Airline Passenger Says Concerns Ignored (Muslim testing airline security?)

myfoxphilly.com ^ | Jan. 27, 2010

[Free ThinkerNY]

A South Jersey woman got the scare of her life when she tried to report suspicious activity on board a plane Philadelphia International Airport.

The woman shared details of her terrifying ordeal only with Fox 29 News on Wednesday.

Now, she's wondering if it was some kind of sick joke or a test run for a terrorist.

Fox 29's Dave Schratwieser reported that 12 days after her red-eye flight from Los Angeles, the US Airways passenger is still upset over an incident on her flight, the reaction to it by the flight crew, and the lack of reaction from authorities.

"I was trembling, and I was just completely frightened," said the mother of three.

She won 't soon forget her latest US Airways flight from L.A. to Philadelphia after she encountered a passenger on board who scared the daylights out of her.

"He starts talking to himself. Then he goes, 'Detroit, huh-huh-huh,' like that, and it was really, really frightening," she said.

The woman, who asked to remain anonymous, said the passenger was Muslim and repeatedly made a reference to the latest terrorism incident in Detroit on Christmas Day with the so called "underwear bomber."

The passenger immediately told a flight attendant, who then told the pilot before the plane even left the gate.

What the flight attendant said next shocked the passenger: "'The pilot has asked me to ask you if you think we should leave the gate.' And I looked at her, and I said, 'What?'"

The woman told Fox 29 News no one from the flight crew spoke to the man or investigated further. Then, the pilot made a call to the flight attendant.

[Vigilanteman]

What's to stop Islamofacists from dressing up like Catholic nuns to smuggle explosives aboard?

Is anyone advocating that Catholic nuns get to skip preboarding airport security? I think all that is being requested here is taking threats seriously and spending 60 seconds or so talking with the source to determine if it is real.

[cynwoody]

1. Use your cell phone to record video/audio of the event.
2. Speak quietly to a flight attendant.
3. Speak quietly to another flight attendant.
4. Speak to other passengers. Use their eyes and ears also.
5. Smile and ask the perp, “Are you travelling to Detroit? [Smile] My Aunt Sally lives in Detroit. [Smile] Would you like to hear about my grandchildren? Are you a Lions fan?”

6. Smile and ask the perp, "Was Muhammad a child molester?"

[mouse1]

My gut feeling is all these minor incidents are just a distraction. Something big on the horizon. Hope all you freepers are stocked up on food, water, bible, amo etc. Scarey times we live in.

[Cindy]

“Sure, you can leave, but let me off first.”
Ditto.

[Cindy]

Thank you for the ping Vel.

[Tzfat]

I don’t think the captain was asking her to make the decision. I think he was testing the strength of her “hunch” or suspicion. If you’re not willing to miss your connection or get to your destination a little late, you must not feel so threatened.

You are correct. Another thing missed on this thread, the Captain should NEVER go back and deal with a suspicious passenger. This is AGAINST procedure.

[Tzfat]

A prudent pilot would have at least talked to the guy in question. A better one would have had him removed from the flight.

Wrong. The flight crew is not to deal with suspicious passengers. It is AGAINST procedure.

[RinaseaofDs]

That the pilot made the passenger into a terrorism expert is the problem here. Frankly, I’m sorry that the airline has to be the second to last line of defense. The Israelis would be assassinating these folks much prior to one of them having the opportunity to arrive at an airport.

Here in the US, they are just another potential democrat voting bloc, so here’s a pillow and some peanuts, and have a nice flight.

Having said all that, leaving ‘Go/No Go’ decisions to some slob in 18F isn’t the way to pilot an aircraft. The airline, again, made the passenger the LAST line of defense - again.

The goodwill US AIR built with Sullenberger just went out the window with Captain ‘No Go’ here in my opinion.

[nw_arizona_granny]

Thanks for the ping, you are correct “testing’...........