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Want to know why the Airlines are going bankrupt? (1 Viewer)

Craig Chatterton

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148
Here's one reason: http://www.citypaper.net/articles/10....godfrey.shtml
This kid was banned from ever flying United Airlines again because of a book he brought with him.
I fly a lot, and I'm willing to put up with random searches, increased security, etc. But I don't think it's fair that I'm allowed to fly because I have a job, and this kid who's currently out of school and looking for work was banned from flying because they thought "he had nothing to live for."
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AdrianJ

Supporting Actor
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Apr 1, 2001
Messages
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On the cover of the book, Hayduke Lives! by Edward Abbey, is an illustration of a man?s hand holding several sticks of dynamite. The 1991 novel is about a radical environmentalist, George Washington Hayduke III, who blows up bridges, burns tractors and sabotages other projects he believes are destroying the beautiful Southwest landscape.
Well, I can't say that I'm really that surprised. I mean, if you are so oblivious to the fact that you are carrying about that is about random acts of terrorism and has an illustration of a man holding dynamite, then basically you get what you deserve. It might not be right, but it is to be expected as the country goes through a knee jerk reaction to try and prevent terrorism.
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Adrian Jones
 

MickeS

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What an amazing story... I like this quote:
quote:
The first reason, she said, was that Godfrey was reading a book with an illustration of a bomb on the cover. Secondly, she said, he purchased his ticket on Sept. 11. (Godfrey bought the ticket on Priceline.com shortly after midnight, at least eight hours before the World Trade Center was attacked).
And the final reason cited by the United employee was that Godfrey’s Arizona driver’s license had expired. The employee pointed to a date to substantiate this allegation.
"No," Godfrey told her. "That’s the day the license was issued."
The woman then pointed to another date on the card, Feb. 17, 2000, contending it was the expiration date. Godfrey countered that the date identified him as "under 21" until then.
"Too bad, it’s too late," the flight attendant informed him.
[/quote]
I wish they would concentrate on more real threats instead of ridiculous things like this.
quote:
I mean, if you are so oblivious to the fact that you are carrying about that is about random acts of terrorism and has an illustration of a man holding dynamite, then basically you get what you deserve.
[/quote]
The book was not a threat to airplane security. I don't understand how you can say he got what he deserved. How about if he had read the Time magazine special issue with the exploding twin towers on the cover? Should he have been prevented from flying then too?
Of course, who knows how accuare the reporting is. A lot of time the news are twisted to make a better story. But it seems unlikely this kid was a threat.
/Mike
[Edited last by MickeS on October 23, 2001 at 10:39 AM]
 

Ryan Wright

Screenwriter
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Well, I can't say that I'm really that surprised. I mean, if you are so oblivious to the fact that you are carrying about that is about random acts of terrorism and has an illustration of a man holding dynamite, then basically you get what you deserve.
Oh, come on. It's a BOOK. A BOOK! Do you really believe officials in charge of (insert company/government operation here) should be judging the public based on their reading material? "We're sorry, Mr. Jones, but we can't allow you to take the public tour of the White House with the rest of your group. We caught you reading a book about Clinton, and we're concerned you may try to steal some furniture or oogle our interns."
In "The Land of the Free", this is an outrage. If I was that kid, the airlines would have heard from my sharks lawyers by now. Yeah, he really fits the profile of a terrorist. Unemployed, no longer in school, reading a book... sounds like every other 22 year old fresh out of college.
Reading about terrorists does not a terrorist make. If he would have had a copy of the morning paper full of terrorist articles and a picture of bin Laden on the front, would they have stopped him? Remember "Meet the Parents?" : "You threatened the stewardess with a bomb!" .. "No, I said, 'It's not like I have a bomb.'" .. "You said BOMB." (Doesn't he then launch into a little rant just to show the stupidity of it all? : "Bomb bomb bomb bomb, Bomb bomb bomb bomb bomb bomb bomb")
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Jeff Kleist

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I feel ashamed this happened in my city, and even more ashamed that our local papers did not cover the story
Jeff Kleist
 

PatrickM

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Sounds like a pre-cursor to Fahrenheit 451 to me.
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[Edited last by PatrickM on October 23, 2001 at 12:06 PM]
 

AdrianJ

Supporting Actor
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532
In "The Land of the Free", this is an outrage. If I was that kid, the airlines would have heard from my sharks lawyers by now. Yeah, he really fits the profile of a terrorist. Unemployed, no longer in school, reading a book... sounds like every other 22 year old fresh out of college.
Actually, I would think this is exactly what he is going for. He did it to get publicity and possibly a lawsuit. I'm just saying that he should have known better and have predicted this outcome before he ever arrived at the airport. I think he did it intentionally to see how the system would react.
Would it have been any different if he came onto the plane carrying the Anarchist Cookbook? Would you feel comfortable on the plane with the passenger next to you reading how to make explosives? I mean, come on, think before you do these things.
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Adrian Jones
 

JonZ

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"Want to know why the Airlines are going bankrupt?"
I wonder how many of the owners and execs have taken pay cuts since last month to help their companies recover.
I saw on the news,not many.
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MickeS

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Would it have been any different if he came onto the plane carrying the Anarchist Cookbook? Would you feel comfortable on the plane with the passenger next to you reading how to make explosives?

First of all, he didn't do that, so it doesn't really have a bearing on the situation.
Second of all, yes, since it's JUST A BOOK. If he had actually had the ingredients there, making a bomb, I would have been worried.
/Mike
 

Mitty

Supporting Actor
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Jan 13, 1999
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886
I'd rather sit next to that kid than a little old lady who has no book, no magazines, just a wallet full of pictures of her grandchildren and a yearning to connect to a stranger.
wink.gif

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Glenn Overholt

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I don't think that this will be the last case of this we will see, but his mistake was returning.
I hope there is more than one airline going to Phoenix, and I would have never flown on Delta again. He should have had them book a flight on another airline from another airport, and taken the train there. Not too bright, IMO.
Glenn
 

DaveF

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The book was not a threat to airplane security
I don't think they were worried about the book, per se. Rather, the profile of the individual:
- In his early 20s
- Dropped out of college
- No job
- Expired drivers license (so they thought)
- Reading book about violent social anarchy
- Traveling alone
- Bought ticket on Sept 11; one month previous
Perhaps all coincidence, but I can see how people might have freaked right now.
Also remember that passengers have been kicked off just for being Arab. If the kid had gotten on board, and sat next to granny, she might have panicked, seeing his dynamite-emblazoned book.
Under "normal" circumstances, this would not have happened. But right now, life is not "normal".
I don't like it, but I can understand it.
And not to make the kid the victim, it was completely brain-dead to bring that book to the airport.
But it makes me think that perhaps I'd better not take my "Arming America" book (history of US gun culture) when I fly this Xmas.
 

Joseph DeMartino

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Oh, come on. It's a BOOK. A BOOK! Do you really believe officials in charge of (insert company/government operation here) should be judging the public based on their reading material?
Why not? This is a country in which six year olds are hauled up sexual harassment charges for playground behavior, in which kids have been suspended under "zero-tolerance" weapons policies (better called "zero-thought") for bringing in cologne bottles and water pistols and in which local cops tried to have two ten-year-olds charge with conspiracy to commit murder because they pointed paper cut-outs of guns at classmates. The line between imagination and reality was wiped-out in this country a long time ago. The airlines are just catching up. (Although what this has to do with the fact that the airlines were in trouble prior to September 11th, and were devastated by the four-day shut-down following the event, is anybody's guess.)
Regards,
Joe
 

Mike Lenthol

Second Unit
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Messages
322
Just remember people, once you are "there" you get a completely different perspective than sitting behind a computer. Rationale and reasonability just don’t have the same priority.
 

MickeS

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quote:
I don't think they were worried about the book, per se. Rather, the profile of the individual:
- In his early 20s
- Dropped out of college
- No job
- Expired drivers license (so they thought)
- Reading book about violent social anarchy
- Traveling alone
- Bought ticket on Sept 11; one month previous
[/quote]
Sounds like most people in their early 20's to me, and the driver's license wasn't expired.
Let's see... the profile of the hi-jackers were:
- In their mid 30's
- College educated
- Employed? Don't know
- Valid drivers license, as well as aviation licenses
- No books
- Travelled in groups
- Bought tickets the same day
In other words, pretty much the opposite of the profile of this suspected terrorist.
Maybe we should stop everyone that fits that profile from flying too, at least first class would be less crowded...
/Mike
[Edited last by MickeS on October 23, 2001 at 06:28 PM]
 

MikeAlletto

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Mar 11, 2000
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This whole thing is so stupid...can you say lawsuit? I sure hope that kid can. If the story is as clear cut as the article makes us believe it is then there really is no argument the airline and the security people can use. And if they say he was a security threat I sure hope they are prepared to prove it. The security people are still trying to make themselves look good when everyone in the world knows how messed up the system still is. This kid was no dangerous than those grannies who are getting their knitting needles confiscated.
 

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