Blind Interpreter Arrested, Held Without Food & Water For Hours For Asking Why Flight Was Delayed

Blind Interpreter Arrested, Held Without Food & Water For Hours For Asking Why Flight Was Delayed:

"JESSICA BAUTISTA & KITTY CAPARELLA

Philadelphia Daily News
Tuesday, May 12, 2009

A BLIND INTERNATIONAL interpreter who says he was dragged off a Belgium-bound flight, arrested and held in custody in Philadelphia for hours without food or water faces an arraignment Thursday.

His crime: He questioned why his U.S. Airways flight was delayed nearly two hours.

Nicola Cantisani, 61, of Brussels, Belgium, a professional translator who has been blind since birth, was charged with resisting arrest and disorderly conduct, police said.

“This is taking airplane security to a new and ridiculous level,” said his attorney, A. Charles Peruto Jr. “It’s pretty crazy.”
Cantisani and his wife, Paola, were returning to Brussels April 4 after visiting family in New York. The couple changed planes at Philadelphia International Airport and boarded the 8:32 p.m. flight.

After the plane sat on the tarmac for some time, passengers were told that the flight would be delayed - without explanation, according to Cantisani. They were unable to use phones, receive attendant service or move from their seats."