# The Flying Morons - another plane delayed by a fucking idiot **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 7, 2016, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flying-morons-another-plane-delayed-by-a-fucking-idiot/754219 "2016-05-07T20:51:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flying-morons-another-plane-delayed-by-a-fucking-idiot/754219/81 "2016-05-10T20:14:32Z")
> [@Una\_Persson](#): > > My grandmother told me stories about one of her paranoid neighbors in WW2, who about once every couple of weeks would phone the Civil Defense office, and sometimes the Army, to report that she had seen Japanese Zero dive bombers streaking across the sky. > > In Wichita, Kansas. This reminds me of [George Gobel’s classic story about his WWII service.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efHVcgUajtA) ---
**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:** [May 10, 2016, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flying-morons-another-plane-delayed-by-a-fucking-idiot/754219/82 "2016-05-10T20:36:38Z")
> [@watchwolf49](#): > > Didn’t we build a mess of airplanes in Wichita back during The War? Not so many Japanese Zeros, though… ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flying-morons-another-plane-delayed-by-a-fucking-idiot/754219/83 "2016-05-10T20:43:46Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > A few weeks ago, a UC Berkeley student was [removed from a plane, restrained, and interrogated](http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-student-removed-southwest-airlines-flight-arabic-20160418-story.html) for having the temerity to speak Arabic, after a passenger complained. > > Now, a plane has been delayed for two hours after another prime example of American stupidity. The offense this time? [Doing math](http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/may/07/professor-flight-delay-terorism-equation-american-airlines).Another example of the growing Trumpification of America. > > I know it’s never going to happen, but i sometimes think that people who make these sorts of bullshit complaints should be treated the same as people who prank-call 911. There comes a time when being a complete fucking lobotomy victim should not excuse you from the consequences of your actions. (underline added) _“If You See Something, Say Something™”_ (It’s trademarked so it must be important 😃 ) \*It takes a community to protect a community. Informed, alert communities play a critical role in keeping our nation safe. Reporting Suspicious Activity To report suspicious activity, contact your local law enforcement agency. Describe specifically what you observed, including: Who or what you saw; When you saw it; Where it occurred; and Why it’s suspicious. If there is an emergency, call 9–1–1.\* > **[If You See Something, Say Something® | Homeland Security](https://www.dhs.gov/see-something-say-something)** It’s our choice. You can chose to say something or you can chose to ignore something. Or you can chose to ridicule someone for saying something. Maybe THAT will prevent them from saying something the next time they observe behavior they might consider to be suspicious behavior. I have no idea how you came to the conclusion that Trump should be blamed for the policy of Obama’s Department of Homeland Security? ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flying-morons-another-plane-delayed-by-a-fucking-idiot/754219/84 "2016-05-10T20:56:25Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > … > It’s our choice. You can chose to say something or you can chose to ignore something. Or you can chose to ridicule someone for saying something. Maybe THAT will prevent them from saying something the next time they observe behavior they might consider to be suspicious behavior. > > I have no idea how you came to the conclusion that Trump should be blamed for the policy of Obama’s Department of Homeland Security? I get what you’re saying. We don’t want to discourage people from reporting truly suspicious activity. The problem is when people become paranoid and cause planes to be diverted and innocents to be interrogated for activities that aren’t even remotely suspicious. Even if we ignore the civil rights issues, repeated false alarms do not strengthen security and may even weaken it. And I completely get what **mhendo** was talking about when he mentioned Trump. I don’t think he’s blaming Trump for DHS policy. He’s blaming Trump, with his repeated demonization of Muslims, for the behavior of the woman who was suspicious due to strange writing, facial hair, and olive skin. Because, let’s be honest here, it was likely the man’s appearance that set her off as much or more than his writing. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flying-morons-another-plane-delayed-by-a-fucking-idiot/754219/85 "2016-05-10T20:58:26Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > The real question is: how did he get more than 3 oz. of differential equations past security? I took that class in college. It is very dry. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flying-morons-another-plane-delayed-by-a-fucking-idiot/754219/86 "2016-05-10T22:41:35Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > Pffft. Economics isn’t science. Shhh. It thinks it is. > [@Llama\_Llogophile](#): > > This reminds me of [George Gobel’s classic story about his WWII service.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efHVcgUajtA) Oh, man. I remember when all those guys were alive. Bob Hope, Dean Martin . . . I must be starting to look old. For my last security check, they handed me a card that let me keep my shoes on. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flying-morons-another-plane-delayed-by-a-fucking-idiot/754219/87 "2016-05-10T23:13:41Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > It’s our choice. You can chose to say something or you can chose to ignore something. Or you can chose to ridicule someone for saying something. Maybe THAT will prevent them from saying something the next time they observe behavior they might consider to be suspicious behavior. I choose to ridicule. If ridicule stops some mouth-breather from reporting the simple fact of speaking Arabic or doing math as a terrorist threat, then i’m completely fine with that. > [@doorhinge](#): > > I have no idea how you came to the conclusion that Trump should be blamed for the policy of Obama’s Department of Homeland Security? For the most part, the policies themselves aren’t too much of a problem. The problem is that there are too many mouth-breathing morons who can’t distinguish between actual threats and non-threats. And that applies both to the general public, and to some of the idiots in the DHS and the TSA. It’s the same mentality that forced a woman to drink her own breast milk from a bottle some years back, just to prove that it wasn’t a dangerous product. If this sort of thing remains a problem under Obama, i hold him to blame just as much as i held Bush to blame during the previous administration. My comment about Trump was not blaming him for the incident; it was more a general observation about the unfortunate decline in rational thought and logical behavior in modern America, of which this incident and the Trump campaign are depressing examples. I was not even making the connection to Trump’s anti-Islam rhetoric, but now that **davidm** has raised the issue, i do think it fits quite nicely. This incident, and the one regarding the Arabic speaker last month, are the natural outcome of the sort of paranoia that Trump promotes. ---
**Author:** ![Backwater\_Under\_Duck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ba8739/32.png) [@Backwater\_Under\_Duck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Backwater_Under_Duck)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2016, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flying-morons-another-plane-delayed-by-a-fucking-idiot/754219/88 "2016-05-11T01:28:08Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > Now, a plane has been delayed for two hours after another prime example of American stupidity. The offense this time? [Doing math](http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/may/07/professor-flight-delay-terrorism-equation-american-airlines).Another example of the growing Trumpification of America. So this geometry Prof was on a plane, and the gut next to him saw him with some compasses and dividers, and he freaked out. So they questioned the Prof and decided that he was part of a mysterious AL-Ge\_Bra movement, and arrested him for carrying Weapons of Math Instruction. Oh yeah! ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2016, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flying-morons-another-plane-delayed-by-a-fucking-idiot/754219/89 "2016-05-11T03:47:55Z")
> [@Jragon](#): > > You know what happened to us after we got our first hit of algebra! Yeah. I had to take it over in summer school, was second in the class, and I STILL got a B. `:mad: > [@Senegoid](#): > > I wonder if the TSA folks, in their abundance of caution, confiscated the professor’s notebook and sent it to the NSA for decoding and analysis. And have to share the Nobel? ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2016, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flying-morons-another-plane-delayed-by-a-fucking-idiot/754219/90 "2016-05-11T03:54:30Z")
> [@Llama\_Llogophile](#): > > This reminds me of [George Gobel’s classic story about his WWII service.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efHVcgUajtA) Lonesome George vs Hope and Dino and their writers. Seems like an even match. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2016, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flying-morons-another-plane-delayed-by-a-fucking-idiot/754219/91 "2016-05-11T17:27:23Z")
> [@Llama\_Llogophile](#): > > This reminds me of [George Gobel’s classic story about his WWII service.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efHVcgUajtA) That’s just fantastic, perfect timing and delivery. I’ve never even heard of George Gobel before. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Gedd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gedd/32/4938_2.png) [@Gedd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gedd)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2016, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flying-morons-another-plane-delayed-by-a-fucking-idiot/754219/92 "2016-05-11T17:55:25Z")
I once read that durring WWII, composer Ralph Vaughn Williams was walking the street somewhere in England scribbling music and was stopped by a defense officer because it looked suspicious. The war on intellegence go back a ways. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2016, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flying-morons-another-plane-delayed-by-a-fucking-idiot/754219/93 "2016-05-11T17:59:25Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > That’s just fantastic, perfect timing and delivery. I’ve never even heard of George Gobel before. 😃 Another young whippersnapper heard from. Are those your footprints all over my lawn? ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2016, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flying-morons-another-plane-delayed-by-a-fucking-idiot/754219/94 "2016-05-11T18:00:39Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > I get what you’re saying. We don’t want to discourage people from reporting truly suspicious activity. The problem is when people become paranoid and cause planes to be diverted and innocents to be interrogated for activities that aren’t even remotely suspicious. Even if we ignore the civil rights issues, repeated false alarms do not strengthen security and may even weaken it. > > And I completely get what **mhendo** was talking about when he mentioned Trump. I don’t think he’s blaming Trump for DHS policy. He’s blaming Trump, with his repeated demonization of Muslims, for the behavior of the woman who was suspicious due to strange writing, facial hair, and olive skin. Because, let’s be honest here, it was likely the man’s appearance that set her off as much or more than his writing. It’s been my experience that many people who fly are paranoid. The engines may quit, the wings may fall off, the flight may be bumpy, there might be a mid-air collision, they may have to sit next to some chatty, drunken, obnoxious asshole who likes to loudly express their superiority over the alledged mouth-breathers who were allowed to share THEIR airplane. I’ve seen non-drinkers pound down several stiff drinks just to work up the courage to get on a plane, let alone leave the ground in one. I know two frequent fliers who resort to trips to a hypnotist in order to forget why they hate to fly. Non-talkers become non-stop talkers due to their adrenaline rush. Personally, I think flying is fun. I bring a paperback, settle into the seat, take off my shoes, and wait for the inevitable safe landing. It doesn’t matter how fast I flap my arms, I’m not going to be able to keep that airplane in the air. Fatalism? Meanwhile, back at the plane - a woman passenger grew suspicious of Menzio. Menzio claims it was because he was doing math. Maybe it was, maybe it wasn’t. Maybe she also noticed several other actions, or statements, by Menzio that made her nervous? Maybe Menzio forgot to mention any other suspious behavior he had been asked to explain? Maybe Menzio referred to her as a mouth-breather? I wonder what exactly the nervous passenger wrote on the note she passed to the crew member? Did the nervous passenger’s fear of flying and Menzio’s ridicule of her discomfort induce her to notify the aircrew of her suspicion that Menzio could be a dangerous person? If people wish to undermine the policies of the NSA, that’s their choice. As an aside, I’ve noted that many people like to mention Trump’s name as often as possible. Doesn’t seem to matter what the original subject was, or if Trump was even involved. I suppose Trump welcomes the free advertisement. Trump didn’t invent the radical, fanatical, Muslim terrorist. The radical, fanatical, Muslims did that a very long time ago. Trump didn’t invent NSA or airline policy, either. But these are desperate times for the Democrat collective and they gotta do what they can to help Hillary. When they’re not screwing Bernie over, that is. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2016, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flying-morons-another-plane-delayed-by-a-fucking-idiot/754219/95 "2016-05-11T18:04:57Z")
Yes, the woman is blameless. Menzio _must_ have done something we haven’t hear about.:rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2016, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flying-morons-another-plane-delayed-by-a-fucking-idiot/754219/96 "2016-05-11T18:28:52Z")
The one time I had to report suspicious activity. I was at the airport and here is a suitcase in the middle of the food court with no one around. I flag a TSA agent \There is a suitcase right here. No one is near it so I’m reporting it like the PA says to since it seems abandoned. \Did you walk around to find out who it belongs to? \:smack: ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2016, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flying-morons-another-plane-delayed-by-a-fucking-idiot/754219/97 "2016-05-11T18:38:11Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > The one time I had to report suspicious activity. I was at the airport and here is a suitcase in the middle of the food court with no one around. I flag a TSA agent > \There is a suitcase right here. No one is near it so I’m reporting it like the PA says to since it seems abandoned. > \Did you walk around to find out who it belongs to? > \:smack: You think his job description includes investigative work? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2016, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flying-morons-another-plane-delayed-by-a-fucking-idiot/754219/98 "2016-05-11T18:41:06Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > The one time I had to report suspicious activity. I was at the airport and here is a suitcase in the middle of the food court with no one around. I flag a TSA agent > \There is a suitcase right here. No one is near it so I’m reporting it like the PA says to since it seems abandoned. > \Did you walk around to find out who it belongs to? > \:smack: You should have told him that you saw it solving differential equations. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2016, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flying-morons-another-plane-delayed-by-a-fucking-idiot/754219/99 "2016-05-11T18:41:21Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > If people wish to undermine the policies of the NSA, that’s their choice. > > As an aside, I’ve noted that many people like to mention Trump’s name as often as possible. Doesn’t seem to matter what the original subject was, or if Trump was even involved. I suppose Trump welcomes the free advertisement. > > Trump didn’t invent the radical, fanatical, Muslim terrorist. The radical, fanatical, Muslims did that a very long time ago. Trump didn’t invent NSA or airline policy, either. But these are desperate times for the Democrat collective and they gotta do what they can to help Hillary. When they’re not screwing Bernie over, that is. Ever hear of the airline passenger who cried wolf? She undermined the NSA more by making a big stink about something obviously not a danger, looked like an idiot, and thus might possibly discourage someone who does see something legitimately suspicious from speaking up. Even if it was Arabic, and not math, not everything written in Arabic is a terrorist plot. As for Trump, he is the person who wants to ban all Muslims from entering the country because they can’t be trusted. If you buy into that, anyone who looks or acts Muslim anywhere can’t be trusted. I don’t know if this idiot was naturally paranoid or if she had help from the Donald, but you can hardly hold him blameless for the increase in paranoia. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2016, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flying-morons-another-plane-delayed-by-a-fucking-idiot/754219/100 "2016-05-11T18:41:45Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > Meanwhile, back at the plane - a woman passenger grew suspicious of Menzio. Menzio claims it was because he was doing math. Maybe it was, maybe it wasn’t. Maybe she also noticed several other actions, or statements, by Menzio that made her nervous? There was one suspicious thing Menzio did. He was so involved with his work he didn’t make small talk with her. > [@doorhinge](#): > > If people wish to undermine the policies of the NSA, that’s their choice. Undermining stupid-ass policies that are at best inconsistently applied and only caught 4% of weapons during a test? I’ll volunteer for that. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flying-morons-another-plane-delayed-by-a-fucking-idiot/754219.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flying-morons-another-plane-delayed-by-a-fucking-idiot/754219.md?page=6)