Posted on 04/30/2009 1:00:54 PM PDT by george76
When pirates attacked the cruise ship MSC Melody on Saturday, the captain was making small talk at the bar. Passengers ...were the first to defend the ship and they are now criticizing the crew, who have been portrayed as heroes.
The captain was relaxed as he enjoyed a drink at the bar ...chatting ... The women asked him if the bands of marauding pirates posed a problem for the cruise. Never, the experienced seaman told them. After all, the ship was far -- 1,000 sea miles -- away from the Somali coast ... It was unimaginable, virtually impossible even, that flip-flop wearing pirates could attack them here.
But the small talk came to an abrupt end. According to eyewitnesses, two passengers came screaming into the bar and gesticulated wildly as they addressed the captain. A speed boat had appeared at the stern and several armed men were preparing to board the cruise ship... One was already trying to scale the vessel. Several passengers were desperately grabbing deck chairs and tables and hurling them down at the men trying to board the ship.
That's when the first shots were fired. It was also the point at which the captain understood what was happening -- his ship was being attacked by pirates.
The fact that the cruise ship's crew were armed apparently surprised the pirates...
Without hesitation, passengers began to grab whatever they could find around them. "We immediately began throwing tables and deck chairs at the rope," said Tayler. One hit a pirate scaling it. He fell off ...
they are certain that the fact that chairs and tables were thrown at the pirates saved the ship.
more than a few passengers are irritated by the captain's posturing, and they in no way view him as a hero.
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
If I ever win a cruise in the Indian Ocean, I’ll pass on it.
Not trying to encourage violence or anything but seeing as I doubt you can carry a weapon on a cruise ship.....A can of hairspray and a lighter makes a handy blowtorch....LOL
I'd say let the passengers try skeet shooting with slugs off the ship's stern.
Boil up some of the leftover cooking oil and dump it on them.
A variation on the old gag: First prize, an Indian Ocean cruise; second prize, two Indian Ocean cruises; etc.
Nice.... get Medieval on their Somali buttocks!!
hot liquids? coffee, tea, fry vat oils from the brunch lines...
Yes, well, maybe it should low in trans fats?
shooting slugs with slugs.
“gesticulated wildly”
I hate it when that happens!
Hooray for the passengers!
Molotov cocktails would certainly liven up things on the average pirate ship. Pretty easy to make.
I think he meant "inconceivable."
Crazy glue their butts closed!
This attitude represents the purely Moslem component of this thing and illustrates why it is not enough to "fend off" pirates or ever kill them on their boats. Their ports and their towns should be destroyed.It has to be clear that Allah does not will for piracy to be profitable in loot or in dead infidels.
I'm for that defense too.
Are you kidding? Do you know how much they charge for drinks on those ships?
-PJ
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