Chewing can indeed prove expensive. Ten
cents worth of gum cost one major airline $1,425.33. It seems that in
1959 a 10-year-old American chewer named Johnny Rand forced a big British
Overseas Airways Stratocruiser bound for London to turn back for New York
when 300 miles out Johnny had stuffed thirteen pieces of medicated
airsickness gum into his mouth instead of the recommended one piece at a
time. Fearing that the boy's life was in danger, the pilot headed back for
New York, where Johnny received a stimulant shot to ward off the hypnotic
drug in the gum. The airline estimated that a Stratocruiser cost $560 an
hour to run at that time, which figured out to $765.33 for the one hour
and 22 minutes that the plane was airborne before returning. In addition
the pilot dumped 1,500 gallons of gasoline to make the unscheduled
landing. At 44 cents a gallon for aviation fuel (at that time), this added
$660 to make a total of $1,425.33. Johnny, who said the gum "tasted real
good," apparently suffered no ill effects. At least he didn"t become
airsick. Imagine the cost at today's prices for fuel - staggering!