# Canadian Teen Arrested for Lighting Shoe Aboard Plane **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 5, 2002, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-teen-arrested-for-lighting-shoe-aboard-plane/122354 "2002-08-05T00:29:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![december](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/838e76/32.png) [@december](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/december)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2002, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-teen-arrested-for-lighting-shoe-aboard-plane/122354/1 "2002-08-05T00:29:00Z")
Jerk-of-the-Month[sup]TM[/sup] Award [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,59550,00.html](http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,59550,00.html) ---
**Author:** ![5\_time\_champ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/278dde/32.png) [@5\_time\_champ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5_time_champ)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2002, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-teen-arrested-for-lighting-shoe-aboard-plane/122354/2 "2002-08-05T00:42:42Z")
> [@](#): > > Police said the boy and his father were connecting in Pittsburgh on a flight to California, but US Airways asked them to make other travel arrangements. I guess the “arrangements” for the stupid teenager will be ass kicked from Pittsburgh to L.A. by his father. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2002, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-teen-arrested-for-lighting-shoe-aboard-plane/122354/3 "2002-08-05T02:30:08Z")
Please do not return him to Canada. ---
**Author:** ![Mac\_Guffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2bfe46/32.png) [@Mac\_Guffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mac_Guffin)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2002, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-teen-arrested-for-lighting-shoe-aboard-plane/122354/4 "2002-08-05T11:24:29Z")
Right, like WE want him. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2002, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-teen-arrested-for-lighting-shoe-aboard-plane/122354/5 "2002-08-05T12:23:49Z")
Someone like this is either too stupid, or too criminally-minded, to be let back into society with only a “citation”. Four words: Christian Military Boot Camp. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2002, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-teen-arrested-for-lighting-shoe-aboard-plane/122354/6 "2002-08-05T12:48:15Z")
Maybe he was trying to innocently light a fart (Canadian National Sport?) and got confused . 😃 Of course, if this is true, it means a Canadian doesn’t know his @ss from his own left foot. 😉 😃 Please don’t hurt me! Put the hockey sticks **down** guys! Guys? \ ---
**Author:** ![DeadlyAccurate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@DeadlyAccurate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadlyAccurate)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2002, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-teen-arrested-for-lighting-shoe-aboard-plane/122354/7 "2002-08-05T13:26:27Z")
I’m somewhat confused as to why he’s a jerk and criminal-minded. Stupid? Without a doubt. Thoughtless? Of course. But criminal-minded? Seems unlikely. He just sounds like someone who doesn’t think before he acts. It obviously runs in the family since Dad should’ve said, “Put that lighter away. You’re not supposed to have that on an airplane.” ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2002, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-teen-arrested-for-lighting-shoe-aboard-plane/122354/8 "2002-08-05T21:49:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Anthracite \* > \*\*Someone like this is either too stupid, or too criminally-minded, to be let back into society with only a “citation”. > > Four words: Christian Military Boot Camp. 😃 \*\* Can we get extra hazing on that? ---
**Author:** ![Catamount](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/catamount/32/2840_2.png) [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2002, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-teen-arrested-for-lighting-shoe-aboard-plane/122354/9 "2002-08-05T21:54:30Z")
Where’s the line for people to slap sense into that kid? Having worked with seventeen-year-olds (well, actually sixteen year olds, the extra year makes no difference) and having been one in the past, I know exactly what he was thinking: Airplane + shoe + lighter = troublemaking _long pause while brain processes_ COOL! _brain gives long sigh and promptly jumps off plane_ ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2002, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-teen-arrested-for-lighting-shoe-aboard-plane/122354/10 "2002-08-05T23:41:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DeadlyAccurate \* > **I’m somewhat confused as to why he’s a jerk and criminal-minded.** Well, I think you answered your first question at least: > [@](#): > > **Stupid?** Without a doubt. **Thoughtless?** Of course. Sounds like two attributes of a jerk. A 17-year old knows _exactly_ what they are doing by trying to light their shoe on an airplane. If they don’t, then they’re too stupid to be allowed in public without a Keeper of some sort. And anyone that believes his asinine story as to what he was trying to do with the lighter, please stand on your head… ---
**Author:** ![Wikkit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c0e974/32.png) [@Wikkit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wikkit)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2002, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-teen-arrested-for-lighting-shoe-aboard-plane/122354/11 "2002-08-05T23:50:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Anthracite \* > **A 17-year old knows _exactly_ what they are doing by trying to light their shoe on an airplane. If they don’t, then they’re too stupid to be allowed in public without a Keeper of some sort.** What about the males, who can’t use a Keeper? ---
**Author:** ![JDM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/90db22/32.png) [@JDM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JDM)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2002, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-teen-arrested-for-lighting-shoe-aboard-plane/122354/12 "2002-08-06T06:54:09Z")
Here is what Ann Coulter had to say about this: > [@](#): > > A case in point: At the Pittsburgh Airport this weekend police say a Canadian teenager aboard a US Airways jet actually started flicking a cigarette lighter at his foot sneaker. His excuse was that he was just trying to burn off loose material on his shoe. The boy of Iranian descent was arrested. > Teenagers are taking lighters to their sneakers on airplanes, and the Democratic Party can’t imagine why Bush might want to attack Saddam Hussein, a murderous fanatic developing weapons of mass destruction. Does anyone remember that we’re at war? September 11 – does that ring a bell? > BEGALA: Some teenager lights his sneakers on fire and its my party’s fault? > COULTER: Why yes, it is. From [Crossfire.](http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0208/05/cf.00.html) JDM ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2002, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-teen-arrested-for-lighting-shoe-aboard-plane/122354/13 "2002-08-06T07:06:32Z")
Ann Coulter. Eesh. “That Canadian kid’s a moron! So we have to _ATTACK IRAQ NOW!_” 900mg of thorazine, intramuscular. Stat! ---
**Author:** ![ElwoodCuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/edb3f5/32.png) [@ElwoodCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElwoodCuse)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2002, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-teen-arrested-for-lighting-shoe-aboard-plane/122354/14 "2002-08-06T15:29:34Z")
Leave it to Ann Coulter to start the “He’s Iranian! EEEEVIL!” nonsense. Ann, wouldn’t it make more sense to just ban lighters and matches from airplanes? Oh wait sorry, big tobacco says we can’t. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2002, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-teen-arrested-for-lighting-shoe-aboard-plane/122354/15 "2002-08-06T17:33:10Z")
Tell you what; if you promise to keep that Coulter character south of the border, we’ll let the kid back into Canada. ---
**Author:** ![DeadlyAccurate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@DeadlyAccurate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadlyAccurate)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2002, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-teen-arrested-for-lighting-shoe-aboard-plane/122354/16 "2002-08-06T18:35:15Z")
**Muffin** , how 'bout we trade you instead? I think I’d rather have the kid over here. BTW, when I was in high school, burning the loose pieces of rubber off new shoes was fairly common practice. I’m still inclined to think, based on the little bit of information that’s available to us, that he was just being stupid, and maybe a couple hundred hours of community service was serve him better than a prison sentence. ---
**Author:** ![Menocchio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@Menocchio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Menocchio)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2002, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-teen-arrested-for-lighting-shoe-aboard-plane/122354/17 "2002-08-06T19:42:30Z")
Absent-mindedly burning shoes in plane: Incredibly stupid. Blaming the actions of said incredibly stupid Canadian on American liberals and concluding that we must attack Iraq: Psychotic. I’m with DA, here, Muffin. Another dumbass won’t hurt us. You take Anthrax Annie for a while. ---
**Author:** ![capacitor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e47774/32.png) [@capacitor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capacitor)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-teen-arrested-for-lighting-shoe-aboard-plane/122354/18 "2002-08-07T00:01:14Z")
I suppose balling my hand into a fist and flicking my thumb out is a no-no too. ---
**Author:** ![Balduran](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cc9497/32.png) [@Balduran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balduran)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-teen-arrested-for-lighting-shoe-aboard-plane/122354/19 "2002-08-07T11:58:20Z")
When I was in the army reserves, everyone burned loose threads and such off their uniforms and boots. It is better than pulling or cutting. Still, you’ve got to be some kind of stupid to do that on a plane in today’s climate. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-teen-arrested-for-lighting-shoe-aboard-plane/122354/20 "2002-08-07T12:12:52Z")
Just out of curiosity, the Fox story says the boy’s name wasn’t released because of his age and no mention was given of his ethnicity. Did Coulter get this “Iranian descent” factoid from any reputable source or just from the voices in her head? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-teen-arrested-for-lighting-shoe-aboard-plane/122354.md?page=2)