They found the stupidest man on earth

[Problem Child]

...when he tried to hijack an El Al airliner.

Interesting how even though he managed to get a pocket knife on board, it didn't do any good.

We should just hire El Al to run airport security in the U.S., then maybe I wouldn't have to get my toenail clippers confiscated when I fly.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2486935.stm

****

Israelis 'foil plane hijack'


Israeli security guards have foiled a hijack attempt on an Israeli airlines flight bound for Istanbul.
Israeli radio reported that El Al flight 581 from Tel Aviv had landed safely at its destination.

The hijacker, who is believed to be an Israeli Arab, tried to break into the cockpit but was restrained by flight marshals.

He was reported to be carrying just a pocket knife.

 

[Guest]

mmmm i thought you had bought a mirror perhaps

 

[Shiner]

A close relative is a member of the cabin staff for a major airline and she says that it's well known inside the industry that El Al don't fuck about.

 

[ridddder]

Next time they give you carrot sticks for food, you can just skewer the stewardess in the leg. Anything can be a weapon if you are a moron, except your brain.

 

[modest mouse]

Its known outside the industry that El Al dont fuck about.

All walks of life have morons, terrorism is no different I guess.

 

[sunstruck]

See, this is what I meant by stepping AWAY from the news for a bit. lol

 

[Problem Child]

See, this is what I meant by stepping AWAY from the news for a bit. lol

Wow...I didn't even think of the fact that this news story parallels what we were talking about.

See how baddass I am? Even El Al is no match for me.

 

[Guest]

 

[sunstruck]

Wow...I didn't even think of the fact that this news story parallels what we were talking about.

See how baddass I am? Even El Al is no match for me.

LOL You are indestructable. I'll be getting you a cape for Christmas.

 

[KillerMuffin]

"The actual warhead part is a lot smaller than the suitcase," said Greer. "It looks kind of like a garbage disposal. The real weight of the suitcase is a big wad of conventional explosive that sets off the warhead. The explosive is set off by a detonator with a timer, which is no big deal, like something you could get at Radio Shack. But forget about the size. This thing will blow away all your big buildings, bucko. This thing will fry your eyeballs at ten miles."

"And you're saying that the other suitcase is here in Miami," said Baker.

"What I'm saying," said Greer, "is that when they found the one warhead, in the suitcase, it was in the hands of some people who are not real big fans of the United States. These people were taken into custody."

"By whom?" asked Baker.

"That I definitely can't tell you," said Greer, "except to say that they don't wase a lot of time advising their suspects of their Miranda rights."

"The Israelis," said Baker.

Gree nodded. "Like I say, I can't tell you," he said. "Alls I can tell you is that they are very good at getting information from people who don't feel like talking. And the information they got is that they other suitcase was supposed to go to New York City, where it was gonna be picked up by a True Believer, who was gonna express his beliefs by turning Times Square and the surrounding area into radioactive grit."

"No great loss," said Baker.

"Hey, it's a lot nicer," said Seitz. "They fixed it up."




Somehow I just thought Dave Barry apropos at the moment.

 

[Ishmael]

LOL Even the El AL stewardess's are packing heat. Have been since the early 70's.

It seems to work.

Ishmael

 

[Problem Child]

LOL Even the El AL stewardess's are packing heat. Have been since the early 70's.

It seems to work.

Ishmael

Hopefully I don't sound too naive about this subject (which I obviously am) but are you serious?

 

[LukkyKnight]

If you can do it with a box-cutter, why not try it with a pocket knife?

 

[Problem Child]

If you can do it with a box-cutter, why not try it with a pocket knife?

On El Al? Because El Al has, and always has (or for a long time anyway) had armored cockpit doors, armed pilots, and an armed "air marshal" type security person flying in the cabin on many, if not all their flights, I believe.

They have never had a hijacking and are widely considered the most non-hijackable airline in existence.

I'm still waiting for Ish to tell me if he was kidding about the stewardesses (and/or stewards) being armed.

 

[Ishmael]

Hopefully I don't sound too naive about this subject (which I obviously am) but are you serious?

Absolutely.

Ishmael

 

[concrete]

That Thick Headed Concrete

 

[Problem Child]

Thanks Ish. I think the fact that they've had all those evil guns onboard their planes for all these years pretty much rips the guts out of the "no guns on U.S. planes" argument.

I also wanted to add:

The BBC article was just updated and I notice that it says that El Al has had one successful hijacking, back in 1968 (maybe that was before they started being so well-armed?). They also have armed guards at their ticket counters.

Remember the dude that got ventilated by guards at the LAX ticket counter, last year I think it was?

 

[LukkyKnight]

On El Al? Because El Al has, and always has (or for a long time anyway) had armored cockpit doors, armed pilots, and an armed "air marshal" type security person flying in the cabin on many, if not all their flights, I believe.

They have never had a hijacking and are widely considered the most non-hijackable airline in existence.

I'm still waiting for Ish to tell me if he was kidding about the stewardesses (and/or stewards) being armed.

~LOL~

No, I didn't think ANYbody'd be stupid enough to try it on El Al, but I don't think this guy was playing with a full deck of hannukah lights.

 

[LukkyKnight]

Remember the dude that got ventilated by guards at the LAX ticket counter, last year I think it was?

Yep, that was an El Al ventilation crew which did the work.

 

[Azwed]

I am guessing this stewardess was not armed.


From the article.

"We heard people saying there was fighting and half a minute later it became clear that from row five or six a man ran amok toward the pilot's cabin, attacked a stewardess and tried to enter the cockpit," an Israeli passenger on the plane told Israel army radio.


"We saw a stewardess running like crazy from the front of the place to the business section...She was terrified," said the passenger, Menachen Binet.

I actually have never read anything anywhere saying the normal crew of an El Al flight is armed only that they have security officers on the plane armed and undercover air marshals armed.

It would not surprise me if Israel tried to keep it quiet about the crew being armed but I still have not seen it mentioned anywhere.

 

[Problem Child]

Azwed, you are right. I always thought they had weapons in the cockpit. Now I'm starting to doubt Ishmael's assertion. If they don't allow pilots to carry weapons in a secure cockpit, why would they allow the stewardesses to have them?


http://www.aicinc.com/jen/Pilots.asp

 

[Azwed]

I really don't think they would let the stewardesses have them because of a situation just like this.

A guy sneaks a knife aboard some how, a composite knife that cannot be detected by metal detector, and waits till a stewardess walks past him then jumps her/him from behind. Stabs her or whatever and then takes her gun. Now you have a much, much worse scenario then you did two minutes before.

 

[Problem Child]

I really don't think they would let the stewardesses have them because of a situation just like this.

A guy sneaks a knife aboard some how, a composite knife that cannot be detected by metal detector, and waits till a stewardess walks past him then jumps her/him from behind. Stabs her or whatever and then takes her gun. Now you have a much, much worse scenario then you did two minutes before.

It doesn't really make sense, not that I think about it. The Air Marshals are undercover, and according to the El Al website, there are up to five of them on each flight.

Aside from your scenario, why would they need to arm anyone else?

 

[Ishmael]

Thanks Ish. I think the fact that they've had all those evil guns onboard their planes for all these years pretty much rips the guts out of the "no guns on U.S. planes" argument.

I also wanted to add:

The BBC article was just updated and I notice that it says that El Al has had one successful hijacking, back in 1968 (maybe that was before they started being so well-armed?). They also have armed guards at their ticket counters.

Remember the dude that got ventilated by guards at the LAX ticket counter, last year I think it was?

Every El Al crew member is trained in small arms and carries same.

And you're right. It is not an advertised issue, but it isn't a deep dark secret either.

And '68 was the year that the 'new' policy went into effect.

Ishmael

 

[Azwed]

Even worse if the guy waits till the drink/food cart is being pushed down the aisle because now he has a movable bit of cover to shoot from behind.