Altercation onboard London-Washington United Airlines Flight

[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

[nystate]

Aircraft is a Boeing 767-300...

[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.

[sunny]

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.

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!

[Scorpion]

Screwdriver and matches....huge threat

[sunny]

Screwdriver and matches....huge threat

You don't think the screwdriver a threat? That could be used as a weapon.

[gtalum]

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.

[sunny]

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!

[Skywatch_NC]

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*

[Scorpion]

Well, you can carry pens and pencils. I'm sure you can cause quite a bit of damage with either of those items.

[gtalum]

I agree...I mean a steel tipped projectile!

So should pens be banned onboard? After all, they are steel-tipped projectiles.

[gtalum]

Oh and I guess they should remove the fire axes from the emergency kits onboard.

[Tstormwatcher]

I heard that she had a severe panic attack due to claustophobia(sp).

[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?

[gtalum]

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.

[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.

I've seen people stabbed with pens. You can easily poke an eye out.

So, I should avoid the Sarasota business district?

[O Town]

Sorry I couldn't help it.

[Brent]

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?

[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?

[kevin]

I saw on Fox she didn't have a screwdriver or a note.