Centipedes on the Plane

01/08/08

On Mary’s plane ride from Samoa to the US, a fellow Peace Corps passenger felt something on his leg. He flicked it off onto the top part of the seat in front of him. It was a six inch centipede! In true Peace Corps fashion, he calmly covered it with a cup. Samoans around him quickly pulled back in horror, as westerners gawked.

After ringing the call button, the Air New Zealand flight attendant said in no way was she going to touch that cup. She in turn got a male attendant to take the cup. The stowaway traveler was flushed at 35,000 feet into the Pacific. No one could find the centipede's mother.

Now, Samoans and Peace Corps Volunteers know South Pacific centipedes can inflict a terrible bite. I have been bitten twice and can verify their potency. So if you ever come face to face with a Samoan centipede, get the hell out of there!