[TheOtherOne]

Understatement of the year:

"There's no big deal here," Hotard (American Airline spokesman) said. "It's just a guy who forgot his box cutter."

[Illbay]

If we keep on like this, the terrorists have WON.

[hispanarepublicana]

I'm curious about something. Are hand mirrors or mirrored compacts also banned? I'm flying soon and curious about this. I mean, break one and it makes a great weapon. If I find myself on a plane in a hijack situation, I'm not going down without implanting half my mirror in someone.

[Rome2000]

All your box cutters are belong to us!

[vikingchick]

More paranoid thoughts: They should check the bathrooms on the planes and past the security gates for weapons too. Somebody could tape one in there like they did in The Godfather.

[zeugma]

This is absolute lunacy. Has everyone gone completely insane???????

[supercat]

What's going to happen when someone discovers on a flight that a box of in-flight meals, napkins, or something wasn't sliced open before takeoff?

[Tarheel]

...."There's no big deal here," Hotard said. "It's just a guy who forgot his box cutter."......

Under what rock has this American Airlines employee been hiding for the last twenty days? Not only is this remark insensitive it shows a complete disdain for the heightened state of alert that we all find ourselves this last few weeks.

Does this guy really deserve a job as a SPOKESMAN? He is a public relations nightmare!

The Tarheel

[dalebert]

Well now we know who put box cutters on planes. Do I trust that employee? No way.

[RasterMaster]

Perhaps they should screen their EMPLOYEES????!

[abner]

They were probably waiting for the offending box cutter to get up and attack all 220 passengers simultaneously. Oh, the horror!

If we are that afraid of box cutters, what will we do when they get a hold of a broken glass, or God forbid a car?!!!?

The stupidity of this whole thing has really ticked me off. I keep telling people, "They highjacked 4 planes with box cutters. Think of the implications of this." I usually get the answer, "But, we were taught to comply with hijackers. Thats why this happened."

Give me a break, and think for yourselves people!

Rant over, FReepers not included.

[dr_who]

Voila. "Zero Tolerance America".

[Mulder]

Paranoia and fear abound. If a freakin' box cutter is enough to cause a airline to land one of there planes, then it's no wonder the terrorists think they can defeat us.

If the pilots had been carrying guns, this would not have been an incident. The plane would have continued en route to Hawaii, and the feds could have done their questioning there.

[SpaceBar]

The United States is at war. Nuff said.

[B Knotts]

In addition to the obvious idiocy of diverting a flight because someone left a box cutter on the airplane (hint: no one will ever successfully hijack an airliner with a box cutter for the next 20 years, at least), this also points out how stupid the banning of nail clippers and plastic knives is.

We don't even know that the hijackers brought their "weapons" through security. It is entirely possible that their box cutters were placed onboard through this very channel (caterers).

But, all this crap is just for show, anyhow. Don't think we don't know that. If they were serious about stopping terrorists, they'd let the pilots arm themselves and they'd let CCW holders carry onboard with frangible ammo.

[Lazamataz]

I'd say we are about 20 miles into Overreaction City.

[Snuffington]

Terrorism in not an excuse for idiocy.

[cinFLA]

"There's no big deal here," Hotard said. "It's just a guy who forgot his box cutter."

I thought box cutters were banned at airports! Seriously, I bet the terrorists knew of the widespread use of boxcutters by these workers.

[Tench_Coxe]

I never thought to see the day when every stockboy across the United States was to become a potential terrorist.

[PatrioticAmerican]

A flight crew diverted a flight after the they discoverd their shadows. Pictures at 11:00, if they aren't too scary.