Twenty-five years after the blockbuster “Speed,” Keanu Reeves was back on a packed bus. This time, though, there were no bombs, no speed restrictions, and no real danger – but the ride was just as fun as watching that movie.
The actor, who has a reputation of being one of the most down to earth, relatable guys in Hollywood, was on board a United Airlines flight from San Francisco to Burbank, California, when he became stranded. The other passengers did, too.
As various social media posts reveal and United has confirmed in a statement to Yahoo!, the plane was forced to make an emergency landing in Bakersfield, California due to some technical issues. When this happened, everyone on board (Keanu included) was faced with the choice of waiting for several hours in the deserted airport for another plane or hitch a ride on a bus.
They chose the bus, and Keanu, despite being a huge movie superstar, did his best to entertain those on board in between posing for pictures and signing autographs. On the bus ride, he read them Bakersfield facts and played country music from his phone, and warmly chatted with everyone. Again, for a superstar, this isn’t common behavior, which is why the story has gone viral.
Once the bus reached Burbank, Keanu got off at a Carl’s Jr., but not before telling the other passengers that it’d been a pleasure meeting them all.
Passengers have also praised United’s quick response time in handling the unexpected crisis. In a statement, the airline says, “SkyWest Flight 5223, operating as United Express from San Francisco to Burbank on Saturday, March 23, diverted to Bakersfield due to a mechanical indication. The flight landed safely without incident in Bakersfield. Passengers deplaned normally at the gate and were then transported via ground transportation to Burbank.”
