Saudi Men Who Rode School Bus Arrested (Tampa, FL)

Tampa Bay Online ^ | May 20, 2006 | Keith Morelli

[STARWISE]

Two Saudi men were arrested Friday after they boarded a school bus and rode to Wharton High School in New Tampa.

Students on the bus became alarmed, as did the bus driver, who called ahead. Hillsborough County sheriff's deputies met the bus at the school and detained the men. No one was injured and nothing out of line occurred on the bus, deputies said.

Mana Saleh Almanajam, 23, who lives in Apt. 302 in The Point apartments, and Shaker Mohsen Alsidran, 20 Monticello Gardens, Apt. 304-A, each were charged with trespassing on school property. Both remained in Orient Road Jail on Friday evening. Bail for each was set at $250.

"Both defendants gave several versions of the reason they took a school bus to a high school," said Hillsborough County sheriff's spokesman J.D. Callaway.

"They said they wanted to go to Wharton to look around, and then they said they wanted to go there to have some fun, and then they said they wanted to enroll in the English classes there," Callaway said.

"We're not sure if this was a situation of them just being new to this country, or if they were confused or what it was," Callaway said. "We were unsure as to exactly what the final reason was, but it did cause great concern for the students on the bus and for us. One of the guys was wearing shorts with a black trench coat."

While on the bus, the men laughed and spoke in Arabic, Callaway said.

[Judith Anne]

Would this be why Mousarri said President Bush will release him? If you catch my drift......

I hadn't thought of that specifically until you mentioned it.

On the other hand, I can imagine a few counter threats that might render that one moot.

[Judith Anne]

Thanks. I appreciate hearing from someone else who remembers it the way I do.

[Cvengr]

Since they sought to be considered as little children, they should be treated as little children, without any privileges, and disciplined accordingly. They should be separated from the presence of those not in their age group and slowly taught how to behave properly. If it becomes apparent that they simply lied about their intentions, then they are criminals threatening the lives of children and families, attempting to promote a jihad.

The best solution might be for the legislature to actually vote a law into effect to have them executed by corporal punishment and their bodies or heads publicly displayed on pikes over the turnpike to dissuade any future recurrence.

[EBH]

That is my question too. Obviously the substitute screwed up. My sister-in-law drives a school bus. They all go through terror training these days. As she puts it, the safety check isn't just for mechanical reasons anymore, they look for tampering etc.

I emailed SIL, can't wait to read her response to this incident.

[ridesthemiles]

And why exactly are they in this country?"

AMEN

Shorts with a trench coat?

I can see something wrong with this picture, and I am just a bookkeeper...
What the hell do we have for Law Enforcement these days?
Sounds like at least the bus driver was smarter than any of them. A fine of $250???? There's more going on here, and someone has to get to the bottom of it all.
What;'s the next target??? A busload of school kids????

[processing please hold]

Confused, my eye! If they were merely confused, why do they have to tell a lie a minute? Get these skunks out of our country!

Dry run perhaps to see if it was doable.

[Cvengr]

Don't blame law enforcement. Ask the County DA why nothing more serious isn't held on them. If there weren't sufficient laws on the books to hold them to a higher charge, then it needs to be elevated to legislators.

[sgtbono2002]

You are correct. Paybacks are heel is the watchword in washington. We impeached theirs now they wont be happy until they destroy ours. the fact that Clinton was and is a POS of the highest order means nothing.

[bunnyfoofoo]

Saudi Intra-City Bus - near bottom of page

[A knight without armor]

"Here they are: "


Thank you for the pictures. They chill my blood.

I agree with the person who said the bus driver should have noticed they were strangers, told them to get off, when they did not the bus driver should have IMMEDIATELY ordered all the children off the bus and called the police.

The bus driver should be fired and I don't usually rush to say such a thing. But it is so basic that you'd never let a non-student ride on a school bus even no matter how American they are. The split second they don't get off, evacuate the kids and call 911.

I still don't get WHY they are here in the U.S.A.

And WHY would they lie about their nationality? Why in the world would they say they are from Morocco?

This is real life serious but it does remind me of the SNL Coneheads who told people they were from "France".

[Doctor Raoul]

Just a shake down cruise for a real school bus hijacking?

Bingo. And make the police and schools afraid to act quickly next time when it's the real thing.

[muawiyah]

? Poison?

Sounds more like a couple of Saudi "hillbillys".

Yup, they got 'em there too, only even more "country" than you can imagine.

As part of a student project "way back when" I introduced some new Saudi students to SNOW.

These fellows grew up chasing sheep out in the grasslands that pop up when it rains in the desert. A little bit of frostbite goes a long way in educating folks to the stern punishment really cold Midwestern snow can exert on your unprotected fingers.

A night in jail probably got them squared away on the whys and hows of NOT riding the yellow school buses!

[muawiyah]

They were telling lies to avoid losing face. Some Saudi tribes are like that.

Probably more than half of them anyway ~ definitely not Western in their outlook regarding public shame.

This may have been their first time to be embarrassed in public.

Most Freepers would have as much trouble in China. They'd come up with the "convenient lie" that allows you to save face, and you'd not go along with such nonsense. There'd be many nights in jail.

Worst job in the world has to be the US consul who bails American businessmen and tourists out of Far Eastern and Middle Eastern slammers.

[debg]

I would agree with you about the bus driver, but in this case, it was a substitute driver who most likely didn't know what to do other than call for help. More than likely, they will not be contracted to sub again.

Anyway, this scares the daylights outta me.

[Doctor Raoul]

Essentially it was, and I am paraphrasing, that this war would be fought on many many levels, some seen but most unseen.

True, I remember that too, and that this will be a ten year effort.

Meanwhile, the Washington Post and the New York Times are doing everything they can to help the enemy.

[muawiyah]

The real enemy forces are the Washington Post and the New York Times.

[Cindy]

I remember who you are taking about Judith Anne.

[Doctor Raoul]

The only thing I can say is that President Bush must have put the fear of God in the muzzie terrorists with a threat of retaliation so devastating they would prevent another domestic attack rather than commit one.

It was open season on American military and diplomatic personnel during the 90s. There was no price to pay for killing Americans.

Your belief is my belief, that terrorism will stop when the terrorists realize that no matter where and no matter how hard, someday an American Soldier or Marine, perhaps both, will kick in their door and kill them. Afgahnistan and Iraq were demonstrations that we can and will do it.

[singlemomofone]

"They were practicing something."

EXACTLY. This has been my fear for sometime. They know that the heart of America is our children. They know we will die for our children.

And they know that putting our children in harm's way is the the best way to gut us.

[Popman]