[winstonsmith]

I'm flying to Ireland on Friday, by way of Heathrow.

There's an alert that London might be a target for plane hijackers. If those boneheads actually try to hijack my plane, let alone any plane, they have utterly no chance of accomplishing anything. The world has been wizened to this, and I'm sure that the passengers (including me) would rise up and not let Achmed and his buddies take control.

Actually, if I had to choose a death, that would be it. With my hands enclosed around ol' Achmed's throat as we do a nosedive into the Atlantic.

Does anybody share this sentiment? Also, does anyone beleive these alerts?

[Bigjake]

definatly, i'd be going out kicking and screaming, and not without some company :evil:

[Devonai]

The reports said the hijackers might try and convince the passengers that their goal was more "traditional," i.e. fly the plane, make their escape, and let everyone live. Mollified, they'd then have control over their missile.

"Nobody's going to get hurt. We just want to go to Mecca."

*thud*

"Tell Allah I said hello."

[Phyphor]

"Nobody's gonna get hurt, we just want to go to Mecca"

"Wrong, YOU'RE gonna get hurt, and you're going to HELL. "

:evil:

[Sir Galahad]

Biting is actualy a very effective weapon. People taste just like chicken.

[Carlos]

Actually, if I had to choose a death, that would be it. With my hands enclosed around ol' Achmed's throat as we do a nosedive into the Atlantic.


:cool:

[Duncan Idaho]

I am certified organic death-cult-nut-bane.

OTOH, I am also certified organic (insert your favorite BG here) bane. Have been since I was a teenager.

Hence, all of the various warnings, and I dare say even 9/11 itself, haven't really effected the way I chose to live my life a very long time ago. I don't go anywhere without constantly scoping out potential hazards/threats, and I am never away from a weapon of one sort or another.

God gave us a brain. He gave us an opposable thumb to use in manipulating objects/tools, so it seems that at the very least we should always be ready for anything. I view anything less as ingratitude to the Almighty.

Death-cult nuts claim senseless death as a precious sacrament worthy of paradise. Let their cups runneth over I say. :fire: :fire: :fire: :fire: :fire:

[winstonsmith]

Wait, why can't CCW holders carry on planes again?

Don't you have to pass backround tests and stuff to get a CCW?

Doesn't that preclude you from being a terrorist?

Wouldn't that make people safer?


Oh wait, I'm thinking independently again. Repeat after me class, mka?

Baaah.

Baaah.

Baaah.

[gunsmith]

There's a big park at the end of Grafton st Dublin,don't be in there as night falls,they're robbing tourist with "Aids needles" syringes with blood infected with aids!
lots of stabbings that don't get reported much also.
Limerick is known as "stab city" heard that Cork is getting tougher too.
The upside is crime is reserved for the natives except for Grafton st
Irish girls are beautiful,dress nice,mini skirts.
I carried nunchucks there but never needed them (new york accent and a guitar to el kabong with ended all threats,only two in two years there)

[300lbGorilla]

People taste just like chicken.

Thanks for the enlightenment, Hannibal. :D

Here's my question. How far into sheepdom has this world slipped that they'd believe the "we just wanna get to XXXX?" Me, I'd toss the bastige from the plane and tell him to grow wings and fly there... or die trying.

If you know anyone that would do otherwise, please do them a favor... take 'em behind the nearest building and beat some sense into 'em.

Thanks. :)

[erikm]

Actually, if I had to choose a death, that would be it. With my hands enclosed around ol' Achmed's throat as we do a nosedive into the Atlantic.


That would be one way to go. Personally I would use my weight as weapon and/or kick his stomach, genitals and the sides of his knees, probably in that order. Once the :cuss: were under control (as opposed to in control) I'd use the PA system to ask if anyone onboard was into sailing, mountaineering or bondage :). As far as I'm concerned the :cuss: should leave the aircraft carried on poles, trussed like turkeys.

If you're a bit paranoid, you could try to get hold of a good leather jacket and gloves (biker kit). Bring them along but don't put in the overhead. If nothing else, they'll help keep you dry and warm in Ireland.

Cheers and happy flying,
ErikM :evil:

[Kharn]

Just remember to use the pull-up seat cushion (meant to be a floatation device, complete with arm straps on the underside) as a small shield when you start whupping some terrorist butt. An inflated life vest might also provide some protection against the first few stabs, and would seem to provide good protection against a club (if you can deal with the partial loss of mobility).

Kharn

[Leatherneck]

Personally, I believe the biggest danger would be loss of control caused by the center of gravity of the plane suddenly going out of limits on account of the sudden rush of all the passengers to one spot to pile on Achmed and his buds. :D

TC
TFL Survivor

[NukemJim]

Also, does anyone beleive these alerts?

Depends on what you mean by believe. I ( and as always I could be wrong ) believe that these alerts as well as the "color code" are meaningless PR releases intended to make "the people" and "the media" think the government is doing something effective about stopping terrorist attacks here in the US.

I do not know whether or not the government is doing anything effective, you would have to have multiple clearances to begin to have any hope of knowing what is going on.


I do not believe that the threats are serious about future skyjackings. 9/11 was a one shot weapon. It depended on the element of surprise, UA 93 proved that. (IMO heroes and the reason why we will win this fight in the long run). The reason people cooperated prior to 9/11 was cooperate and your chance of survival increases to >99%. Resist and die. Post 9/11 your only chance of survival is to stop the takeover. The terrorists need surprise in order to hijack the plane. As of 9/11 the surprise is gone. No surprise, no hijacking.

Our enemies are NOT stupid (unfortunately). While I do believe they will attack us again. I do not find it credible that they would attempt to repeat hijackings.

The above is just my opinion and as always, I could be wrong, except for the part about the heroes on UA93.

NukemJim

[hammer4nc]

There's an alert that London might be a target for plane hijackers...

Also, does anyone beleive these alerts?
Yes to your question. Perhaps a hijacker would not succeed in gaining control of a passenger airliner, and flying it into a landmark, for the reason you mention. However, not much stopping him from comandeering a cargo plane, or private plane packed with HE (although we'd be more inclined to shoot it down now, than before 0/11, before it reaches its target. )

Bravado of passengers isn't going to deter Achmed from carrying on an explosive and destroying a plane; using a stinger missile on an airliner 1/2 mile from the runway.

The following data points recently should give cause for some concern:

1. Govt dragging its feet on arming ariline pilots;

2. Scale-back of the air marshals program because of budget problems;

3. Performance of TSA at airports: failing to detect test items, and seeming preoccupation with trivial items;

4. US borders are still a sieve for anyone who wants to cross.

A couple of incidents would shut down air transport temporarily, as it did on 9/11. Achmed and his buddies are watching this stuff too.

[Steel]

If necessary, die like a warrior, with your boots on, taking as many of the pagans as possible. Valhalla, here I come!

[Ol' Badger]

People taste like Pork. Thats why cannibles call folks "Long Pig". But that would be a good way to go! Sinking an Thumb into a eye sock and listening to a heathen scream! I might even pull a Hannible the Cannible and sink teeth into a face.

Question for Steel? You say Pagan and Valhalla in the same sentince. I think thats a contractdition.

Cannible: Can-Nible? Hmmm.

[AZLibertarian]

...Also, does anyone beleive these alerts?...

I'm one of the airline pilots here and I remain concerned about terrorism. I'm fairly confident that a bunch of young arab males won't be able to do what they did with box-cutters again, but I believe they'll try something else. Airliners and airline terminals have been lucrative targets for terrorists for decades. Attacks against civilian aviation, even if unsuccessful, are very dramatic and drive large portions of the public into a semi-panic. To the terrorist, even when he fails at his operation, he wins. I'm convinced that there will be another attack against aviation, but it won't be done so simply next time.

Truthfully, one of my concerns is that one day I'll have a riot in the cabin behind me, which will turn out to be over nothing. A couple of years ago, a group of passengers on a Southwest flight ended up killing a guy. There are all kinds of people out there, and somedays they don't take all their meds...but that doesn't necessarily mean they're a danger to anyone even though they may appear dangerous to a crowd that's somewhat insecure about being locked inside an aluminum tube after having the means to defend themselves stripped away.[I know...I've got to work on those run-on sentences.] A mob can act in ways that any of the individuals in the mob wouldn't ever consider.

Hammer, your 4 points are all correct.

[DigMe]

According to Michael Moore your best defense against terrorists is to carry on a black man. :rolleyes:

brad cook

[4v50 Gary]

Sir Galahad - a man who goes on saving lives one day to dining on them the next. ;) Kidding of course.

There'll never be another hi-jacking with a plane being used as a bomb again. The passengers will prevent a take-over and if they're pissed enough, the hi-jackers will be lucky to be alive when the plane lands. It's going to be a pummel fest and every American who is angry is gonna get their licks in. What will prevent their pummelling is if there is LE aboard and I'm thinking local guys who are just on the flight and not Federal Special Agents, they'll probably take them prisoners and strap them down. Like on another flight, any MDs will cheerfully come along and administer sedatives. I'd suggest a laxative and then a sedative and wrap them in a Depends and let them stew in it. :)

[BigG]

On the local AM news station (WSB or WGST, I forget) which is somewhat conservative they interviewed the man on the street about the increased terror stuff. The first guy said they ought to let us carry our concealed weapons on airliners just like we do here in Atlanta, that would give the terrorist yokels pause before they tried some of their shenanigans. The interviewer almost wet himself saying he would rather leave the gunslinging to the "perfessionals." :rolleyes: The second guy up, said basically the same thing. I was grinning from ear to ear!

[clubsoda22]

look at the options you have for selfe defence on an airplane. Just tell the flight attendent to leave the can when they pour you your drink. By tearing the aluminum at an angle and rolling it you create quite an effective dagger. Don't forget to use the coctail napkin to protect your hand. :D

[dhoomonyou]

WHatever happened to pistols in the cockpit?

hijacker: "Open the door!"

BOOM BOOM!!

Pilot: "Who's there?"

end of discussion.

[AZLibertarian]

WHatever happened to pistols in the cockpit?

Over 80 % of airline pilots and the public believe that arming pilots is a good idea. Out of roughly 60,000 airline pilots, I'd guess maybe half would jump through reasonable hoops to carry a gun at work. The key word here is "reasonable". Today, approaching 2 years after 19 Islamist thugs hijacked 4 airplanes armed with nothing more than box-cutters and killed 3000 people while doing billions of dollars of damage, there are approximately 100 armed airline pilots. Anyone with the most rudimentary math skills can see that you're quite unlikely to bump into an armed airline pilot.

Why is the government being so slow? IMO, they are very reluctant to arm and deputize someone who isn't a government employee that they would have control over. The fact that I have a government-issued pilot's license in my wallet and the FAA can and does routinely show up unannounced to watch my piloting skills seems to escape the TSA. The TSA, I believe, is also more concerned with future budget increases for their Federal Air Marshals, than Federal Flight Deck Officers (the official term for armed pilots). I also think the feds are responding to some of the 'anti' governors and mayors who are reluctant to have armed pilots walking the streets of their states and cities while on layovers. Their own citizens might get some troubling ideas about gun freedoms.

Why are pilots not signing up for this anyway? The TSA, as part of their qualification process, has instituted what many pilots believe is an overly intrusive background and psychological testing program. I don't believe most pilots oppose these checks, just the degree. These checks also beg the question: If the TSA has to deeply probe my background and test my psychological fitness to handle a weapon, is anyone wondering why I'm allowed at the controls of what amounts to be a 70 ton cruise missile? And if I "flunk" the TSA psych test, what happens to my pilot's license and my career? They recently moved the FFDO training to Artesia, NM. It is about as a remote location as you can find and still be on the continent. Asking a pilot to take enough (unpaid) time off work so that he can travel (read-"drive") to Artesia to go under the scrutiny of a TSA shrink is more than most of us are willing to sign on for. I could go on and on, but as it stands today, the TSA controls a FFDO program that they never wanted, and are doing everything possible to make it as unsuccessful as possible.

Most of the progress of the FFDO program is due to the work of Airline Pilots Security Alliance. You can see more about them at http://www.secure-skies.org/

[dhoomonyou]

Thanks AZ for the great answer/info.
sad sad sad when a great idea/solution (armed cockpits)gets screwed up by a paper pushing system.

[HBK]

I have nothing but loathing for terrorists. If I was on a plane they tried to hijack and I thought I was going to die, I would surely to take them with me.

[Combat-wombat]

Yes, that's what I would do too.

I believe every alert I hear. I think the terrorists might be tryingto trickus into thinking that our alerts don't mean anything because nothing happens whenever there is one. Eventually, after so many false alerts, they will attack, and we will not be prepared. So always, even when there's not an alert, always be prepared for the worst.

[Billll]

Allowing CCW on planes, even with some sort of approval system, is probably not a really good idea. Sure, if your plane was attacked by hijackers, someone with a gun would be nice to have on board, but if this were possible, what hijacker would board a plane without his own gun, and impeccable forged papers? The percentage of CCWs in the general population is rather low, so I wouldn't expect very many armed good guys on board any givin flight. :(
Better would be to continue to forbid passengers from carrying firearms, and replace the airphones with police batons. Sure Achmed will have one, but so will the other 200 people. Should be a short fight. :D