Missing Flight Attendant's Uniform Creates High Alert

Click on Detroit WDIV ^ | 10:21 a.m. EDT September 25, 2002

[fivecatsandadog]

A stolen flight attendant's uniform has police on guard. A United Airline's flight attendant had the day off Saturday and decided to take in a Tiger game. While she watched the game, someone broke into her 1999 Chevy Blazer, Local 4 reported.

Missing from the vehicle are a number of items important enough to put federal and local law enforcement agencies on high alert.

The missing uniform, stolen from the woman's SUV, could lead to a serious breach in airport security.

A police bulletin obtained by Local 4 alerts officers around the city to be on the lookout for the woman's stolen United Airlines uniform, flight identification card, and airline handbook, which gives details on all United Airlines planes.

The local FBI office confirms that they're aware of the situation.

Sources tell Local 4 that once authorities learned the items were stolen, federal alert teams were sent to airports in Atlanta, New York, and metro Detroit.

A United Airlines spokesperson told Local 4 that "the airline, the airport, and the transportation security administration have a number of redundant security measures that would prevent anyone other than an actual airlines employee from gaining access to a secure area of the airport."

Metro Airport officials told Local 4 that if someone tried to use the stolen badge and uniform, they would still have to get through a security screening.

Detroit police are charged with trying to find the stolen items. They continue to search dumpsters in the area, vacant houses and apartment buildings for the stolen items.

[fivecatsandadog]

Halloween costume?

[meenie]

The airport screeners should be on the lookout for a masculine looking attendant with a heavy beard carrying a large purse containing C-4 explosive. The alert status should be elevated to red,red, purple,green over and out.

[calvin sun]

LOL: a poorly worded headline

What actually is the situation:
- the flight attendant is still around, but the uniform has disappeared
- the flight attendant has disappeared, but the uniform is there

Obviously they mean the former, but the headline could imply the latter as well.

[TamiPie]

Was her SUV locked? Was her uniform laying out in full view so someone outside can see it?

[steve-b]

the flight attendant is still around, but the uniform has disappeared

Must... resist... jokes....

[Wright is right!]

"...and airline handbook, which gives details on all United Airlines planes."

Uh, yes ... and no. The FA's airline handbook contains ONLY those details which would be useful to FA's on company aircraft. For instance, it tells the FA what the company-approved safety-briefing verbiage is. It tells them how to work stuff in the galleys. It has instructions on how to play a movie. And it has some other arcana that would be of utterly NO use to anyone wishing to temporarily start his own airline.

This manual is the very least of their worries. You could find the same sort of stuff online thru a Google search.

Michael

[fivecatsandadog]

Article says the SUV was "broken into", so sounds like it was locked. Not in the report, but I can imagine that the uniform was hanging from one of those hooks over a backseat window. Still seems weird, tho, like someone knew where to go and what to take. A kid looking for a Halloween costume wouldn't bother with the book, ID, etc..

[wattsmag2]

Hmmmmm, does that stewardess have a five o'clock shadow?

[fivecatsandadog]

It tells them how to work stuff in the galleys.. ok, so while everyone is on the lookout for M.E. men, the AQ cells slip in a few female sympathizers impersonating flight attendants. If they can't get a bomb, gun or knife on board, maybe they'll try something else - a small vial of ??? to mix in the coffee, tea, or ??. Wasn't there something about a week ago about the possibility of terrorists carrying liquid explosive on board a flight in a coffee cup? Tinfoil alert: chartreuse

[tracer]

Not to worry. The scraggly beard, vile odor, and loyal swarm of flies will make it easy to "make" Abdul or Ahmed as they seek to board an aircraft.....

[tracer]

And the same applies to their female colleagues......

[joesnuffy]

Basso Profuno: "Hi my name is Omar" Sqeeky high falsetto: "and I will be your terrorist stewardess tonight"..

[MarineDad]

The turban...did they get THE TURBAN, too?!?

[pyx]

The airport screeners should be on the lookout for a masculine looking attendant with a heavy beard carrying a large purse containing C-4 explosive.

I know you were only joking above but, given that there have been 19 year old FEMALE suicide (homicide) bombers and given the very large moslem population around the Detroit area, the humor is somehow eluding me.

[mhking]

[fivecatsandadog]

oh my.....

[fivecatsandadog]

it's Aunt Esther!

[freddy]

Are the government and police as stupid as they make themselves out to be..??

All over this country, there are "Uniform" stores both wholesale(big dealers) and retail(smaller stores)...
They sell every kind of uniform you can imagine to anyone who can walk thru the door...
They have all the emblems, patches, logos, etc... from all major security firms, police depts, government agencies, etc...
Whats the big deal..??

[mountaineer]

while everyone is on the lookout for M.E. men, the AQ cells slip in a few female sympathizers impersonating flight attendants.

Be on the lookout for a flight attendant wearing a head scarf.

[fivecatsandadog]

The uniform was just frosting on the cake. The ID and, possibly, the handbook are the main event.