Another Shoe Bomb Attempt?

NetSpeaker

NetSpeaker

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Randy
Just heard a bulletin that Sky Marshals subdued a man trying to ignite his shoes on a United flight tonight from Reagan National to Denver.

United flight 663.
 
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Was in the air a while ago..Center issued a "Shoe Warning".."A US air carrier has reported a passenger attempting to light his shoes on fire" and advised all US aircraft to maintain extreme vigilance.
 
ABC now reporting the guy had full diplomatic immunity as part of the Qatar embassy.

I'm guessing that means he was able to avoid TSA screening.
 
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:mad2:

Here we go again. Can't wait to see how they tie this into the "threat" of general aviation. :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

Maybe we're going to have to fly our planes barefoot.
 
Qatar diplomat. Most diplomats get to bypass TSA. And they get immunity - in most cases, best you can do is expel them. However, if he really made that threat he can be held as an enemy combatant and never brought to trial....

Info is sparse: some say he was smoking in the boys room and when asked about it claimed to be lighting his shoes. Others say he was deliberately trying to light shoes.

I am so NOT looking forward to the knee-jerk reaction to this one.
 
Dont know what to expect but it will not be good or smart.
 
The knee jerk reaction will be to crucify all the "rag heads". Then we will know that Al-Queida has really utterly and totally won.
 
bbchien said:
The knee jerk reaction will be to crucify all the "rag heads". Then we will know that Al-Queida has really utterly and totally won.
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I thought that had already happened...
 
SkyHog said:
This is one case where I'm ok with the knee jerk. The knee jerk needs to be "End diplomatic immunity."

I see no reason for its existence at the moment anyway.
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And how would you feel about diplomatic immunity being removed from an American diplomat say serving in Saudi Arabia when that repressive government finds out that the American may be a sorcerer because they believe in astrology and then wants to put him to death?

Diplomatic Immunity protects our people as much as it protects theirs. It stops fake charges from being filed by hostile governments to diplomats serving there and it unfortunately is abused by some.

It does appear that in this case it was just a diplomat being a jerk and not a terrorist. So the issue will be avoided. Depending on how upset we officially are, we may ask that Qatar remove the diplomat or we may revoke his standing and force his departure.
 
It is just a piece of stupidity all around. Diplomat went to the john to smoke a cigarette. Got busted. Made a joke about setting his shoes on fire. Everyone get hysterical. Diplomatic immunity

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
 
ScottM said:
And how would you feel about diplomatic immunity being removed from an American diplomat say serving in Saudi Arabia when that repressive government finds out that the American may be a sorcerer because they believe in astrology and then wants to put him to death?

Diplomatic Immunity protects our people as much as it protects theirs. It stops fake charges from being filed by hostile governments to diplomats serving there and it unfortunately is abused by some.

It does appear that in this case it was just a diplomat being a jerk and not a terrorist. So the issue will be avoided. Depending on how upset we officially are, we may ask that Qatar remove the diplomat or we may revoke his standing and force his departure.
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Again read what I wrote...the DIPLOMAT may deserve DI, but there are too many people that get it. Also, it is not abused by "some" but by most. Read up on the unclaimed parking tickets and accident fines in the NYC area around the UN.
 
ScottM said:
And how would you feel about diplomatic immunity being removed from an American diplomat say serving in Saudi Arabia when that repressive government finds out that the American may be a sorcerer because they believe in astrology and then wants to put him to death?

Diplomatic Immunity protects our people as much as it protects theirs. It stops fake charges from being filed by hostile governments to diplomats serving there and it unfortunately is abused by some.

It does appear that in this case it was just a diplomat being a jerk and not a terrorist. So the issue will be avoided. Depending on how upset we officially are, we may ask that Qatar remove the diplomat or we may revoke his standing and force his departure.
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I would be fine with some sort of diplomatic clause that holds them accountable for crimes that are crimes in their homeland. But if a diplomat comes to America, murders someone, then is arrested, he can claim diplomatic immunity and be free. That ain't right.
 
wsuffa said:
Qatar diplomat. Most diplomats get to bypass TSA. And they get immunity - in most cases, best you can do is expel them.
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I have no problem with that. Get below 10,000 ft, pop open an aft door, and expel him.

Where do I sign up to be an air marshall?
 
This really just highlights the power of addiction more then anything else. Obviously he couldn't go 4+ hrs without a smoke then lied about it when caught.

Now he's got a political incident on his hands and probably stalled (no pun intended) his career just to get a smoke.
 
SkyHog said:
I would be fine with some sort of diplomatic clause that holds them accountable for crimes that are crimes in their homeland. But if a diplomat comes to America, murders someone, then is arrested, he can claim diplomatic immunity and be free. That ain't right.
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That is actually the case. Diplomats are subject to the laws of their home country, not the host country.

If a US diplomat kills someone while overseas on assignment, they are subject to trial and imprisonment or execution back here in the US.
 
Pi1otguy said:
This really just highlights the power of addiction more then anything else. Obviously he couldn't go 4+ hrs without a smoke then lied about it when caught.

Now he's got a political incident on his hands and probably stalled (no pun intended) his career just to get a smoke.
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Maybe they should go back to allowing "smoking sections" on airliners. Or allow entire airlines to market themselves to smokers.
 
RJM62 said:
Maybe they should go back to allowing "smoking sections" on airliners. Or allow entire airlines to market themselves to smokers.
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NO WAY to the former and they already do for the latter. But those that have catered to smokers quickly went out of business.
 
JeffDG said:
That is actually the case. Diplomats are subject to the laws of their home country, not the host country.

If a US diplomat kills someone while overseas on assignment, they are subject to trial and imprisonment or execution back here in the US.
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Which state's laws? Or only federal?
 
ScottM said:
NO WAY to the former and they already do for the latter. But those that have catered to smokers quickly went out of business.
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Negative!

The ones that were supposed to cater to smokers were unable to do business because its illegal to smoke on a part 121 carrier. It wasn't lack of business, it was the ******ned hippies that struck again (the same ones that got smoking banned in bars of all places).
 
SkyHog said:
Negative!

The ones that were supposed to cater to smokers were unable to do business because its illegal to smoke on a part 121 carrier. It wasn't lack of business, it was the ******ned hippies that struck again (the same ones that got smoking banned in bars of all places).
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Nick, I don't know if you remember when smoking was allowed on airliners. I do. And I remember the joke that was smoking and non-smoking sections. I remember riding in the front row of the non-smoking section of business class on LH when the row ahead of me was the back row of the smoking section. Solid wall of smoke coming over the seatback in front of me the whole flight from California to FRA. No thanks. I'm not a smoker and I do not care to smell (and smell like) smoke. And, I suspect the airlines are happy with the rule as I'm sure their maintenance costs have been reduced by the rule. Besides, it's easier to say it's a government regulation, rather than an airline rule, that bans smoking on the flight.

I'm no hippie. Never was. But I'm glad to be free of smoke on airlines.
 
SkyHog said:
Negative!

The ones that were supposed to cater to smokers were unable to do business because its illegal to smoke on a part 121 carrier. It wasn't lack of business, it was the ******ned hippies that struck again (the same ones that got smoking banned in bars of all places).
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You obviously do not recall the airline FreedomAir or something like that. It went all smoking but not enough business to sustain iteself.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?n...WAtAAAAIBAJ&sjid=lNoFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1321,6900843
 
ScottM said:
You obviously do not recall the airline FreedomAir or something like that. It went all smoking but not enough business to sustain iteself.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?n...WAtAAAAIBAJ&sjid=lNoFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1321,6900843
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FreedomAir was 135, and extremely expensive because it was on demand.

For airliners, there were a few attempts recently to do it, but because of the whole "I won't let you smoke, even if it doesn't affect me" attitude the United States has taken on, it wasn't legal, so they couldn't do it.

With the amount of stress that flying has become, I would wager that if certain airlines COULD offer smoking flights, they'd do well.

Of course, there's the whole scapegoated smoker lighting the lav on fire thing that caused the rule in the first place (real cause was a faulty lav, not a smoker).

edit: even if it got overturned, somehow, the hippies would still win. Imagine a canceled flight, and the only remaining flight to a person's destination is on "Smokair." Guess who's suddenly going to be offended that his choice of airlines makes him slightly uncomfortable. Or worse, he books the flight on Smokair to begin with because it was cheaper.

Sometimes I hate this country.
 
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SkyHog said:
edit: even if it got overturned, somehow, the hippies would still win
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I don't know why you're blaming the "hippies", the ones I knew smoked all kinds of things...

The reason smoking won't come back on airliners is because of the smoke in the workplace laws. A segment of our pilot population got smoking banned on our airplanes using that reason, which by the way, I was happy about. I voted on the non-smoking side.
 
SkyHog said:
FreedomAir was 135, and extremely expensive because it was on demand.
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The prices were almost exactly the same as the other carriers. I have no idea if it was 121 or 135 but it was running regularly scheduled service, at least according to the aticle, it also was running at the time when airlines were strugling with the smoking and no smoking thing. There were other airlines that were not subject to the FAA that also tried these things and they all too failed.

SkyHog said:
Sometimes I hate this country.
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I think it may be safer to say that sometimes hate the reality that you live in. Gherry pretty much nailed it about the smoking on airliners thing. The public demanded it, the whole Cartman hippie rant from you is way off the mark. I know lots of smokers who hated smoking on airlines.
 
SkyHog said:
FreedomAir was 135, and extremely expensive because it was on demand.


edit: even if it got overturned, somehow, the hippies would still win. Imagine a canceled flight, and the only remaining flight to a person's destination is on "Smokair." Guess who's suddenly going to be offended that his choice of airlines makes him slightly uncomfortable. Or worse, he books the flight on Smokair to begin with because it was cheaper.

Sometimes I hate this country.
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Nick:

I'm not a hippie but I was delighted when the airlines went No Smoking. I remember as a child with asthma having to travel by airline. It really was intolerable. Then in my 20s my job was pretty much non-stop airline travel for work (aerospace). Again, it was really difficult for me. I used to get off the plane, go direct to the hotel, take a shower ASAP and send my clothes out to the laundry or find the closest do-it-yourself laundry (forget this Business dress travel crap...I always travel in jeans and tshirts)
 
ScottM said:
And how would you feel about diplomatic immunity being removed from an American diplomat say serving in Saudi Arabia when that repressive government finds out that the American may be a sorcerer because they believe in astrology and then wants to put him to death?

Diplomatic Immunity protects our people as much as it protects theirs. It stops fake charges from being filed by hostile governments to diplomats serving there and it unfortunately is abused by some.

It does appear that in this case it was just a diplomat being a jerk and not a terrorist. So the issue will be avoided. Depending on how upset we officially are, we may ask that Qatar remove the diplomat or we may revoke his standing and force his departure.
Click to expand...

We should ban him from air travel and send him home on a slow boat.
 
murphey said:
Nick:

I'm not a hippie but I was delighted when the airlines went No Smoking. I remember as a child with asthma having to travel by airline. It really was intolerable. Then in my 20s my job was pretty much non-stop airline travel for work (aerospace). Again, it was really difficult for me. I used to get off the plane, go direct to the hotel, take a shower ASAP and send my clothes out to the laundry or find the closest do-it-yourself laundry (forget this Business dress travel crap...I always travel in jeans and tshirts)
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Nor am I hippie. In those days, whenever possible got on an airplane in first class so the majority of the smoke could be avoided. By the time we landed, sinuses and eardrums were so stopped up the descent became a screaming hell.

In those days, the wires and linkages inside the fuselage and storage areas dripped with a sludge of spilled coffee and cigarette tars.
 
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