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CNN Live At Daybreak

Northwest Denies Pig a Seat

Aired June 28, 2002 - 05:57   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Everybody knows that pigs can't fly, right? Northwest Airlines says everybody ought to know that.

So as Holly Doyle of CNN affiliate WWMT tells us, Northwest is being accused of being the big bad wolf.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Old McDonald had a farm, e-i, e-i, o. And on this farm he had a pig -- that's me, oh,.

HOLLY DOYLE, WWMT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Pork Chop the Pot- Bellied Pig is a comedian.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And I got left at the altar. Pigs are such men.

DOYLE: She's part of a cast of characters in a one woman ventriloquist act for 24-year-old Alicia Dacoba.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have pierced ears, painted hooves.

DOYLE: It may be funny when the pig talks, but it's not laughing matter that the pig can't fly. The duo act is supposed to fly to L.A., vying for a $25,000 prize on Fox's new show "30 Seconds of Fame."

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: With a grunt, grunt here...

ALICIA DACOBA, VENTRILOQUIST: Good piggy.

DOYLE: Pork Chop is a veteran at flying, in the passenger cabin on Northwest Airlines, out to L.A. and Miami.

A. DACOBA: Right by her feet, and she's most comfortable like that and we're comfortable. We can see her and she doesn't do any harm.

DOYLE: But this time Northwest says she can fly, but in the luggage compartment with the other animals.

DEBBI DACOBA, ALICIA'S MOTHER: And we would never put her down below because she's already been hurt that way. So it's not even an option. So I guess if no one will fly her aboard with us like she's been, as she has done for so many times before, then we just won't take her.

DOYLE: Alicia's mother Debbi trained Pork Chop. She says she can't fly underneath the plane. She's done it before and the pig got hurt when the carrier flipped over.

D. DACOBA: She couldn't even walk. I mean one of her legs was completely bent.

DOYLE: But Northwest says they are just sticking to a rule previously bended.

MARY BETH SCHUBERT, NORTHWEST AIRLINES SPOKESPERSON: We, you know, apologize for the frustrations caused but in the past, simply put, you know, it was a policy that existed but it was not enforced and we've decided to enforce it.

DOYLE: The trip and the opportunity depends on getting a flight.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, they want to put me back in the cargo. Well, I think this is a bunch of hogwash.

DOYLE: One thing's for sure, this will be part of the act.

A. DACOBA: You've got to. You've got to make material out of every day things.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Old McDonald had a farm, e-i, e-i, o.

DOYLE: I'm Holly Doyle reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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