So the news just broke in to “my regularly scheduled programming” to announce this. Apparently a man with a gun was able to walk up to the first class section and take the pilot and co-pilot hostage, in the meantime, all the passengers escaped by just running out the doors. They interviewed some passengers who said they just opened the door and ran even though some flight attendants were telling them to remain in their seats.
What are the protocols a flight attendant are supposed to follow? How safe did you actually think things were in our airports up until now? This kind of thing just freaks me a bit since I like to travel as often as possible, and I am considering flying in just a short month from now…
Scares me even more. I just returned from a business trip Tuesday.
The security in Atlanta was fierce. The magnetic strip in my tickets set off the metal detectoer. I then spent the next 15 minutes being scanned by hand. It wasn’t fun.
LOL
{hijack} <- pardon the expression
Actually I remember when I was in Europe during the Gulf War that security was incredibly tight and often tense. Following a series of incidents (which I won’t bore you here with) I was tired of airports and ready to go home. I arrive at the Rome airport tired and homeseick. All the guards were carrying machine guns but you barely noticed because they had been since the war started. I checked my luggage in and stepped through the metal detector.
ding ding ding
sigh
Pulled out some coins and stuff and stepped through again.
ding ding ding
WTH??? Annoyed now, I went through my pockets again, pulled out some pens and other asorted minor paraphenalia. Two of the guards look a bit edgy and move over next to the machine as I step through yet again.
ding ding ding
I don’t even have time to think as one of the guards grab me and throws me against a wall. I start to protest but shut up when a machine gun is thrust into my face. I have visions of getting shot in a bloody Italian airport.
They search me quickly and roughly. They identify the source of the disturbance: a milka bar. The foil wrapping. Can you belive it? They laugh and turn away, apparently dismissing me and I’m left with dishevelled clothes and a chocolate bar.
So he is all alone on the plane huh? Well at least we wont have something like this happen again. Anyone hear about his incident? This really gets to me…
Yea, er, Milka sucks. Anyone wanting to get rid of their Milka is hereby encouraged to send it to me, as I will stockpile and…er…destroy it. Especially the kind with the little bits of hazelnut in a sort of fudge in the middle…mmmm…I mean, stop the Milka Madness!
I like to be comfortable when I fly, so I usually wear my hiking boots. The metal fittings that hold the laces always set off the metal detector. If I’m wearing Levi’s, the buttons set it off. If I’m not wearing Levi’s, my belt buckle (which is not very big, just a standard “dress” buckle) sets it off.
Once I emptied my pockets set off the machine and was searched with the wand, my boots setting it off as usual. After the guard was satisfied, I asked her to run it over my leg again. BEEP! She looked startled, and I told her about the pin that was put there after an accident. Interestingly, on the rare occasions that I’m not wearing any metal, the pin doesn’t set off the scanner.
One time they pulled my daypack off of the conveyor. “Is this your bag?” Okay, I know I don’t have any contraband. Why are they pulling my bag? The guard swabbed it with a piece of cloth and put the sample into a little machine. She was looking for explosives! As it happens, I use my pack for more than travelling. When I’m on my motorcycle I carry an extra quart of oil in the back pocket. Some had leaked and got into the fabric. It was long-dry, but there was enough of the chemical to set off the bomb detector.
No, actually, when consumed in gross quantities while abroad on a high school exchange program, it causes you to gain what shall be referred to as “Germany Weight.” However, it is yum-dilly-ocious.