What's wrong with people that they don't know what to do when someone shows up with a weapon? How about at least calling airport security, if not the police? This reminds me of an article that appeared in a local newspaper today:
Are we raising a bunch of idiots? http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700069205/Are-we-raising-a-bunch-of-idiots.html - Trevor On 9/28/2010 4:18 PM, George Antunes wrote: > [a little news of the weird.] > > Armed men in black create a ripple at Mineta San Jose International Airport > > By Sharon Noguchi > San Jose Mercury News > > Updated: 09/27/2010 07:44:01 AM PDT > > http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_16181812?source=most_viewed > > > Just before 3 p.m. Saturday, a white Chevy Blazer pulled up to the > arrival curb outside Terminal A at Mineta San Jose International > Airport. Two men dressed in black parked the SUV, switched on its hazard > lights and approached the information desk to inquire about American > Airlines Flight 1205 from Dallas. Both carried assault rifles strapped > across their chests, with handguns in their holsters. > > A volunteer at the desk politely told them the plane was due at 3:02 > p.m. And another volunteer asked one of the armed men, "Are you one of > the people who ride on the plane" looking for terrorists? "No," he replied. > > Then the pair casually waited near the escalator that ferries travelers > to the luggage carousels. > > "I wondered if they were going to shoot somebody coming off the plane," > one volunteer said. She resolved to dive under her desk if that happened. > > Still, she was worried. "I didn't know if this was proper, if people are > allowed to walk into an airport with assault rifles and just stand there." > > It appears that airport travelers that day either figured the pair's > mission was benign, or perhaps thought they were part of a ninja movie. > San Jose police said they received no calls inquiring about the men with > rifles. > > Simply leaving a bag unattended for a few minutes can cause airport > security guards to panic. But apparently it isn't illegal to carry > weapons into the nonsecure areas of Mineta San Jose Airport -- or most > other U.S. airports. > > The two volunteers -- who asked not to be named because airport > officials did not give them permission to speak publicly -- said they > were unsure what to do. > > After 15 years of assisting in the terminal, they said, they know what > to do when someone loses an ATM card (call 911), when passengers' rides > don't show up (lend them a cell phone) and when handed prohibited > carry-on items (mail the items to the passengers' homes). But they had > received no training on how to handle heavily armed visitors. > > A parking control officer at the airport asked his supervisor what he > should do. > > The response, according to one of the volunteers: "Next time that > happens, have one of them sit in the car while the other one comes in." > The airport prohibits unattended cars at the curb, especially under the > current orange alert level. > > Soon, the armed pair greeted another man wearing a baseball cap after he > descended the escalator. Together they picked up about a half-dozen > pieces of luggage, loaded them into the white SUV and drove off. > > It turns out the men with the assault rifles were from Lawrence > Livermore National Laboratory and were meeting another security staffer > returning from assignment, lab spokesman Don Johnston said. > > San Jose police and airport officials, who were unaware of the armed > greeting until questioned by the Mercury News on Sunday, said protocol > is for a law enforcement agency to give notice when sending armed > personnel into another agency's jurisdiction, according to police Lt. > Mike Sullivan. > > An airport videotape showed the men in the baggage area for seven or > eight minutes, airport spokesman David Vossbrink said. > > Johnston said that it isn't unusual, especially on weekends, for > Lawrence security guards to meet personnel at airports. And yes, he > said, the security staff members dress in what police call "battle dress > uniforms": dark clothing with logos that are difficult to see. > > In a flurry of phone calls Sunday afternoon, San Jose police and the > U.S. Department of Energy worked out a clear notification protocol, > Sullivan said. > > That left one of the volunteers relieved, yet incredulous. > > "I couldn't believe," she said, "that man was so valuable it took two > men with assault rifles to escort him to Livermore." > _______________________________________________ Medianews mailing list [email protected] http://lists.etskywarn.net/mailman/listinfo/medianews
