A follow-up on Haison Jiang, the Rutgers University graduate student who wreaked havoc on Newark Liberty International Airport in early January when he breached security to steal one last goodbye with his long-distance girlfriend, causing a massive shutdown: Consequences of an Airport Kiss.
Needless to say, Jiang made a lot of people angry that day, and he was eventually tracked down and arrested on January 8. This week, he pleaded guilty in Newark Municipal Court to the charge of defiant trespass. His punishment: 100 hours of community service, a $500 fine and $158 in costs and fees.
In his first interview since causing the six-hour shutdown, Jiang said he was completely oblivious that he had done anything wrong: "At that moment, I'm very excited with my girlfriend, and I didn't think too much." I've said it before -- he's kind of an idiot. But he's a lovestruck idiot, and obviously didn't mean any harm.
It was the kiss that shut down an airport. As for his girlfriend, Jiang says they are very much still together. They still talk about 2,000 minutes a month, and he plans on moving to California to be with her and work in a laboratory after completing his degree in May or June. I hope she realizes what he just went through for her...
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