Man has knife; airport concourse emptied

http://www.cnn.com ^

[ATOMIC_PUNK]

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (AP) -- A concourse at the New Orleans international airport was evacuated for nearly two hours Sunday after a passenger was found with a knife.

The man apparently was unfamiliar with airport security rules and meant no harm, airport spokeswoman Michelle Duffourc said. The utility knife was discovered as the man went through screening at the gate before boarding United flight 1482 to Washington, said federal Department of Transportation spokesman Roland Herwig.

[otterpond]

This is stupid overreaction.That's how you can tell that the government is in charge.

[FR_addict]

They released the guy's name in Atlanta that had gone to retrieve his camera, but they wont release this guy's name and nationality and he was traveling with 25 other men on Easter Sunday???

[FreedomPoster]

I carry this just about everywhere I go,

and carried it on numerous commercial flights before 9/11. Knives aren't the issue. The people we let in our country, and on our aircraft, are.

[TomGuy]

The man's name and nationality were not released.

Of course, not.

The man apparently was unfamiliar with airport security rules and meant no harm.

Of course, not.

Airport spokeswoman Michelle Duffourc, "psssttt...are they buying it?"

[meyer]

I was going to say, I used to carry a pocket knife just about everywhere. I haven't flown since last August, so I'm not ready to test the waters.

Question: is it a federal offense to have a pocket knife in the airport? Seriously. Felony or misdemeanor? Just wondering if anybody knows.

[RightOnline]

Ridiculous.

[Visalia]

Why not evacuate the whole of Louisiana for Pete sake?

[RightOnline]

Neither. They'll just confiscate it. That's right..........they'll confiscate anything that some dimwit, $8-an-hour wonder deems "dangerous" and you'll never see it again. They won't send it to you.....hold it for you......check it through....etc. They just take it and throw it into a box.........undoubtedly to be divvied up among the so-called "security personnel" later after their shifts are up. Tools.....knives........nail clippers.......anything. That is a fact.

[white trash redneck]

Knives aren't the issue. The people we let in our country, and on our aircraft, are.

Couldn't have been said more eloquently.

[Moonmad27]

Forget his nationality - what PLANET was he from that he was unaware of the current airport security rules? If they mentioned nationality, it probably isn't plain vanilla American. Like FR_addict, I also want to know why he was traveling with 25 other men.

[grumpster-dumpster]

MAN HAS PITA BREAD SANDWICH!
Concourse emptied!
Film at 11

Man talk about over-reaction!

[marktwain]

This has gone beyond stupid to insane.

[grumpster-dumpster]

I agree! Take the knife away from him and let everybody go about their business! If this keeps up...the terrorists will have won at least a minor victory!

[The Duke]

We are stupid.

[randog]

He and about 25 men he was traveling with...

Basketball team?

[FourPeas]

Question: is it a federal offense to have a pocket knife in the airport?

Fifteen years ago, my husband was convicted of a misdemeanor for trying to take an army survival knife (in a carry-on garment bag) past security in an airport. He'd previously carried it through at least once before without any problems. It's on his record as Violating Airport Rules. FWIW

[diegodeigh]

Probably returning from a golf trip.

[Vidalia]

"This is stupid overreaction. That's how you can tell that the government is in charge."

Sir, did you say "In charge?" Since when have THEY ever really been in charge of anything since WWII? And the keywords should be..."Effectively in charge". They have never been in charge effectively in cases like this, only private firms have been proven to be "effective". But, then again, those are only facts, oddities to the gubmint geniuses.