Man lived at O’Hare for 3 months, claims he was scared of the coronavirus

[ShruteSastry]

Instead of sheltering in place, one man decided to avoid contracting the novel coronavirus by hiding out at one of the world’s busiest airports for three months.

Aditya Singh, a 36-year-old from a Los Angeles suburb, said he was “scared to go home due to [COVID-19]” the Chicago Tribune reported on Sunday.

Prosecutors said Singh flew to Chicago O’Hare International (ORD) from Los Angeles (LAX) on Oct. 19 and managed to live undetected in a secure section of the airport until Saturday, Jan. 16, 2021, when he was caught.

Judge Susana Ortiz, of Cook County, Illinois, responded to the allegations “incredulously,” according to the Tribune.

“So, if I understand you correctly,” Ortiz said, “you’re telling me that an unauthorized, nonemployee individual was allegedly living within a secure part of the O’Hare airport terminal … and was not detected? I want to understand you correctly.”

On Saturday, two United Airlines employees asked to see Singh’s identification. He was wearing the badge of an airport operations manager who had reported it missing on Oct. 26. Police took Singh into custody at Terminal 2 near Gate F12 before noon.

Singh, who has a master’s degree in hospitality but is currently unemployed, claims he found the badge, and said other travelers gave him food. He is charged with felony criminal trespass to a restricted area and misdemeanor theft. As a condition of his $1,000 bail, Singh is prohibited from stepping foot in O’Hare.

“The court finds these facts and circumstances quite shocking for the alleged period of time that this occurred,” Ortiz said. “Being in a secured part of the airport under a fake ID badge allegedly, based upon the need for airports to be absolutely secure so that people feel safe to travel, I do find those alleged actions do make him a danger to the community.”

Airports are many things, but I’m not sure they’re really the best place to avoid contracting a highly contagious virus. Even the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which in October said the chance of getting COVID-19 on a plane was less than getting struck by lightning, admitted there’s risk elsewhere in the travel process, such as at the airport. 

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) strongly recommends avoiding crowds during the ongoing pandemic, and ORD saw 2,331,635 passengers during the month of September alone.

It also stands to reason that Singh did not have a credit card that gave him lounge access. Otherwise, he probably wouldn’t have been scrounging around for scraps from Auntie Anne’s.

Singh’s extended layover may bring to mind “The Terminal,” Steven Spielberg’s comedy-drama about a man who spends nine months at New York-JFK — which was inspired by the true story of Mehran Karimi Nasseri, an Iranian refugee who lived at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) for nearly two decades.

But Singh’s three-month-long stay is concerning, considering how secure airports are supposed to be. I can’t even get a bottle of water through security, but somehow this man decided that instead of booking a vacation home he’d overnight between a Hudson News and a Skybridge Bar & Grill.

“While this incident remains under investigation,” the Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) said in a statement, “CDA has no higher priority than the safety and security of our airports, which is maintained by a coordinated and multilayered law enforcement network. We have been able to determine that this gentleman did not pose a security risk to the airport or to the traveling public. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners on a thorough investigation of this matter.”

[r2d2]

"Not much is known about the man, but it was reported he had a master's degree in hospitality, was unemployed and lived with his roommates in Orange, Los Angeles."

paapam.. life lo baaga debba thinnattunnaadu...

[ShruteSastry]

22 minutes ago, r2d2 said:

"Not much is known about the man, but it was reported he had a master's degree in hospitality, was unemployed and lived with his roommates in Orange, Los Angeles."

paapam.. life lo baaga debba thinnattunnaadu...

yeah, but maree airport lo ante, something fishy

[yemdoing]

3 minutes ago, ShruteSastry said:

yeah, but maree airport lo ante, something fishy

tom hanks di yedo movie undali 

[megadheera]

10 minutes ago, yemdoing said:

tom hanks di yedo movie undali 

The Terminal. Very good movie 

[ShruteSastry]

10 minutes ago, yemdoing said:

tom hanks di yedo movie undali 

The Terminal

[BattalaSathi]

1 hour ago, ShruteSastry said:

Instead of sheltering in place, one man decided to avoid contracting the novel coronavirus by hiding out at one of the world’s busiest airports for three months.

Aditya Singh, a 36-year-old from a Los Angeles suburb, said he was “scared to go home due to [COVID-19]” the Chicago Tribune reported on Sunday.

Prosecutors said Singh flew to Chicago O’Hare International (ORD) from Los Angeles (LAX) on Oct. 19 and managed to live undetected in a secure section of the airport until Saturday, Jan. 16, 2021, when he was caught.

Judge Susana Ortiz, of Cook County, Illinois, responded to the allegations “incredulously,” according to the Tribune.

“So, if I understand you correctly,” Ortiz said, “you’re telling me that an unauthorized, nonemployee individual was allegedly living within a secure part of the O’Hare airport terminal … and was not detected? I want to understand you correctly.”

On Saturday, two United Airlines employees asked to see Singh’s identification. He was wearing the badge of an airport operations manager who had reported it missing on Oct. 26. Police took Singh into custody at Terminal 2 near Gate F12 before noon.

Singh, who has a master’s degree in hospitality but is currently unemployed, claims he found the badge, and said other travelers gave him food. He is charged with felony criminal trespass to a restricted area and misdemeanor theft. As a condition of his $1,000 bail, Singh is prohibited from stepping foot in O’Hare.

“The court finds these facts and circumstances quite shocking for the alleged period of time that this occurred,” Ortiz said. “Being in a secured part of the airport under a fake ID badge allegedly, based upon the need for airports to be absolutely secure so that people feel safe to travel, I do find those alleged actions do make him a danger to the community.”

Airports are many things, but I’m not sure they’re really the best place to avoid contracting a highly contagious virus. Even the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which in October said the chance of getting COVID-19 on a plane was less than getting struck by lightning, admitted there’s risk elsewhere in the travel process, such as at the airport. 

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) strongly recommends avoiding crowds during the ongoing pandemic, and ORD saw 2,331,635 passengers during the month of September alone.

It also stands to reason that Singh did not have a credit card that gave him lounge access. Otherwise, he probably wouldn’t have been scrounging around for scraps from Auntie Anne’s.

Singh’s extended layover may bring to mind “The Terminal,” Steven Spielberg’s comedy-drama about a man who spends nine months at New York-JFK — which was inspired by the true story of Mehran Karimi Nasseri, an Iranian refugee who lived at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) for nearly two decades.

But Singh’s three-month-long stay is concerning, considering how secure airports are supposed to be. I can’t even get a bottle of water through security, but somehow this man decided that instead of booking a vacation home he’d overnight between a Hudson News and a Skybridge Bar & Grill.

“While this incident remains under investigation,” the Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) said in a statement, “CDA has no higher priority than the safety and security of our airports, which is maintained by a coordinated and multilayered law enforcement network. We have been able to determine that this gentleman did not pose a security risk to the airport or to the traveling public. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners on a thorough investigation of this matter.”

Family/friends didn't file a complaint?  Evaru leru anukunna kaneesam aaa room mate gallayina panic avali kadha...month ending ki cheque raase vaadu checkesina kooda panic avara adhyaksha??

[manadonga]

11 minutes ago, BattalaSathi said:

Family/friends didn't file a complaint?  Evaru leru anukunna kaneesam aaa room mate gallayina panic avali kadha...month ending ki cheque raase vaadu checkesina kooda panic avara adhyaksha??

Evaru avvaru bhayya

maa feiend valla roomlo okadu suitcase with certificates petti ekkadiko velli poyadu 

4 months taruvata room kali chese appudu trash chesaru emi cheyyalo telika 

no one care others. Everyone have thier own issues 

[BattalaSathi]

4 minutes ago, manadonga said:

Evaru avvaru bhayya

maa feiend valla roomlo okadu suitcase with certificates petti ekkadiko velli poyadu 

4 months taruvata room kali chese appudu trash chesaru emi cheyyalo telika 

no one care others. Everyone have thier own issues 

anthe baa anthe..eee mayadari lokam ilaa thayarayi sachindhi...em chestham...go with the flow...

[ShruteSastry]

13 minutes ago, manadonga said:

Evaru avvaru bhayya

maa feiend valla roomlo okadu suitcase with certificates petti ekkadiko velli poyadu 

4 months taruvata room kali chese appudu trash chesaru emi cheyyalo telika 

no one care others. Everyone have thier own issues 

at least ,missing case kuda pettledha?

[LadiesTailor]

1 hour ago, yemdoing said:

tom hanks di yedo movie undali 

Just headline chadivava baaa... andulo clear ga rasadu kada 

[ShruteSastry]

Man Arrested For 3 Month O'Hare Stay Seeks Modification Of Bond

https://www.nbcchicago.com/top-videos-home/man-lived-at-chicagos-ohare-airport-for-3-months-before-arrest-prosecutors/2418112/

[ShruteSastry]

On Wednesday, he returned to court. Far from the rumpled and bearded version of his booking photos, Singh appeared clean-shaven, alert, and focused during a brief appearance by video-link in a hearing at the Skokie courthouse.

During that session, his court-appointed public defender, Lindsey Anderson, asked for another hearing on Friday, to discuss modifications of Singh's bail.

Prosecutor Robert Schwartz indicated that he expected that motion would include a request for Singh to be allowed to return to California.

Longtime friends expressed shock at the allegations, saying it did not sound like the person they knew.

"It seemed very unlike him to do something like just disengage from the outside world," said Adam Dinkledine, who shared a house with Singh when both were students at Oklahoma State University during the fall 2017 semester.

"I definitely would not have seen that coming at all," Dinkledine told NBC 5. "I hope that he can get some help that is appropriate for this situation."

An online video posted by the university shows Singh making a presentation for his PhD in 2018. That presentation focused on food waste and hunger issues. Friends say it was an issue about which he was passionate.

"He'd walk into a room and he'd lighten up the space," said Katherine Ruck, who worked with Singh at Oklahoma State's Taylor's Dining Room, a restaurant linked to the university's Hospitality school. "He was a super good example of what a person in the hospitality industry seeks to do, which is engage others, and inspire others."

Ruck said Singh was responsible for an effort to gather the restaurant's unused food, and supply it to a local center which focused on homelessness and hunger.

"He took really good care of people," she said. "And he wanted to make people aware of problems that exist in society and how we can contribute in really small ways."

Both Ruck and Dinkledine said the man arrested after three months wandering the airport did not sound like the one they knew.

"The man I knew was super caring and open," Ruck said. "If you were to approach him you would feel really inspired."