Joan Rivers Tossed from Flight Over Passport Flap

The new uptight airline security procedures aren't just affecting the insignificant, tweeting rabble—now even VIPs like Joan Rivers are being inconvenienced. Rivers, 76, was ejected from a Continental Airlines flight bound to Newark from Costa Rica on Sunday because her passport reads: Joan Rosenberg AKA Joan Rivers. (Rosenberg was her late husband's last name, or so she says.) Rivers was cast out by a "nasty and cruel" gate agent because the passport raised a red flag, and she was all alone with no ATM card and just $100 in her purse. Finally back in NYC Monday after spending a night in San Jose, Rivers described her ordeal to the Daily News:

If I were going to make up an alias, I wouldn't pick Rosenberg. I'd pick Jolie or Pitt. Do terrorists wear Manolo Blahniks? I can tell you Donna Karan does not make anything that hides a bomb... I tried the tears; they didn't work. I tried reasoning. I couldn't bribe because I didn't have any money. I said 'I'm going to have a heart attack over this,' so the woman called the paramedics.

Fortunately for Rivers, a friendly porter took pity on her and found a friend to drive her 6-1/2 hours to the main airport in Costa Rica's capital of San Jose, for a flight leaving Monday morning.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By John Del Signore in News on January 5, 2010 1:40 PM

Comments [rss]

FelixtheCat & Christine Quinn'

Joan Rivers = Queen Tee.

AnnaZed

Why was she traveling with no credit cards, travelers checks, money or a cell phone? I'm not sure that I even believe this story. Nobody's passport say AKA on it, that is a lie.

Jen S

No exceptions, Skeletor!

Tower18

This happened to me because my ID reads Joshua and my ticket reads Josh. It wasn't a big deal, the airline simply changed my ticket. Why didn't Joan Rivers think of that?

Also:

I tried the tears; they didn't work.

That was a side effect of the 5th surgery.

handsomedevil

That was a side effect of the 5th surgery.

Yes. This one connects.

sidenote

Her tear ducts still work?

NannyState

The good news is that the bypass was a complete success. The bad news is that she cries urine.

Mr. Shankly

That's one hell of a face lift.

hotstepper

dear god! after glancing at the pic i thought this was an article about aliens landing here on earth.

whew...close one!

ANGRYGOD11

To all the Joan Rivers haters: If you think airport stupidity isn't going to get you someday, then you haven't been in an airport for many years.

A false positive doesn't just mean the system incorrectly gets the innocent: It also means it's going to miss the terrorists.

farleft

I have to say it makes me feel much better knowing airport security treated Joan Rivers this way. She's more of a threat to our national security than most Muslims.

ANGRYGOD11

I'll have to remember your remark the next time American bodies are piled up after the next Joan Rivers attack.

NannyState

I heard they put her through a body scanner and only came up with a diaper pin.

Bubba

Given that she's addicted to plastic surgery she probably looks nothing like her passport photo. I also love how she describes the gate agent as being "nasty and cruel." That's an apt description of Joan Rivers.

Cautious Pessimist

Before you judge, consider this story...

I was working at a really small, really expensive, chocolate store while in college. Whenever the guy that owned the place was there, he loved to stand near us and say nothing except to yell at us when we didn't do something exactly right.

Anyway, right before Christmas, who should walk in but Joan Rivers. My co-worker starts to help her, and she really couldn't be nicer at this point. She's making small talk with everyone, and is just generally being pleasant. All the other workers and customers are having a good time. Inevitably, my co-worker does something the owner doesn't like while helping Rivers, and Rivers unleashes on him. Yelling at him to get off the poor girl (the co-worker), she's doing a great job, you're just standing around, why don't you do all the work if you don't like how she does it, etc., for about a minute. The entire place was dead silent until her order was wrapped up and she paid. She smiled, told everyone to have a nice day, and left.

I always hated that guy, so ever since that day, I've loved Joan Rivers and always thought of her as the nicest person.

Rob T Firefly

How long ago was this? Because 20-30 years ago Joan Rivers had a whole schtick making fun of the kind of person Joan Rivers is now.

Aveais Essex

"Can we talk about Chief Wiggum?" (sticks finger down throat)

Wza

lol

nicemarmot

The guy was probably confused by the passport claiming she's American and over the age of 75. She seems more like an immortal alien from outer space.

theevilone

STFU, Joan Rivers and kudos to whatever security person did their job. They should get bonus pay for having to look at that ugly mug crying.