Comments on: Flying the Friendly Skies

By: ChrisPer

ChrisPer — Tue, 10 Aug 2004 09:53:44 +0000

It is clear that ‘reasonable regulation’ goes with the RKBA. However, until 911 I could and did travel with folding knives up to 4” blades, no trouble, no risk. After the examples of the heroic passengers who counterattacked, I think we would be better issuing such a tool to EVERY single passenger, and rehearsing CT takedowns after the seat-belt demo and before the lifejackets! We probably have more passengers killed by terrorists in the last 4 decades than have been saved by lifejackets.

By: rea

rea — Mon, 09 Aug 2004 16:12:06 +0000

“What gives the govt the power to prevent me from defending family and property with a weapon of choice? Ever heard of the second amendment?” So if, hypothetically, a routine traffic stop led to the discovery of someone with a nuclear weapon in a suitcase, a block from the Capitol, the Constitution in your view would require the police to apologize and send the person on his or her way? The point is, there’s no sensible interpretation of the Constitution that does not permit reasonable regulation of bearing arms. Heck, the word “regulated” even appears in the 2nd amendment.

By: Frank Wilhoit

Frank Wilhoit — Sun, 08 Aug 2004 03:19:41 +0000

This is too stupid. Whatever she was, BUY HER AN EFFING TICKET. CUT HER AN EFFING BOARDING PASS. Handle the accounting later. The last thing you want is this kind of slapstick.

By: Brian G

Brian G — Sun, 08 Aug 2004 01:48:08 +0000

Hippocopter, “compelling state interest” allows the govt to prevent you from acquiring any kind of weapon you choose. Liberals had nothing to do with it, it was J Edgar Hoover and company. But I’d love to get your opinions on the matter the next time you’re in a sporting goods store and a group of cleancut young arab men are browsing for shotguns and assault rifles, and paying with credit cards. I’m sure you’ll crap your pants like Annie Jacobson.

By: Telford

Telford — Sat, 07 Aug 2004 21:44:06 +0000

Yup, Annie got her gun.

By: praktike

praktike — Sat, 07 Aug 2004 21:14:42 +0000

Bet it was Annie Jacobsen.

By: hippocopter

hippocopter — Sat, 07 Aug 2004 20:35:40 +0000

I would feel safer if all airline passengers were armed. Then just let those terrorists try anything funny…”Taste my steel, Mohammed!” What gives the govt the power to prevent me from defending family and property with a weapon of choice? Ever heard of the second amendment? Since nanny-state liberals outlawed guns on planes, only terrorists have guns!

By: Jason

Jason — Sat, 07 Aug 2004 17:04:01 +0000

I’m sure she was authorized as well, but the disturbing thing to me is that the FA let an armed person on board based on a piece of paper they didn’t recognize.

By: Alan

Alan — Sat, 07 Aug 2004 16:40:18 +0000

Was the yellow paper torn haphazardly from a legal pad, with gum folded into one corner? “Pls allow Lucy to fly with her gun today. She is a police officer. Also, she would like an extra pretzel. Sincerely, Lucy’s Mom.”

By: Kieran Healy

Kieran Healy — Sat, 07 Aug 2004 16:31:48 +0000

Now, I think it would have been better if she had not drawn attention to herself, but that is another issue. She didn’t want to draw attention to herself. I’m sure she was authorized to carry the weapon, and the yellow paper was part of that. It was just funny that the attendant was taken by surprise by the whole thing.

By: Cranky Observer

Cranky Observer — Sat, 07 Aug 2004 14:34:01 +0000

Various people other than air marshalls are authorized to carry firearms on board commercial aircraft. Presumably she was notifying the flight crew that she was in such a situation. Now, I think it would have been better if she had not drawn attention to herself, but that is another issue. Cranky

By: Barry

Barry — Sat, 07 Aug 2004 12:42:08 +0000

Or that she was a police officer. The point of letting the flight attendant know about the passenger being armed was to avoid a problem, if the flight attendant got a glimpse of a gun.

By: enzo

enzo — Sat, 07 Aug 2004 12:16:40 +0000

Couldn’t that woman have been one of those ‘air marshals’? It would be quite odd on a small commuter jet, but what other explanations can you think of?

By: John Baptist

John Baptist — Sat, 07 Aug 2004 11:16:22 +0000

That sounds like a great technique. Instead of spending lots of money on airline tickets, I’ll just tell the guy at the gate that I’m armed. I’m sure they’ll let me sit down without much trouble.

By: RobotSlave

RobotSlave — Sat, 07 Aug 2004 10:55:15 +0000

Moreover, it seems the Stalinist blog-commenting software they use here at CT won’t let me re-post my initial comment to its proper place. So, screw it. Deal with my previous “weird” comment on your own. It’s up to you to figure out where it was supposed to go, and what it was supposed to address.