Larry C
New Member
40 Escaped Chameleons Delay Flight of Plane
Mohawk airlines has a 200-page manual full of rules dealing with passenger and cargo situations, but John Lennox, acting customer service manager of Mohawk's Watertown (NY) station here, came across a situation not included, how to get 40 escaped chameleons out of the cargo compartment back into their box.
When Mr. Lennox opened the compartment to add luggage, he spotted one of the small lizards on the ceiling. It had turned greyish white to match the aluminum ceiling. A quick survey showed that every chameleon in the box had also escaped. No more luggage could be added until all forty had been rescued.
Mr. Lennox reports that half the battle was seeing the creatures in the first place. They were on the ceiling, on the luggage and had turned whatever color the luggage was. He got them all back but one, looked all over for that last missing chameleon, and finally found it, a pleasant blue, on the shirt of his blue Mohawk uniform.
All in all, it took 35 minutes to capture the chameleons, delaying the flight's departure by 20 minutes.
The animals were en route from Florida to Ogdensburg (NY) to an Ogdensburg department store, where they are to be sold as pets.
If the chameleon boom continues, Mohawk will issue a supplement to its 200-page manual, giving instructions on chameleon catching. The copy will be written by Mohawk's new chameleon expert, one John Lennox.
Watertown NY Daily Times, Sept 9, 1960
Mohawk airlines has a 200-page manual full of rules dealing with passenger and cargo situations, but John Lennox, acting customer service manager of Mohawk's Watertown (NY) station here, came across a situation not included, how to get 40 escaped chameleons out of the cargo compartment back into their box.
When Mr. Lennox opened the compartment to add luggage, he spotted one of the small lizards on the ceiling. It had turned greyish white to match the aluminum ceiling. A quick survey showed that every chameleon in the box had also escaped. No more luggage could be added until all forty had been rescued.
Mr. Lennox reports that half the battle was seeing the creatures in the first place. They were on the ceiling, on the luggage and had turned whatever color the luggage was. He got them all back but one, looked all over for that last missing chameleon, and finally found it, a pleasant blue, on the shirt of his blue Mohawk uniform.
All in all, it took 35 minutes to capture the chameleons, delaying the flight's departure by 20 minutes.
The animals were en route from Florida to Ogdensburg (NY) to an Ogdensburg department store, where they are to be sold as pets.
If the chameleon boom continues, Mohawk will issue a supplement to its 200-page manual, giving instructions on chameleon catching. The copy will be written by Mohawk's new chameleon expert, one John Lennox.
Watertown NY Daily Times, Sept 9, 1960
