# Best ways to End the Alabama bunker hostage situation? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 3, 2013, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-ways-to-end-the-alabama-bunker-hostage-situation/649251 "2013-02-03T20:44:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-ways-to-end-the-alabama-bunker-hostage-situation/649251/21 "2013-02-04T06:41:37Z")
> [@Absolute](#): > > Does he _want_ anything? Why did he take a hostage in the first place? He was [schedule to appear in court](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/02/alabama-hostage-jimmy-lee-dykes-police_n_2605379.html), that may have set him off. > [@](#): > > Dykes had been scheduled to appear in court Wednesday to answer charges he shot at his neighbors in a dispute last month over a speed bump. He appears to be an anti-government extremist, and practically a cliche incarnation of a “crazy old man”. From the looks of things he’s been going progressively over the edge, and the court appointment was the last shove over. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-ways-to-end-the-alabama-bunker-hostage-situation/649251/22 "2013-02-04T14:14:57Z")
> [@](#): > > Dykes had been scheduled to appear in court Wednesday to answer charges he shot at his neighbors in a dispute last month over a speed bump. Ladies and gentlemen, no matter what perceived mountains you may encounter in your lives, you will never see a better example of a mole hill. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-ways-to-end-the-alabama-bunker-hostage-situation/649251/23 "2013-02-04T15:08:22Z")
> [@Enkel](#): > > I still haven’t found a detailed description of how he got onto the bus, what the driver did to save the other kids, etc. My WAG is the bus was stopping to let a kid off, and that’s when the guy got on the bus. He apparently demanded a kid for a hostage, and reports I read said that the bus driver blocked the guy from grabbing anyone - letting 21 kids escape out the emergency exit - until he was shot to death. The kid who is the hostage supposedly fainted from the stress of the situation and thus was able to be abducted. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-ways-to-end-the-alabama-bunker-hostage-situation/649251/24 "2013-02-04T15:17:32Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Some jackass responded with _sigh_ I suppose we should have learned by now to expect [this sort of thing,](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=679081) but, really, already?! While the sitch is still ongoing?! :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-ways-to-end-the-alabama-bunker-hostage-situation/649251/25 "2013-02-04T15:39:44Z")
I admit I found/find some of it very perplexing. All I can figure is they know enough about this man to be confident he’s not a pedo predator. It appears that they have convinced the parents that they should get on board. Like a non custodial child abduction truly wrong, but (usually) the child isn’t really at risk of being harmed, or perhaps abused. But this isn’t his father or mother, and how can this not be damaging, to the child? I can’t help remembering that girl down the well. The fevered digging, the determination and driving energy. All of which seems lacking here. I hope you’re right, that they are digging in secret. If that were my child, I cannot imagine what they could tell me , to go along with talking it to resolution. (Maybe it’s just me.) ---
**Author:** ![solosam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@solosam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solosam)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-ways-to-end-the-alabama-bunker-hostage-situation/649251/26 "2013-02-04T15:47:59Z")
> [@](#): > > Would a can of tear gas shoved down the vent pipe overpower this guy before he could harm the child? Not how tear gas works. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-ways-to-end-the-alabama-bunker-hostage-situation/649251/27 "2013-02-04T15:57:30Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > But this isn’t his father or mother, and how can this not be damaging, to the child? I can’t help remembering that girl down the well. The fevered digging, the determination and driving energy. All of which seems lacking here. The guy has a TV down there. I only imagine they are trying not to put anything in the news reports which might upset him (or the kid). Every time I see a story on this, somebody says they are praying. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-ways-to-end-the-alabama-bunker-hostage-situation/649251/28 "2013-02-04T16:06:58Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > I admit I found/find some of it very perplexing. All I can figure is they know enough about this man to be confident he’s not a pedo predator. It appears that they have convinced the parents that they should get on board. Like a non custodial child abduction truly wrong, but (usually) the child isn’t really at risk of being harmed, or perhaps abused. > > But this isn’t his father or mother, and how can this not be damaging, to the child? I can’t help remembering that girl down the well. The fevered digging, the determination and driving energy. All of which seems lacking here. > > I hope you’re right, that they are digging in secret. If that were my child, I cannot imagine what they could tell me , to go along with talking it to resolution. > > (Maybe it’s just me.) Different situation. That girl was not in the well with somebody else who might harm her if provoked or frightened. There was no need to be **sneaky.** ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-ways-to-end-the-alabama-bunker-hostage-situation/649251/29 "2013-02-04T16:11:40Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Some jackass responded with > > [_quoted material:Wake up people. This is all a hoax by the gun grabbers. Notice there have been no pictures of the “bunker” of “Ethan” or of Dykes? Notice Ethan doesn’t have a last name??? Notice that the so-called parents (really crisis actors) appeared on today and didn’t shed a tear, instead they thanked Dykes for taking care of their boy. Who does that? Don’t believe me.]_ I wonder what the person who wrote that makes of the locally extremely well known bus driver who, as is not uncommon in a rural area, was related by blood or marriage or common-kin to half the people in the county, was killed by Dykes and whose funeral drew a mob. Or… could it be that the driver was already dead when he got on the bus that day, and one of rural southeast Alabama’s many anti-gun Obama-loving liberal action cells decided to go ahead and cue this plot they’d been cooking up since Clinton’s first term. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-ways-to-end-the-alabama-bunker-hostage-situation/649251/30 "2013-02-04T16:13:38Z")
Dykes’ story is proof once again that paranoia is a self-fulfilling prophecy: If you act as if They are out to get you, sooner or later They **will** be. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-ways-to-end-the-alabama-bunker-hostage-situation/649251/31 "2013-02-04T16:17:02Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > The guy has a TV down there. I only imagine they are trying not to put anything in the news reports which might upset him (or the kid). What infuriated me the other day was the CNN on-site jackass saying on air that they had been told not to broadcast any of their observations about activity at the site because the abductor probably had a TV in the bunker. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-ways-to-end-the-alabama-bunker-hostage-situation/649251/32 "2013-02-04T16:35:47Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > What infuriated me the other day was the CNN on-site jackass saying on air that they had been told not to broadcast any of their observations about activity at the site because the abductor probably had a TV in the bunker. Well, to be fair, the guy is probably only watching Fox News. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-ways-to-end-the-alabama-bunker-hostage-situation/649251/33 "2013-02-04T16:45:38Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > The guy has a TV down there. I only imagine they are trying not to put anything in the news reports which might upset him (or the kid). Then, unless he also has a generator down there, they should cut his power. ---
**Author:** ![AngelSoft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/angelsoft/32/440_2.png) [@AngelSoft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelSoft)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-ways-to-end-the-alabama-bunker-hostage-situation/649251/34 "2013-02-04T16:47:23Z")
Not to be terribly pessimistic, but have they any proof that the child is even alive? I was thinking about this last night, that possibly he killed the boy and is putting up this charade for his own safety? I just haven’t heard seen reports that they’ve been in contact with the boy or anything. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-ways-to-end-the-alabama-bunker-hostage-situation/649251/35 "2013-02-04T16:56:43Z")
Generic comment: What’s worse than being in a confined bunker? Being in a confined bunker with a decomposing body. I just don’t see right now how he would find killing the kid anything but disadvantageous. He knows his stage is over as soon as the kid dies. He wants to be heard, and certainly heard as a legitimate, non-crazy voice. I just don’t see any reason yet why the boy would be treated as anything other than as useful pawn. While this man certainly has taken steps far beyond what you or I would consider rational, I still hold hope that his anger is capable of making the distinction between the authoritarian, oppressive government boogeymen and a helpless, autistic child. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-ways-to-end-the-alabama-bunker-hostage-situation/649251/36 "2013-02-04T17:08:20Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > Generic comment: What’s worse than being in a confined bunker? Being in a confined bunker with a decomposing body. > > I just don’t see right now how he would find killing the kid anything but disadvantageous. He knows his stage is over as soon as the kid dies. He wants to be heard, and certainly heard as a legitimate, non-crazy voice. I just don’t see any reason yet why the boy would be treated as anything other than as useful pawn. While this man certainly has taken steps far beyond what you or I would consider rational, I still hold hope that his anger is capable of making the distinction between the authoritarian, oppressive government boogeymen and a helpless, autistic child. That is all based on the assumption that Dykes is not insane. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-ways-to-end-the-alabama-bunker-hostage-situation/649251/37 "2013-02-04T17:44:40Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > Generic comment: What’s worse than being in a confined bunker? Being in a confined bunker with a decomposing body. Or being confined in a bunker with large quantities of urine and feces. That’s two people down there for several days now. He’s apparently getting fresh air, and he could potentially have weeks of food stashed with him. But I wonder how much long-term poop storage capacity he’s planned for? ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-ways-to-end-the-alabama-bunker-hostage-situation/649251/38 "2013-02-04T17:55:03Z")
I can’t imagine being in a confined space with a 5 yr old for several days. They say the kid has Asperger’s and ADHD? _I’d be the one_ begging the cops to get out. 😃 I think they’re hoping the guy will bond with the kid. Maybe then he’ll let him go unharmed. I agree with others that by now they probably have started a tunnel that approaches the guy bunker. Get access quick from underground rather than through the blocked door ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-ways-to-end-the-alabama-bunker-hostage-situation/649251/39 "2013-02-04T17:59:46Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I can’t imagine being in a confined space with a 5 yr old for several days. _“Alright, that’s it… you’re grounded!”_ ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-ways-to-end-the-alabama-bunker-hostage-situation/649251/40 "2013-02-04T18:00:42Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > Or being confined in a bunker with large quantities of urine and feces. That’s two people down there for several days now. He’s apparently getting fresh air, and he could potentially have weeks of food stashed with him. But I wonder how much long-term poop storage capacity he’s planned for? I wondered about this, too. The perpetrator of this seems like one of those nuts you see on Doomsday Preppers. They think they can hole-up for weeks, or months at a time while civilization crumbles above ground. If organized, he may have plenty of food and water and even waste disposal accounted for. However, even if he is well-armed, once someone finds your rat-hole, all they have to do is wait you out, or… To answer the OP’s question, why can’t they just secure a plastic bag over the vent; eventuallty both of them will run out of oxygen and just pass-out, and once that happens the authorities can enter by whatever means. Seems less risky than some drug or agent in gas form. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-ways-to-end-the-alabama-bunker-hostage-situation/649251.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-ways-to-end-the-alabama-bunker-hostage-situation/649251.md?page=3)