More heroes.
September 13, 2001 8:38 PM   Subscribe

More heroes. Who will almost certainly be fired and probably arrested by clueless hypocrites.
posted by rushmc (23 comments total)
 
Hackers, brave and true, protecting this country once again.
posted by Hildago at 8:42 PM on September 13, 2001


They were very lucky they weren't shot on sight. You don't go off and do this on your own. You work with security staffers. You let someone know you about to do it. You don't do it during a time like this. Period. Noble, perhaps. Stupid, surely.
posted by dewelch at 8:43 PM on September 13, 2001


http://www.bostonphoenix.com/boston/news_features/this_just_in/documents/01812080.htm
posted by krisjohn at 8:45 PM on September 13, 2001


Testing security? Had they been asked or ordered to do so by their superiors or at least warned security staff theat they would try to test security? Or was it of their own volition just to prove a point?

If it's the latter then they're idiots, not heroes. Sure, it revealed a hole. But causing a panic is not the way to do it.
posted by Foaf at 8:47 PM on September 13, 2001


The airport itself obviously hadn't tested its own security. Someone had to do it, I suppose. Wouldn't working with security staffers defeat the purpose of uncovering holes in their security measures by giving them fair warning to refine their procedures?
posted by surblimity at 8:49 PM on September 13, 2001


FWIW, the security staffers that work in baggage checking, x-ray, and boarding do not wear lethal weapons. General airport police do. It seems to me that there is no other fair way to test security. If that is case, I think we should be thankful that they did it.
posted by bloggboy at 8:52 PM on September 13, 2001


Well, they did prove a point - we have serious security holes. We also have terrorists still trying to board planes.
posted by kd at 8:53 PM on September 13, 2001


Why wait for an official ok to do so? It was done with the best of intentions. More power to them.
posted by jasonshellen at 8:54 PM on September 13, 2001


Yeah, what we need is a bunch of people adding to the confusion and terror to prove a "point". Great.
posted by jaustinspace at 8:55 PM on September 13, 2001


Today, in LAX airport, there are PLENTY of armed personnel in the terminals. Some with automatic weapons.
posted by dewelch at 8:58 PM on September 13, 2001


But causing a panic is not the way to do it.

Better a panic than another disaster, I should think.
posted by rushmc at 9:06 PM on September 13, 2001


"We would ask that nobody intentionally try to break security,"

Shouldn't it be - "we will ensure that no one will break security" ?
posted by mkn at 9:19 PM on September 13, 2001


the airport staff are the same undertrained people as before. the authorities have no way of being quick enough to the draw right now; vigilantism isn't so bad.
posted by elle at 9:20 PM on September 13, 2001


Oh yeah, they're heroes. Right up there with those guys who gave their lives fighting against hijackers so a plane wasn't crashed into the Capitol.
posted by smackfu at 9:24 PM on September 13, 2001


You know, the first time I ever saw a machine gun was while passing through an airport in southern France, on my way back to CDG in Paris to catch a flight home in April of 2000.

I was shocked. There was no crisis at hand, no recent breach of security and no threat to the safety of the passengers. It was just a routine military officer on patrol. Because France takes the safety of it's airports seriously.

Is that such a bad idea?
posted by tomorama at 9:27 PM on September 13, 2001


Psst Krisjohn You can make a link on Mefi. I've noticed a few places where you failed to do it, yet strangely enough one place where you did previously...

It looks like this:

<a href="http://www.whatever.com">whatever</a>

and turns out like this

whatever

I would have addressed you directly, but you have no email address listed and your website is non-existent (*ahem*Matt*cough*)
posted by fooljay at 9:44 PM on September 13, 2001


In 1985, I went through security at Charles de Gaulle to board an El Al flight to Tel Aviv. I was 15 years old. I was taken into a little cubicle, frisked carefully, and questioned for five or ten minutes. My suitcase was opened and searched. All of this was done politely but firmly. When security was finished, they neatly repacked my stuff, thanked me, wished me a good trip and sent me on my way. I thanked them in return and boarded the plane. And although I couldn't spot them, I know that there were several trained, armed sky marshals on board. I have never, before or since, felt so safe on a plane.

Chalk me up as one who will gladly trade convenience and a few minor civil liberties for safety. The US should take security lessons from Israel.
posted by swerve at 9:51 PM on September 13, 2001


Hey Smackfu...These 3 guys were trying to show a point to the "tough new security" that gaping holes are still there.

As for the Real Heros which managed to overtake the plane and crash into ground...
What is better some trees burnt or a crash into our Capitol with untold many other lives gone as well?
posted by Max's Daddy at 9:58 PM on September 13, 2001


What's the point? We know that airport security sucks. The security people are under-paid, under-trained, and probably under pressure to keep people moving through.

I'm not sure what good it does to have guards with automatic weapons walking around the airport. I'm not worried about somebody forcing their way through the security checkpoints. What would they do after getting through the checkpoint? I'm worried about people smuggling weapons or bombs on to a plane and I don't see how some guy with an M16 is going to change that. I suspect that they're there to provide the illusion of security.
posted by rdr at 9:59 PM on September 13, 2001


people doing stuf like that is an iffy proposition at best. sure, it points out a hole. but what if they were actual terrorists, and only claimed to be testing the security.? it's good that the lax security was pointed out, but i would figure that there would be independant organizations that check this that aren't part of the airport's regular security team.
posted by mich9139 at 10:16 PM on September 13, 2001


Max's Daddy, i think smackfu means to say that the phrase hero should not have been thrown out there to describe those people in the same breath as the people who supposedly confronted the terroroists and grounded the plane. the passengers are heros, the employees are well-meaning idiots.

although, i could be totally wrong. who knows.
posted by mich9139 at 10:22 PM on September 13, 2001


Not to mention that they completely missed the point. We will never have security so good that there is no chance you can get a weapon on board a plane.

As numerous people have pointed out, prisoners routinely hide shivs up their asses. Unless you want to body cavity search everyone who has a metallic surgical implant, you aren't going to get all the weapons.

But as also been pointed out, the threat of a repeat of the events of September 11th is nil. People cooperate with hijackers because complying with typical hijacker demands is a much better fate than death. Far better just to go along with whatever the hijackers want. As of 8:45 am on Tuesday, Sept 11th, this was no longer the case. Look at what happened outside of Pittsburgh.
posted by jaek at 11:27 PM on September 13, 2001


Were it not such a horrible proposition, I would almost feel pity for the first set of hijackers who try to get a plane just to go somewhere after this -- they're certainly going to have a tough time subduing the passengers.
posted by j.edwards at 1:34 AM on September 14, 2001


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