received $50,000 in checks from Jeff Francoeur. Samuels, who admittedly placed bets on the team and has ties to "mobbed-up" bookies, cashed $35,000 worth of those checks – one of which was made out to Francoeur – so Francouer could buy his parents a new car without them seeing how much he paid for it (they usually help pay his bills when he's away).

"I wrote him a $35,000 check and he gave me cash for it and I bought a car for my mom and dad. And that's what it was all about. That's the whole thing," Francoeur said. "My parents help pay our bills and stuff while we're away during the season. I didn't want them to see what I paid for the car.

"Here in New York there are people who can cash a check like that," he said. "He did that for me so I could buy the gift. . . . So when (law enforcement) got involved it looked like I gave him $50,000 instead of just $15,000. There was nothing out of order about it . . . but I was pretty shocked when someone texted me at a football game in the fall that some FBI investigation showed $50,000 from me to Charlie."

 

The other $15,000 was "a tip" for Samuels and other clubhouse attendants. 

The tip part is plausible, but it's odd that a multi-millionaire would need an $80,000 a year employee to cash a check for him. As Craig Calcaterra points out, there's banks that do that.

Of course, this was a cash transaction, so we'll likely never know what either side did with the money. But Francoeur couldn't possibly be dumb enough to place bets using a check, right? Right?! 

The Amazin' Mets, folks.