Three elderly people with knives arrested at Palm Beach airport

Drudge | April 4, 2002 | AP

[SLB]

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - (AP) -- Three passengers in their 70s were arrested and later released in separate incidents at Palm Beach International Airport for allegedly trying to board flights while carrying knives.

Security screeners found the knives in carry-on luggage during routine checks early Wednesday, airport sheriff's deputies said.

Authorities charged each traveler with carrying a concealed weapon, a first-degree misdemeanor that carries a penalty of up to a year in the county jail and a $1,000 fine. The FBI declined to press federal charges.

According to sheriff's records, Harold Shepard, 71, of New York, told deputies he was not carrying knives. Officers said they arrested Shepard after finding a knife with a 7 ½-inch blade in a box that was taped shut. He was later released from jail on $250 bond.

In the other incidents, Elizabeth Napleton, 76, of Illinois, and Stanley Reinhart, 79, of California, were issued notices to appear in court and allowed to board their flights. Authorities did not release their hometowns.

Napleton told deputies that she had meant to check the briefcase containing the knives, but later decided to bring it on the plane, authorities said.

Reinhart was stopped while carrying a steak knife with a 5-inch blade packed in his shaving kit, authorities said. Reinhart said he had just driven across the country and had kept the knife to cut his food while he was staying in hotels.

[thrcanbonly1]

Subject: solution

Federal Aviation Agency 800 Independence Avenue S.W. Washington D.C. 20591

Dear Sirs;

I have the solution for the prevention of hijackings, and at the same time getting our airline industry back on its feet.
Since men of the Muslim religion are not allowed to look at naked women we should replace all of our female flight attendants with strippers.
Muslims would be afraid to get on the planes for fear of seeing a naked woman, and of course, everyone in this country would start flying again in hope of seeing a naked woman.
We would have no more hijackings, and the airline industry would have record sales.
Now why didn't Congress think of this?

[areafiftyone]

Of course, brainiac here wore a navy blazer with brass buttons home for Easter. That got me time in line and a feel-up by the local gendarme

Don't feel so bad. I wore a pair of jeans with a metal button and had to step out of line in LaGuardia while the national guard was watching and get hand scanned. Its not something I like. Even though I am getting flamed and insulted like crazy here I am enjoying the discussion.

[steve-b]

LOL -- maybe they thought it was Election Day and they needed the knives in case their chads hung.

[Just another Joe]

That being said I'm not sure all of our new airport security measure are necessary or even helpful.

You ain't just whistling dixie there, bub.
Going out of Killeen, Texas they confiscated the insides to my zippo lighter.
I saw Bic lighters and matches go through with no problems but the insides to my zippo were verboten.
Lunacy? YES!

[KEVLAR]

Respectfully, I do not believe the government has a responsibility to secure airports. If we secure the borders and not allow terrorists into the country to begin with we wouldn't have to waste money securing airports.

[steve-b]

Judging from the latest reports, the nutjobs can still get knives in (or have plants in the cleaning crew get them in).

Passing out a blackjack to anybody who wants one before the flight would do a lot more for security than the Kabuki Theater being played out at the airport checkpoints.

[Deguello]

This PC crap that is controling the country has got to stop. Common sense has to put back into Law Enforcement.

It will take a "Friend of the Court" to move through the Appellate Court towards the Supreme Court to rule is this is Constitutional or not.

This PC crap that is controling the airport security could be the down-fall of our Constitutional system. Any Court can rule against the current PC system, but they have their own aggenda and will not do so.

I personally do not believe that this PC stuff is actually law but is policy. Policy is not law and is not enforceable by the Courts.

[scottiewottie]

Do you have a chip in your brain? You offered the most ridiculous extention of my argument, that all of us need a wild west show on our commute to LAX. Sorry, that is insulting. Your "nutjobs" was presented with no qualification. My interpretation was totally justified that you, even if it was not intentional, consider my idea of some armed security aboard as "nutjob". Again insulting, and the very thing you riled against.

Now, don't take it personal. I did not mind being insulted at all. What I do mind is those that dish it out, and then claim that others doing the same are weakening their argument.

[areafiftyone]

Judging from the latest reports, the nutjobs can still get knives in

You are right about that. I agree. It seems like this is a no-win situation.

[scottiewottie]

LOL! Yes, the "b" word was for entertainment purposes only! Promise!

[Wurlitzer]

"It's not a mantra, it's the truth. "

Well my friend, lets just respectfully disagree on this issue. After we have surrendered our rights in the "Name of security, or in the Name of Safety, or for the children" who will protect us from the government? History tells us that governments cannot and should not be trusted. If not keep as small as possible, they become the evil we dread.

If the government performed the tasks assigned by the Constitution and adhered to the limits placed on it, maybe they might have protected our boarders and kept this human rag head debris out of the country.

They didn't and their answer and yours I guess, is lets go after Mr. & Mrs. US Citizen and remove their nail clippers.

In the last week, there were 2 murders in the slum city near where I live. Gee the government was not there to protect them. Hmmmmmm, I guess the surrendering of liberties did not help these people. If they only had a gun, but in NYS you are almost considered a criminal if you want a gun .

[areafiftyone]

My interpretation was totally justified that you, even if it was not intentional, consider my idea of some armed security aboard as "nutjob

Apparently you are not reading all my responses to other people. I absolutely believe in armed security - I believe Pilots should be armed and also we need Air Marshalls on board. I do believe in the right to bear arms. But You still are taking this personally and I can't help you there.

[scottiewottie]

I am with you, I think the current "feel good" security at airports is a waste of money and I agree that other measures than airport security are far more effective.

[Lumberjack]

Yes, it is a different world now. My question is, since when did free men start allowing government to define the shape of the "world", and why do they continue to accept it?

[mamelukesabre]

"I use an 16 inch 1898 Turkish baynet to dig up weeds in my yard. I tell the neighbors that it is a mail-order gardening tool. My 65 year old Mom wants one."


That's hillarious!
Yes, older people never thought anything of keeping knives around for all purposes. Even on their persons and in their cars....everywhere. My grandpa had a whole bunch of really big, old, scary looking fishing-type knives that he had all over the place and used them for everything. You would never know by looking at them, but each one seem to have a specific use that only he knew which was which, and he wouldn't dream of using the wrong knife for the wrong job. He even kept one in his golf bag, why I don't know. I remember there was one that he always used with a hammer. To cut something that was hard to cut, he would put the blade down on it and strike the back of knife with a hammer to chop through whatever he was cutting. And then, his shed full of yard tools reminded me of one of those "hellraiser" movies. There were all kinds of dangerous looking tools in there. A double edged axe, hatchets, a machette, all sorts of different shapes and sizes of sickles some with long handles and serrated edges, shovels, hoes, scrapers, spikes, stakes, sledge hammer, various odd looking gardening tools, spare handles, broken handles, tools missing handles. In fact, I remember seeing one of those old fashioned long handled reapers in the rafters of his garage once. I have now Idea why he had that or how old it was, but the wood looked ancient, like something his ancestors carried accross the plains in a covered wagon.

[Squantos]

Knives weren't the issue on 9-11, the conditioning of the passengers to just sit quietly and don't offend the hijackers IS the issue IMHO. Of the 4-6 hijackers on those planes with knives I will suggest there were no less that 40 other passengers with pocket knives, Leatherman type tools etc etc but they sat like good little sheeple until their cell phone contacts informed em what was up and thus the Let's Roll mindset was reborn.

A trained terrorist can kill ya six kinds of ways sunday with what's already on board a commercial aircraft or that is "approved for carry on" .........don't believe it ? Open a standard hardshell briefcase, take note of the two metal scissor hinges on each side. Now think about removing the pop rivets and replacing em with screws with slots big enough that a dime size coin can unscrew. Sharpened and painted, replaced can be carried right on the AC. Add a bandanna to wrapp around the "shank" and wrap that bandanna with 4 or 5 large rubber bands and you have a first class mark one mod "O" prison shank with a six inch blade with three more to pass out to your other bad guys or good guys if ya plan for such events.

Pop open a compact umbrella, take a look at all the little metal splines, can ya fabricate with that ??? Yes !

A improvised flail made from the trouser belt or shoulder strap of your carry on baggage with two or three master padlocks snaped through the buckle will put a hurt on anyone ya whack with that , ......

My favorite is two rolls of quarters knotted into the corner of a scarf or large bandana and snap shot (think wet towel welts from horseplay fights at the pool) at the bridge of some weasels nose......Bottom line I want armed cockpit crew with a use of force policy that begins at the cockpit door for the uninvited. I want continued policy of checking for pistols and grenades etc etc by rent 'a cops. But what I really want is a society that will FIGHT back before they are led to slaughter.........

Stay Safe !

[Joe Hadenuf]

I would rather paint the house than go to an airport and have to fly somewhere.

[Deguello]

Yes, I have read your posts and those that you have received for this topic.

Do you not address the problem with the lack of profiling for terrorist and malcontents? Do see the problem with being Politically Correct as with the example of our airports. Do believe in the shake downs of our elderly and even Congressmen while the targets that we should be watching for are allowed to walk through so that we do not offend an alien in our country?

We "know" for whom we should be watching for and what they are and capable of doing. What purpose is being served currently at the airports? What is the aggenda? Do you really feel that it is security?

[SLB]

I would rather paint the house than go to an airport and have to fly somewhere.

I am starting on painting ours this weekend. You can come by and do it for me if you want. I promise not to make you fly anywhere.

[scottiewottie]

The most insulting thing you said was that I somehow would think the idea of arming the whole plane was reasonable, not the word "nutjob".

But ignoring that comment and deflecting the other to suggest that I am somehow taking it personal, is also insulting. I am not the one that is "getting flamed and insulted like crazy". Your comments are insuling, your rebuttal technique is flawed, but YOU personally are not insulting. My returning serve was insulting, but I personally am not insulting or flaming you "like crazy".

If you cared to read my posts you would have noticed that I wanted certified security officers, even if off duty, to fly armed. I also thought paid, armed security was a good thing. Did not mention a thing about "nutjobs". That was your offering, not mine.