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Altercation onboard London-Washington United Airlines Flight
Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2006 9:58 am
by Brent
Apparently involved a woman with "suspicious" items. MSNBC is reporting a screwdriver and matches.

Diverted to Boston...
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060816/ap_ ... t_diverted
Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2006 10:04 am
by nystate
Aircraft is a Boeing 767-300...
Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2006 10:14 am
by Brent
Oh geez...
LONDON, England -- Despite a high level of alert at British airports, a 12-year-old boy managed to board a plane at Gatwick without a passport, ticket or boarding pass.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/08 ... index.html
What a joke... and in Britain where the terror alert is even more heightened.
Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2006 10:30 am
by sunny
Brent wrote:Oh geez...
LONDON, England -- Despite a high level of alert at British airports, a 12-year-old boy managed to board a plane at Gatwick without a passport, ticket or boarding pass.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/08 ... index.htmlWhat a joke... and in Britain where the terror alert is even more heightened.
I read this story this morning and just got the email alert about the "note" and screwdriver. How did these people EVEN get on these planes!
Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2006 6:00 pm
by Scorpion
Screwdriver and matches....huge threat

Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2006 6:36 pm
by sunny
Scorpion wrote:Screwdriver and matches....huge threat

You don't think the screwdriver a threat? That could be used as a weapon.
Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2006 7:08 pm
by gtalum
sunny wrote:You don't think the screwdriver a threat? That could be used as a weapon.
Screwdrivers are completley legal to carry on. Further, a lot of other th9ings can be used as weapons. It makes no sense to ban everything that can possibly be used as a weapon.
Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2006 7:10 pm
by sunny
gtalum wrote:sunny wrote:You don't think the screwdriver a threat? That could be used as a weapon.
Screwdrivers are completley legal to carry on. Further, a lot of other th9ings can be used as weapons. It makes no sense to ban everything that can possibly be used as a weapon.
Wow. Didn't know you could carry on a screwdriver. That makes no sense!
Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2006 7:12 pm
by Skywatch_NC
sunny wrote:gtalum wrote:sunny wrote:You don't think the screwdriver a threat? That could be used as a weapon.
Screwdrivers are completley legal to carry on. Further, a lot of other th9ings can be used as weapons. It makes no sense to ban everything that can possibly be used as a weapon.
Wow. Didn't know you could carry on a screwdriver. That makes no sense!
I agree...I mean a steel tipped projectile!
*shakes head*
Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2006 7:13 pm
by Scorpion
Well, you can carry pens and pencils. I'm sure you can cause quite a bit of damage with either of those items.
Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2006 7:13 pm
by gtalum
Skywatch_NC wrote:I agree...I mean a steel tipped projectile!
So should pens be banned onboard? After all, they are steel-tipped projectiles.

Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2006 7:15 pm
by gtalum
Oh and I guess they should remove the fire axes from the emergency kits onboard.
Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2006 7:16 pm
by Tstormwatcher
I heard that she had a severe panic attack due to claustophobia(sp).
Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2006 7:21 pm
by GalvestonDuck
Pens aren't as durable as screwdrivers. Easier to jab someone with a screwdriver than with a pen, which is usually nothing more than a flimsy plastic barrel and an even flimsier plastic ink insert.
They have fire axes on planes? For what? Where would you have to bust your way into with an ax?
Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2006 7:25 pm
by gtalum
GalvestonDuck wrote:Pens aren't as durable as screwdrivers. Easier to jab someone with a screwdriver than with a pen, which is usually nothing more than a flimsy plastic barrel and an even flimsier plastic ink insert.
I've seen people stabbed with pens. You can easily poke an eye out.
They have fire axes on planes? For what? Where would you have to bust your way into with an ax?
In case of a crash where people survive but several exits are blocked by fire. Also if the doors fail to open due to frame deformation.
They're generally either in one of the very front and back overhead bins marked for emergency equipment and/or overhead above the aisle in the bubbles that hold the extra liferafts in overwater-equipped planes.
The pilots also always have crash axes in the cockpit in case they have to cut their way out.
Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2006 7:45 pm
by GalvestonDuck
gtalum wrote:GalvestonDuck wrote:Pens aren't as durable as screwdrivers. Easier to jab someone with a screwdriver than with a pen, which is usually nothing more than a flimsy plastic barrel and an even flimsier plastic ink insert.
I've seen people stabbed with pens. You can easily poke an eye out.
So, I should avoid the Sarasota business district?
Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2006 7:48 pm
by O Town
Sorry I couldn't help it.
Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2006 8:08 pm
by Brent
GalvestonDuck wrote:gtalum wrote:GalvestonDuck wrote:Pens aren't as durable as screwdrivers. Easier to jab someone with a screwdriver than with a pen, which is usually nothing more than a flimsy plastic barrel and an even flimsier plastic ink insert.
I've seen people stabbed with pens. You can easily poke an eye out.
So, I should avoid the Sarasota business district?

Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2006 8:33 pm
by nystate
The pilots also always have crash axes in the cockpit in case they have to cut their way out.
Very important. Remember ASA 529?
Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2006 9:01 pm
by kevin
I saw on Fox she didn't have a screwdriver or a note.