Scorpion on a Plane: Flight Delayed as Woman Stung

Right up there with snakes on planes are scorpions, and the presence of one on an Alaska Airlines flight yesterday caused a bit of a stir: As the Oregonian reports, Flight 567 was taxiing on the runway at LAX when a scorpion—apparently having hitched a ride from Mexico in the bag of a returning tourist—stung a female passenger, causing the plane to return to the gate so the woman could be checked by medics. She refused additional medical treatment, notes the AP, and the flight later continued to Portland. Oregon State University's men's basketball team was aboard. As for the scorpion, an uphappy ending: Flight attendants killed it. (Meanwhile, a toddler treated for a scorpion sting had actually ingested meth.)