What is it with Penn State professors and airplanes?

As seen above, a passenger on a Shanghai flight — later identified as Penn State Hazleton IST Professor Yong “Eric” Lu — didn’t take too kindly to being denied a free upgrade to first class. Lu is seen being carried off the plane by Chinese police officers, kicking and screaming on his way out as other passengers gawked. Here’s how it all went down, according to the person who took the video:

Man decided to “upgrade” himself from economy to first class. He got caught multiple times and refused to identify himself to the crew, at one point even walking down the aisles drinking champagne that he stole from first class. The crew asks him to leave the plane and he refuses. Finally, the Chinese authorities arrive to drag him off the plane. However, they claim they are not allowed to handcuff someone that is mentally unstable (???). Finally, with the help of some passengers and plastic zip-tie cuffs provided by the crew, the man is carried off the plane kicking and screaming the entire way.

Lu, identified by several Chinese news websites, lists being a tenure track professor on his curriculum vitae and has a solid 3.7 on RateMyProfessors.

So continues the trend of Penn State professors struggling with air travel protocol. Last March, Penn State Abington professor Karen Bettez Halnon was arrested and removed from a plane after she refused to extinguish her cigarette and stop yelling about Hugo Chavez. Halnon was removed from her teaching duties as a result of the incident.