DanMargarita.com

You've probably heard about Charles McKinley, a 25 year old man who shipped himself in a crate via air cargo from New York City to his father's house in a suburb of Dallas, Texas. I guess that traveling in a crate by train from New York to Dallas would've been inconvenient.

With the help of a co-worker, Mr. McKinley decided to save a few bucks on air fare by packing himself into a crate and marking it "computer and clothes" and sending it on a Kitty Hawk Cargo plane. This was not completely inaccurate as McKinley did bring his computer with him and he was wearing clothes. Mr. McKinley explained on the "Today" show that he was short of cash and was not in the crate because he was a really bad mime who took the "trapped in a box" bit too literally.

No news reports mention if McKinley was aware that there were stops in Buffalo and Ft. Wayne involving a plane change. The downside of being a stowaway in a crate is that it's tough to belly up to the lounge bar in a large wooden box and order a drink during a layover.

According to the Associated Press, McKinley stuck his employer with the estimated $550-$650 bill. The AP report quotes a Pilot Air Freight executive as saying that at that rate "he could've flown first class." As cargo trips go, that was first class. Mr. McKinley was lucky or smart enough to have picked a flight that had his crate transported in a heated, pressurized compartment. Had he been in a non-pressurized compartment...well, let's just say that he would've arrived in a vastly different state, and I'm not referring to Texas.

McKinley made the trip undetected until the delivery driver dropping the crate off at McKinley's parent's house noticed a pair of eyes staring back at him from inside the crate. That in itself would be freaky enough, but to the driver's dismay there was a live body attached to them. McKinley then kicked out the side of the crate and crawled out, much like a scene from the movie "Alien" or at least the Marx Brother's "Monkey Business."

The driver contacted the police who have detained McKinley on outstanding warrants for check theft and traffic violations. Apparently, authorities are still trying to determine if shipping yourself in a crate is against the law.

If it's not against the law, this could be a bonanza for the ailing airline industry, which is always looking to cut costs and attract business. Instead of trying to get more from business class flights, the airlines could appeal to the working class with "cargo flights."

Of course there would be different levels of cargo flights. Perhaps a padded crate for those in first-class cargo. Entertainment shouldn't be skimped on. Perhaps an in-flight movie such as "Castaway" or some music such as Simon and Garfunkle's "The Boxer" could be provided.

Since we've just passed the Sept. 11 anniversary, and at a time when airline security is supposed to be heightened, it's a little discomforting to know that cargo air freight security is so lax.

As for Mr. McKinley, I'm actually inclined to a little feel sorry for him and would even consider sending him a present to help him out.

Of course it would probably something from "Crate & Barrel."