A grandmother named Lily Ifield was nearly arrested for refusing to pay for a tuna sandwich she deemed inedible on a Jet2 flight from London to Turkey. The $11 sandwich was described as “soggy” and “cold” by Ifield, who refused to pay for it when the bill came. When the flight landed in Bodrum, Turkey, armed officers were waiting to escort the 79-year-old woman off the aircraft.
Ifield had already paid around $63 for four mini bottles of wine consumed during the flight with her daughter to cope with anxiety. Despite this, the cabin crew became increasingly frustrated with her refusal to pay for the sandwich. Ifield was shocked by the response and felt she was being treated like a convict over a simple meal mishap. The situation escalated to the point where armed police were involved, leaving both women shaken and confused.
The confusion continued when airport police in Turkey made Ifield walk through the airport for what she described as “miles.” This was particularly troubling for the elderly woman, who had knee issues and required a walking stick. When she tried to communicate with the officers for information, they allegedly responded by saying they didn’t speak English. Even Ifield’s daughter was puzzled by the overreaction, questioning why her mother was being targeted over a returned sandwich.
After officers realized that the entire incident revolved around an unpaid sandwich, they decided to let the matter go. Ifield expressed her frustration at how the situation ruined her vacation, causing her and her daughter to stay in their room for four days due to worry and stress. She believed the whole ordeal was unnecessary and embarrassing for all involved. The grandmother felt that the experience was a substantial overreaction over something as trivial as a sandwich.
Ifield’s daughter was also shocked by the way the situation unfolded, questioning the reasoning behind the heavy-handed response to a rejected sandwich. Ultimately, the ordeal only came to an end when the officers recognized the absurdity of the situation and allowed the two women to leave without any further consequences. Ifield expressed her disappointment with how the incident overshadowed what was supposed to be a relaxing vacation and felt that the entire situation could have been easily resolved without the need for such a dramatic response.
