Southwest pilot threatens to halt flight to Cabo after passenger used AirDrop to send nude images

By William On Aug 30, 2022

A Southwest Airlines pilot threatened cancel a vacation flight from Houston, Texas, to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico after a passenger sent nude photos via AirDrop to fellow travelers.

A TikTok video taken by passenger Teighlor Marsalis of the captain’s announcement has gone viral.

‘So here’s the deal,’ the pilot, giving off ‘major dad vibes,’ says, ‘While we’re on the ground, I’m going to have to pull back to the gate, everybody’s going to have to get off.

Teighlor Marsalis, 30, nearly missed her trip to Cabo San Lucas after a passenger AirDropped naked photos to fellow travelers

Teighlor Marsalis, left, and her husband Blaine Marsalis, made to Cabo San Lucas after her flight was almost canceled by a cyber-flasher

Marsalis recorded the second known incident of Cyber-flashing this year on Southwest Airlines, the first happened in June on a flight from Detroit to Denver

We’re going to have to get security involved and this vacation is going to be ruined. So, you folks, whatever that AirDrop thing is quit sending naked pictures and let’s get yourself to Cabo.’

The video, which has racked up more than 100,000 likes, was posted August 25.

Commenters on the social media platform seemed to find the video hilarious.

‘This feels like my mom turning around in the car to me and my twin sister,’ Nikki Marie posted under the video.

In June, a man referred to in this video still as ‘Larry’ reportedly sent indecent photos of himself to the entire flight bound for Denver from Detroit

Another poster, Walsami, agree. ‘Haha major dad vibes,’ he wrote.

It’s not the first time that a Southwest airline passenger in Texas has shared photos au natural on a plane.

And not everyone thinks it’s funny.

In June, TikTok-er @DaddyStrange333 posted a video taken during a flight from Detroit to Denver about another passenger who AirDropped photos of his privates to the entire flight, according to the New York Post.

What is cyber-flashing?

Cyber-flashing is the act of someone deliberately sending a stranger an unsolicited sexual image using the AirDrop feature on an iPhone. These images are typically of male genitalia.

AirDrop, which is specific to iOS devices such as iPads and iPhones, as well as Apple Macs, uses Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to connect over a short range to other devices.

People are often targeted by cyber-flashing through AirDrop on public transport due to the technology’s short range.

There is currently no law which directly addresses cyber-flashing in England and Wales, despite the act being made illegal in Scotland 12 years ago.

The New York legislature is contemplating a bill that would require sexual harassment training for anyone caught in the act.

Texas passed a law outlawing the practice last year. It carries a $500 fine.

Cyber-flashing was criminalized in Scotland under Section 6 of the Sexual Offence in 2009, while a similar measure was also passed in the Texas Senate unanimously in May 2019.

Police investigated the first ever case of cyber-flashing in 2015 after an unwanted graphic picture popped up on a shocked London commuter’s iPhone.

There were three cases reported in 2016 and 15 in 2017.

‘Meet Larry who just airdropped a whole flight photos of his peepee,’ according to the post. ‘Thankfully, I accepted it, saw who was sending it, and immediately started speaking up. Stay tuned for the police escort.’

Southwest Airlines has not responded to requests for comment on the Cabo pervert, but in June they confirmed that ‘Larry’ had sent inappropriate photos to the passengers.

‘We can confirm this unfortunate incident occurred on a recent flight from Detroit to Denver,’ a Southwest Airlines spokesperson told The Post. ‘Our Flight Attendants immediately addressed the situation and the Crew requested local law enforcement officers meet the flight upon arrival, which they did and subsequently apprehended the individual responsible.

Southwest Airlines maintains zero tolerance for this obscene and unacceptable behavior, and we offer our sincere apologies to the other Customers onboard.’

Last year, Texas became one of the first states to outlaw the practice, referred to as Cyber-flashing.

It’s now a crime, punishable by a $500 fine to send dirty pics unrequested over a digital format.

New York State Sentor James Skoufis has introduced legislation, with the support of dating app Bumble, the National Organization for Women and the National Women’s Political Caucus, to outlaw the act.

‘These images are frequently conveyed anonymously between mobile phones via text or digital file sharing services, and often on mass transit or in large public settings — violating the recipient’s personal space and undermining their sense of safety,’ Skoufis said when he introduced the measure in May.

His law would require sexual harassment training to those found to have violated the law, but there’s stricter measures being offered in England and Wales.

Lawmakers in those countries are contemplating the Online Safety Bill, which would punish offenders with up to two years in prison for sending ‘d**k pics.’

Scotland already passed such a bill in 2009.