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Anorak News | Plane Stupid

Plane Stupid

by | 17th, December 2004

”DID you pack this bag yourself?’ asks the customs official at the airport. You remember that you’re carrying presents wrapped by others. You hesitate.

‘It’s bin Laden, B-I-N…’

And then – Whammo! – you’re on an altogether different flight – this one’s going to a holiday camp in Cuba, where you’ll be living in a small cage with a number of men in orange suits.

So, please take care to study the Sun’s story which reports how travellers at Stansted Airport are being asked to rid their bags of explosive crackers or risk the consequences.

And do not make a joke about it. The Mail describes how 16-year-old Ryan Sherwin’s attempts at gallows humour went awry when he was at Manchester Airport.

As the lad prepared to fly to Malaga with his mum, aunt and 13-year-old cousin for a break, he considered his hand luggage, turned to his aunt and quipped: ‘There better not be a bomb in this or I will get battered.’

Moments later, he was surrounded by armed police and security guards.

Ryan was duly bumped from the flight and told that he and his would never be allowed to fly with the carrier bmibaby again.

Mum was not best pleased. ‘If an adult was walking around saying, ‘I’ve got a bomb in my bag’ then fair enough, arrest him, but my son wasn’t doing that,’ says he.

‘They should be able to spot the difference between terrorists and a child.’

Sadly, that is not always so easy and terrorists rarely advertise their plot to destroy a plane just before boarding it.

It tends to spoil the surprise.’



Posted: 17th, December 2004 | In: Tabloids Comment | TrackBack | Permalink