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OFF BEAT: Couple files suit against Air Tran over cockroaches on flight

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They’re the kind of stowaway nobody wants to confront under any circumstances.

But these unticketed passengers allegedly made it aboard an Air Tran Airways flight from Charlotte, N.C., to Houston. The culprits? Cockroaches.

According to a story posted on Charlotte’s WCNC.com, Harry Marsh and his fiancée, Kaitlin Rush, said they saw the bugs crawling out of the plane’s air vents and carry-on compartments. But in a lawsuit they filed after the alleged Sept. 15 incident, the couple claimed flight attendants were either too busy to check out the situation or simply didn’t believe it existed. Mr. Marsh, who is a lawyer, claimed that when he mentioned the situation to a flight attendant, she put a finger to her mouth, which he interpreted as meaning she wanted him to be quiet.

The couple said they got sick from the bugs and ultimately threw away or washed their belongings for fear of infestation.

According to the report, Mr. Marsh and Ms. Rush are suing Air Tran for more than $100,000 in damages plus the price of their tickets, alleging negligence, recklessness, emotional distress and even false imprisonment, among other things.

If they prevail, Air Tran may find itself having to sell more than a few additional tickets to pay for the damage done by some six-legged stowaways.