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What The Heck?!?
Posted by Bigfoot on October 9th, 2008
According to Fox News, federal airport screeners allowed a man to board an airplane after grenades were found in his luggage.
Federal airport screeners found two grenades in the luggage of a man set to board a JetBlue flight at New York’s Kennedy airport, according to MyFOXNY.com.
TSA specialists then determined that the explosives were inert and allowed the passenger to board the plane without ever informing police, the TV station’s Web site reported.
Someone PLEASE tell me this report is incorrect. A man tries to board a plane while carrying grenades, and is allowed to proceed? The screeners didn’t even call the cops? I’m no explosives expert, but how did they determine that the grenades were inert? Or is there something missing in this report, such as this passenger being a member of the military who is allowed to transport inert grenades? Neither the report or the video linked thereto mentions if the grenades were confiscated from the passenger.
A year ago, an MIT student was arrested at Boston Logan airport for carrying a fake bomb. If even a FAKE bomb gets you arrested, then a grenade (which, after all, is a type of bomb), however real or fake, inert or operative, should likewise put you in handcuffs.
Ever since British muslim terrorists plotted to blow up planes with liquid explosives, law-abiding passengers have had to either limit their bottled liquids to 3 ounces per bottle, while placing the bottles in a transparent bag, put them in their checked baggage, or leave them behind. (Some airports, such as Washington Dulles, even provide small plastic bags in the security waiting area.)
This past June, I bought a bottle of wine in the duty-free area of Paris DeGaulle airport before flying back the U.S. Because this was after checking in and going through security, I had to keep it in my carry-on bag. After arriving in Minneapolis, clearing customs and going to the area where bags are reloaded for continuing domestic flights, I asked one of the attendants if I should put the bottle in my checked bag instead. She said that it was a good thing I asked. I transferred the wine to my checked bag, and sure enough, as I was going through security, the attendants asked me if I had any containers with liquids in my carry-on. They were very specific about it, mentioning such things as aftershave and toothpaste.
There ya go. Carry a bottle of wine into an airport security checkpoint, you’re in deep doo-doo, but carry inert grenades, that’s OK.
October 9th, 2008 at 11:32 am
sir, an inert grenade is just the same as a metal paperweight.
The ones I have seen have a 1″ hole in the bottom and you can see all of the interior where the powder would be. It is as dangerous as a large bolt and nut. or a brick. You can buy them mounted on a board for a desk paperweight. so dont panic too much about a hunk of metal. inert means “unable to be functional”
bob
October 9th, 2008 at 1:26 pm
Thanks for the information. This was nowhere apparent in the Fox News report. Like I said, something could be missing.
Or a plastic bottle of water, or my above-mentioned wine, both of which would bring scrutiny.
A fake bomb, i.e., something that merely looks like a bomb, just as an inert grenade looks like a grenade, is also “unable to be functional”.
I don’t recommend panic, but if mistakes are made, then I hope it’s from erring on the side of caution.
October 10th, 2008 at 7:41 am
Fake or not, I would question it. And run the passengers through a check and NOT allow them on the flight…or at least get it cleared. Good grief. So I can take my round-less gun on flights too right???
BF I didn’t sense any “panic” in your post either- just questioning of the seriousness of the article.