Posted on 08/12/2004 8:18:27 PM PDT by hedgetrimmer
The boats she's been on are rumored to have a 38 and two bullets somewhere in the captains quarters, usually. In general, the industry seems to eschew firearms because of liability fears....seems officers and crew are expendible.
Isn't this just about the same deal as arming the airline pilots?
Jeez, the MM officers are a smart bunch: I'm certain they could handle and maintain a couple significant deck guns. They're freakin' engineers and pilots!
Sorry to get back late but I saw the article on the meteor showers here on FR and went outside to watch & then went to bed.
I sailed US Flag- bomb ships (Viet Nam), passenger, break bulk, refined petroleum tanker, crude oil, Liquified gas, container ship (including desert storm). Sailed master (captain) on tanker and container ship. Had a great carreer, loved it, glad to be home for good.
A more nuanced and sensitive reaction to piracy, yeah, that's the ticket.
Hey chief, I need a lamp for my deadlight and I've lost those ball bearings you gave me except for the one I broke.
My husband had been in the industry for over 30 years now, from entry level to management. He has had numerous Hazmat classes and now severeal Homeland Security Classes. I have never heard him say they did any arms training at all. He is a Navy veteran and can handle a gun, but I've never heard him say there was a gun on any boat he was on. He has probably been on a thousand boats in his career and they never needed that kind of protection until 9-11. Even on the Mississippi River they could be at risk now. I know for sure that we occassionally have stowaways on board the various ships coming from overseas. There have even been a few groups of 20 or more stoways. Kinda scary.
On a tanker I used to work on, one of our guys actually sent in a requisition that included, among other things, 3- 5 gal. buckets of wheel wash. After the purchasing department spent days looking for it, somebody asked our VP of Marine Ops, a retired Capt. (all the office pukes were terrifed of him) He came down to the boat and told us about it, we all had a big laugh over it, then he said don't ever F*$@#!N do that again.
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