United We Sting: Scorpion Drops From Overhead Bin And Stings Passenger On Flight

The skies of United Continental Holdings Inc UAL got a bit unfriendlier after a scorpion dropped from an overhead bin and stung a passenger on a flight from Houston to Calgary.

"While I was eating, something fell in my hair from the overhead above me," Richard Bell, who was coming home from Houston on Sunday with his wife, Linda, told the CBC.

"I picked it up, and it was a scorpion. And I was holding it out by the tail, so it couldn't really sting me then."

Sunday was also the day that United had Chicago aviation security violently remove a 69-year-old doctor from an overbooked flight. The man’s lawyer said a lawsuit was likely.

That public relations nightmare may have prompted United to reach out to the couple. CBC initially reported that the couple was seeking compensation for the arachnid attack, then updated to say that they were very happy after receiving flying credit with the airline.

Scorpion stings result in numbness or tingling, blurry vision and twitching muscles. For children, hyperactivity and erratic eye movement can manifest.

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