Bob Brown

I find that links to news items change so quickly that unless you can get there within two or three hours, they are out of date. Besides, I did not remember where I got all of the information.<BR>I read a dozen stories or more while waiting for some late friends to show up, and I did not keep notes. <BR>I just clicked on the first Yahoo news story and followed various links from there. <BR>I think the point of concern that I have the most is whether or not the fellow is part of a group or if he acted alone.<BR>He did not make the explosives himself!<BR>But I presume that stuff is easy to purchase if you know where to go.<BR>I think Tony has a point. If the French failed to check his shoes, what grounds did the security forces in Paris have to hold him? His passport might have been false, with a false name, but there is no way to check that type of detail quickly for a large number of passengers Are we now progressing toward what the Russians used to do? Require visas well in advance that involved lengthy applications and endless red tape??<BR>I guess my final reaction to my critics is based on a story about a friend of mine who was fastidious about his dress shirts, but also he was a cheapskate. He used to take his shirts to a Chinese laundry because the cost of having a shirt done was 5 cents less than the other places. One day he did not like the way the shirts were done, so he started raising hell about it. The proprietor, an elderly Chinese gentleman, looked at him and said in his accented English, "No likee, no bringee." No likee no readee.<BR>Sorry to sound petulant, but ...<BR>

Yipes

From what I have read, the suspect tried to board the same flight the previous day, but didn't make the flight due to lengthy questioning by security. I think this has been widely reported. I now hear, but can't confirm, that American Airlines actually put him up in a hotel room so he could take the flight on the following day. I can't believe this is true and was wondering if anyone had heard anything regarding this?

x

Another flight Continental Airlines Texas - California diverted because of a passenger's behavior.

Alec

All I have read about is that the guy tried to check into the same flight the previous day with a return ticket to a Caribbean island (Antigua?), but the officials got suspicious because he had so little luggage. He was then questioned at length, and he managed to convince them that he was returning to his family in the Caribbean and his stuff was waiting for him there. By which time the flight had taken off. I didn't know that the AA picked up the hotel tab, but presumably as a genuinely delayed passenger that wouldn't have been surprising. He had no trouble checking into the flight the next day.

Hmmmmm

First of all Merry Christmas! Hope your day was good. Mine was excellent!!<BR><BR>Politically Incorrect: I think everyone should be profiled, not just limited to one race. You never know who would be sympathetic to Bin Laden. Who would think that John Walker would fight for the taliban? There is also a blond haired, blue eyed Australian guy who was fighting for the taliban as well. My point: even though they are probably few in number, there could be other Americans or Europeans or people from other countries who may be sympathetic to Bin Laden. If we screen for only one group, other "nuts" who don't fit the profile will get through and innocent people will die.<BR><BR>It would not take much time to take off your shoes and put them in the x-ray machine..drilled holes can be seen in a normal airport x-ray machine. There is also a new device that is supposed to blow air on you and it could pick up chemical molecules from bombs, drugs, etc and only takes seconds. This new machine needs to be installed in airports. We travelers need to push for these security measures.

let's

Everyone should be profiled - but some should be profiled more than others. Should 80 year old Prudence McDougal be made to take off her shoes? Should Susie Applegate with her 3 year old Jessica in tow have her luggage turned inside out? Should 20 year old Mohammed with a beard be examined more closely?

xxx

I remember in the "old days" when there were often highjackings and bombings in airport lockers,they would check babies strollers,diapers,pregnant moms, because the "bad guys" use everyone and anything to get to their goal...so Granny and Mommy and Baby should get the same treatment as everybody else...that includes the ones who "look" like someone that might be a problem....even if his name is Winston Churchill? Ha! Richard Reid...that guy really looks like a Richard Reid!

Why

let's be realistic, a greater question for this latest incident is what happen to the idea of ski marshals? I have only looked at The British Guardian's coverage of this incident but I did not see this mentioned. Where were the Marshals and why did it take two female flight attendants getting attacked before passengers were forced to intervene. Yes this should not be up to people that are not professionally trained. It is unconscionable to me that in our now lawless skies we subject people to criminal behavior. I think we all need to be demanding this of our legislators. Profiling will be an everyday topic until we if ever have reached an end to this conflict. Ski Marshals are a necessary step we all should be demanding for our safety.

john

Last Thursday I went from Wisconsin to Alabama for Christmas. Going through security at our rather small airport in Madison, I set off the alarm (I always do for one reason or another). I was surprised when they asked me to take my shoes off, put them in a bag, and run them through the metal detector.<BR><BR>I was given a very thorough scan - including a pat down - and they even wanded the bottom of my feet. I didn't think anything about this until the next day when I heard about this account.

Chuck

There are machines that can screen for Semetex (sp) the explosives found in Reid's shoes. The machines are manufactured in Massachusetts and are currently used in some European airports. IMO, the FAA needs to get off their butt and get serious about safety and not just window dressing. And, yes, Sky Marshalls should be on all international flights across the Pond.

matt dillon

A ski marshall would be of value only if the plane is headed to the slopes...otherwise a SKY marshal would be good.

JustJoking

Now Matt-haven't you ever flown the friendly skis? We haven't in some time and I think having a ski marshall would really put a damper on it...or maybe not..just imagine everyone trying to board the plane carrying their skis~<BR>

Why

I am working on very few hours of slip here. ...I mean sleep!!! I do have skiing on my mind also. BACK TO THE TOPIC GROUP!!! <BR><BR>

Pogo

I don't understand the reasoning of not announcing that there is a sky marshall on the plane. It is because there are sky marshalls on so few planes that the airlines are ashamed to admit it? I would fly easier if there was an announcement at the boarding gate "before those needing assistance boarding and those with children board we would like to notify you that there are sky marshalls on this plane".<BR>Or am I naive?

Jayelle

I too wondered what has happened to the sky marshall program. I thought that they were supposed to be working mainly on international flights, with more being used on domestic flights as they are trained. I haven't really heard the sky marshall issue addressed so far in the many news reports on this incident.

xxx

Pogo I the point being made here is that there are no sky marshals on the planes.

Elizabeth

I don't think you can say American security did anything wrong by letting this guy board the plane after he had been the topic of suspicion for having no luggage. There's no law against travelling without luggage, though there is a protocol for exercising suspicion about someone flying that way.<BR><BR> The suggestions about measures to discover explosives on people's bodies and in their possessions as they board are the ones that make sense to me. And fine of course if people who show up without luggage get an especially focused going-over.

Pogo

The real question is: why do we put up with this lack of security? We should boycott the airlines until more is done.

billybob

How do we know that one of those that helped wasn't a sky marshall? He/she may have been sitting rows away and didn't get into the mix of things right away. They certainly wouldn't want to be interviewed after or by blowing their cover they would lose their job??<BR>Or is because there were no guns drawn, do we assume there was no sky marshall?

beth anderson

Hi, <BR><BR>yes, AA did put him up in a 4 star hotel for his "trouble" in being detained/questioned.<BR><BR>let's face it, the thing we can be the most thankful for right now is the fact that this guy was a moron. had he been serious, he woulda either used a lighter (not confiscable yet, are they?) or he would have gone into the bathroom to light up.<BR><BR>these guys watch and wait - their JOB is patiently looking for any loopholes in the system. what we need, as well, is a dedicated team of individuals who 'think & watch like the terrorists' and work to close up the loopholes.<BR><BR>either that, or it's JUMPSUITS FOR EVERYONE. sure, how about this - everyone strips down butt naked, gets assigned the jumpsuit, all their stuff goes through security & you don't have access to your stuff... then at the end you get it all back.<BR><BR>yeah, like that would fly...<BR><BR>Beth