Terror Attack in the Skies Thwarted

[patric]

A sidebar to the Christmas day drama...

The "hero" that saved the Northwest flight sold his exclusive story to CNN for $10,000 in the form of licensing a blurry cellphone photo.
His agreed-to 5-minute interview did not include any mention that his heroic leap over the seats and heads of other passengers apparently took place after the Flight Attendants got water to put out the fire.
So do we give this guy his own reality show with the Balloon Boy?

http://jezebel.com/5434950/the-shady-mainstream-media-payday-of-flight-253-hero-jasper-schuringa
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/27/jasper-schuringa-northwes_n_404247.html

What a shame.   

[azbadpuppy]

Turns out the passenger got air sick (which is apparently something Delta crew are unfamiliar with) and only became verbally abusive after the flight crew forced their way into the bathroom and dragged him out of the toilet in front of everybody.

A nice lawsuit against Delta should settle that. 

Well, the new rules were in effect on this flight: EVERYONE must stay in their seats with nothing on their laps for the last hour of the flight. This passenger refused to do so. Sick or not, he must remain in his seat. The crew were well within their rights to demand he take his seat. If you are sick and must remain in your seat, this is why they have 'barf bags'.

And it wasn't the crew that dragged him out of the bathroom, is was the police that boarded the plane once they landed.

It truly amazes me how people still think in this day and age they can do whatever they want, whenever they want, defy rules and regulations, and THEN think there should be no repercussions. Sorry people! Everyone want's to do what they want, have all their freedom, not be told what to do by the government, but then blame the government when anything goes wrong. It doesn't work that way.

[Townsend]

Well, the new rules were in effect on this flight: EVERYONE must stay in their seats with nothing on their laps for the last hour of the flight. This passenger refused to do so. Sick or not, he must remain in his seat. The crew were well within their rights to demand he take his seat. If you are sick and must remain in your seat, this is why they have 'barf bags'.

I got the impression it wasn't a "barf" issue.  I'd rather he wasn't sitting next to me in that situation either.

[azbadpuppy]

A sidebar to the Christmas day drama...

The "hero" that saved the Northwest flight sold his exclusive story to CNN for $10,000 in the form of licensing a blurry cellphone photo.
His agreed-to 5-minute interview did not include any mention that his heroic leap over the seats and heads of other passengers apparently took place long after the Flight Attendants got water to put out the fire.
So do we give this guy his own reality show with the Balloon Boy?

http://jezebel.com/5434950/the-shady-mainstream-media-payday-of-flight-253-hero-jasper-schuringa
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/27/jasper-schuringa-northwes_n_404247.html

What a shame.   

So is he less of a hero because he got paid? I'm not sure I understand. I would think in this day and age most Americans would admire his opportunistic and capitalistic approach to heroism.

I think the more disturbing part is that media outlets will pay for this type of story because we, as a society eat this stuff up. We love a good hero! And then when it is exposed that he got paid for his story his actions are then discredited. That seems very hypocritical....

[azbadpuppy]

I got the impression it wasn't a "barf" issue.  I'd rather he wasn't sitting next to me in that situation either.

Yeah, it's not a pretty picture no matter what the issue was. Personally I would want the crew and officials to err on the side of caution. Hmm, let's see....losing some dignity/privacy or losing your life. Unfortunately that is what air travel has been boiled down to, and will only get worse.

I guess they could always include a pair of 'depends' in that seat-back pocket. It might be hard to get them on while your seatbelt 'must remain fastened' though...

[patric]

I got the impression it wasn't a "barf" issue.  I'd rather he wasn't sitting next to me in that situation either.

+1 
Sources say it turned out that the man may have had a case of explosive diarrhea due to food poisoning, but that he posed no threat to the plane.
http://new.wkzo.com/news/articles/2009/dec/28/nigerian-student-expected-court-alleged-terrorist-

And at this point, the new rules supposedly called for a bathroom escort for people who couldnt wait the hour to visit the bathroom.  Had they followed that procedure, they could have quickly confirmed the man's reason for being in the bathroom (although who would have really liked that duty?)   

[nathanm]

Yeah, it's not a pretty picture no matter what the issue was. Personally I would want the crew and officials to err on the side of caution. Hmm, let's see....losing some dignity/privacy or losing your life. Unfortunately that is what air travel has been boiled down to, and will only get worse.

I guess they could always include a pair of 'depends' in that seat-back pocket. It might be hard to get them on while your seatbelt 'must remain fastened' though...

That you believe the only two options are losing your dignity or losing your life is a testament to the incredible power of the fear machine and it's constant insistence that nothing can be done to prevent terrorism without sacrificing dignity, which is utter bullshit.

By the way, as recounted, those are some moronic rules. As if someone couldn't attempt to blow up a plane before the last hour of the flight.

When will the security theater stop and actual security begin?

[patric]

Round three; Plane put on alert because passengers were watching a movie...


Police and federal agents greeted US Airways Flight 192 as it landed at Sky Harbor Airport after passengers reported two men on the plane were acting suspiciously on the trip from Orlando, Florida.

Transportation Security Administration spokesperson Suzanne Trevino said the two men were detained as K-9 units swept the plane. Nothing was found.

FBI spokesman Manuel Johnson said a combination of behavior caused passengers to be concerned, including the men talking loudly and one man standing up when the stay-seated light was on. Johnson said the men, described to the FBI by passengers as being "Middle Eastern" in appearance, were watching a movie clip of what appeared to be a suicide bomber.

It turned out to be the movie "The Kingdom," starring Jamie Foxx and Jennifer Garner. The 2-year-old film is about FBI agents investigating a mass murder in Saudi Arabia, according to the movie's Web site.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/TRAVEL/12/28/michigan.airplane.disruption/

[azbadpuppy]

That you believe the only two options are losing your dignity or losing your life is a testament to the incredible power of the fear machine and it's constant insistence that nothing can be done to prevent terrorism without sacrificing dignity, which is utter bullshit.

By the way, as recounted, those are some moronic rules. As if someone couldn't attempt to blow up a plane before the last hour of the flight.

When will the security theater stop and actual security begin?

I don't believe those are our only 2 options, but if given the choice...

Terrorism is an ongoing battle, with no one distinct enemy. The war on terror changes constantly, therefore our policies on how to combat terrorism should be constantly evolving. I absolutely agree we should be doing more, but with the perception of our privacy and freedoms 'threatened', many Americans are not willing to give anything up and just expect the government to take care of it with no inconveniences imposed.

Btw, this Nigerian terrorist was apparently properly screened in Amsterdam (under current regulations), and was never placed on the much more scrutinized 'no fly' list. There was not enough evidence to place him on the no fly list, nor was there enough to revoke his visa. Just because someone calls the govt and claims they think someone is a threat, is not enough of a reason to warrant that type of action.

Just so it's clear, I'm neither defending the current security policies or condemning them. There is always room for improvement. If you have better ideas on how to perform 'actual security' that DO NOT involve sacrifice and some loss of privacy/dignity/freedoms for all parties involved (not just white Americans) then I'm sure everyone would love to hear them.

[nathanm]

Just so it's clear, I'm neither defending the current security policies or condemning them. There is always room for improvement. If you have better ideas on how to perform 'actual security' that DO NOT involve sacrifice and some loss of privacy/dignity/freedoms for all parties involved (not just white Americans) then I'm sure everyone would love to hear them.

As I already stated, the puffer machine would have detected this fool before he got on an aircraft. However, they chose not to install them en masse and only use them occasionally at best. Even at airports that have them they are often not used. Moreover, even when they are in use, current policy dictates that shoes be removed before passing through the puffer. Idiots.

Also, I just noticed this gem in the new security directive:

3. Disable aircraft-integrated passenger communications systems and services (phone, internet access services, live television programming, global positioning systems) prior to boarding and during all phases of flight.

Excuse me? What does this have to do with preventing people from detonating explosives?

Edited to add: And personally, I'm not willing to give anything up (except flying itself, excluding on GA aircraft) until the TSA stops with the security theater and starts with the actual security, which need not include racism to be effective, by the way. Between the technological measures to detect explosives we have available but have chosen not to implement because it doesn't line the right contractor's pocket and the change in passenger attitudes which would prevent a hijacking, the vast majority of attacks become impossible.

Obviously, no system will ever be 100% foolproof, and we have to learn to accept that. Moreover, we need to stop handing these morons successes even from their failures. When we publicly respond to their idiocy, they have won. The way to defeat this scourge is to stop reacting. The tactic of terrorism is taken directly from that of four year olds. The whole point is to get attention, and every time they try, whether successfully or not, we give them what they seek.

[rwarn17588]

Now we've got terrorists putting bombs in their underwear.

Are you a terrorist or just happy to see me?

The jokes just write themselves ...

But, seriously, the TSA is a joke because of all the stupid rules and regulations under the dubious guise of safety. Yes, some commonsense rules are needed. But stupid stuff such as banning hair gel and taking off shoes and confiscating people's personalized Zippo lighters and now banning the use of cellphones and laptops are all a charade.

The airline industry (which, admittedly, was negligently cavalier before 9/11) is teetering on the brink of ruin because people are going to get p*ssed from the ever-mounting rules and regulations, and will abandon air travel entirely. It's time that the dog-and-pony show gets jettisoned, and that people demand a little more freedom while traveling, terrorist risk be damned.

Let's face it -- you stand a better chance of being struck by lightning than dying in a terrorist attack. And lightning sure as hell hasn't kept people off the golf courses. It's time that folks realize the concept of "acceptable risk" and grow up a little.

[Townsend]

The airline industry (which, admittedly, was negligently cavalier before 9/11) is teetering on the brink of ruin because people are going to get p*ssed from the ever-mounting rules and regulations, and will abandon air travel entirely. It's time that the dog-and-pony show gets jettisoned, and that people demand a little more freedom while traveling, terrorist risk be damned.

While I don't believe people will "abandon air travel entirely" it has stopped me from taking a few fun trips.  Too much of a hassle.  So I see what you mean.

Let's face it -- you stand a better chance of being struck by lightning than dying in a terrorist attack. And lightning sure as hell hasn't kept people off the golf courses.

I stopped yelling "rat farts" at God while playing.  It seems to have helped.

[brianh]

I don't really see the problem here. Just check all your bags and stop trying to bring weird crap that you aren't going to use in flight on the plane. Stuff like shaving razors and zippo lighters, I don't do this and I have zero hassle at any airport.  Do you really need to use some kind of gel on a 4 to 5 hour flight? Do you really need to bring your own water on a plane when they serve it for you? Don't be a cheapskate and try to avoid the $15 baggage fee.

[guido911]

I stopped yelling "rat farts" at God while playing.  It seems to have helped.

Tony D'Annunzio: Another Rob Roy, Bishop?
Bishop: You never ask a navy man if he'll have another drink, because it's nobody's goddamned business how much he's had already.
Judge Smails: Wrong, you're drinking too much your Excellency.
Bishop: Excellency, fiddlesticks, my name's Fred and I'm a man, same as you.
Judge Smails: You're not a man, you're a bishop, for God's sakes.
Bishop: There is no God...

[azbadpuppy]

As I already stated, the puffer machine would have detected this fool before he got on an aircraft. However, they chose not to install them en masse and only use them occasionally at best. Even at airports that have them they are often not used.

Even though the puffer machine may have caught this guy, it would not catch everything and is only used as a secondary advice. Apparently the puffers have been abandoned due to their unreliability, slowness and are too expensive to operate. They are now being replaced by the full-body scanners which are apparently more reliable but are currently being held up by- yep you guessed it - people complaining that their privacy is being invaded and they are too 'revealing'.

My point was, there is no such thing as a fool-proof system and terrorists will find a way around any device or screening procedure, given time.  There is a lot of trial and error that must happen, and we will lose some of our dignity/privacy/freedoms along the way. It is inevitable. If it saves lives, then so be it.