Posted on 08/21/2024 5:10:59 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Plus a further 200 delays, rockstars knocked off stage … all on a holiday weekend
Thirty-six flights were cancelled at Japan's New Chitose airport on Saturday after a pair of scissors went missing.
Japanese media report that retail outlets at the airport – which serves the regional city of Chitose on Japan's northernmost island, Hokkaido – are required to store scissors in a locker. When staff need to cut something, they withdraw the scissors and then replace them after they're done snipping.
But last Saturday, an unnamed retailer at the airport was unable to find a pair of scissors. A lengthy search ensued, during which security checks for incoming passengers were paused for at least two hours.
Chaos ensued as queues expanded, passengers were denied entry, and airport authorities scrambled to determine whether the scissors had been swiped by somebody with malicious intent.
The incident saw over 200 flights delayed, and 36 cancelled altogether. The mess meant some artists didn't appear at a music festival.
Japan stops measuring train crowding by ease of newspaper readership Ridesharing makes new and unique mess in Japan's taxi industry Japanese space agency spotted zero-day attacks while cleaning up raid on M365 Japan's digital minister declares victory against floppy disks Happily, the scissors were eventually found – in the very same shop from which they had gone missing, and not in the hands of someone nefarious. But it took time for authorities to verify the scissors were the missing cutters and not another misplaced pair.
The incident could scarcely have come at a worse time, as last weekend coincided with the Obon festival – during which it is traditional to honor one's ancestors, often by travelling home to be with family.
An airport essentially shutting down instead of sending people places was more than inconvenient at such a moment.
At least cutting code, or cutting cords, couldn't be blamed for the mess: this one was entirely a real-world problem. ®
For lost scissors, they should just go look in my kid’s rooms. That is where I always find them. And none of them have lived with us for 10 years. They hoarded all the scissors always.
How Japanese.
My mom had the best scissors! They were great for school projects. Unfortunately, they were also her sewing scissors and she would get so upset when we used them for other purposes. I always wondered why she didn’t just buy us a pair. Years later she told me those were “expensive” and she was lucky to have that pair. We were rather poor growing up although we didn’t realize it at the time.
If running with scissors is bad, just imagine how much worse flying with them would be.
I’ve got the bird handled ones...somewhere.
what?
When I boarded the domestic flight I asked if they would like to secure my scissors as well. They said no.
Japan takes scissor security seriously.
This is silly. Even two weeks after 911, the airlines had stainless steel knives with first class meals.
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Aliens took the scissors, because CERTAINLY the children did not.
Or lefty safety scissors?
Nothing can ruin a day like a socket in an engine inlet....
I remember flying with my 8” fillet knife with my carryon fishing pole. Never had an issue until the lovely diversity struck on 9-11
Internationally it was quite a different story.
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