Stranded human shields buses seek fare home (ROTFLOL!!!)

reuters ^ | 3-5-03

[Jimmyclyde]

Stranded human shields buses seek fare home

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Two red double decker buses and a white London taxi that ferried anti-war activists to Baghdad to serve as "human shields" are stranded in Beirut with their owner short the 3,400 pounds it costs to ship them home. The buses and taxi, dusty after a six-week overland journey that began at London's Tower Bridge, were plastered with signs saying "No to a war on Iraq" and "No to war, Yes to peace".

"The buses have to be shipped back. It's just not practical to drive them...I am not even really sure how much money I've got, but I'm sure it's not enough," said owner Joe Letts, adding that he would fly to London on Thursday to try to raise cash.

"I thought I would let people know it's a problem," he added, sitting in a makeshift kitchen on his bus in central Beirut.

Letts said he left London with 45 human shields of 10-12 nationalities, and picked up a dozen or so more in Turkey before arriving in Baghdad, where he spent a week sleeping in a power station hoping to prevent a possible U.S.-led attack.

"We were taken to see some of the installations that the Iraqis thought were suitable for protection," he said, adding that he had feared a bombing campaign could start at any time.

"We painted a huge sign on the roof saying human shields, so when any planes bombed the target, they'd see they were killing us -- Englishmen and Finns and Turks".

Some 50 other Swedish anti-war human shield activists who had travelled to Iraq began to leave on Monday, saying they had wanted to protect hospitals and schools but had been forced out to refineries, power plants and water works.

Letts said about 200 human shields, including many who travelled on his bus, remained in Baghdad when he left. But he said that although he stayed on as a shield for a week, he had no intention of staying in Baghdad for the duration of a war.

"I own these buses and they are my livelihood and my family's livelihood. And all along I was there really to take the people down and then come back," he said.

When he left London, he thought he had enough money to pay to ship the buses home, but ended up spending his personal finances to help pay for the trip.

"I had promised my wife I would get the buses home," he said. "If I don't get them home, we're absolutely stuck."

[swheats]

The shields got the messsage and got out of Dodge it seems before sundown.

[WVNan]

From the onset of this foolishment it has been clear to me that these people really deep-down believed so strongly in America's goodness that they honestly thought we would not actually bomb them. When the Iraqis started putting them in places that were sure to be bombed panic began to set in. As long as they were able to put signs on the roof they felt safe. Americans won't bomb civilians purposely and they knew it. They recognize our goodness yet they hate us.

[glock rocks]

bonk.

sometimes, you just have to sit back and have a good chuckle.

[expatguy]

bumping for peace - LOL

[apackof2]

fly to London to beg for money to drive them back to England.
This guy is as dumb as a bag of rocks.

No kidding..he should go to Paris

[DoughtyOne]

"We painted a huge sign on the roof saying human shields, so when any planes bombed the target, they'd see they were killing us -- Englishmen and Finns and Turks".

 

Dare I say it?  Darwin award...

[Mo1]

"I had promised my wife I would get the buses home," he said. "If I don't get them home, we're absolutely stuck."

BAWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

[pgkdan]

"I had promised my wife I would get the buses home," he said. "If I don't get them home, we're absolutely stuck."

What a jackass! I hope he's penniless when this is all done.

[Cuttnhorse]

What a hoot...I like the photo of the bus with the smoke boiling out of the exhaust. LOL!!

[Arioch7]

I did not think of it that way but I think you are dead on with that conclusion.

Nice One.

[US_MilitaryRules]

This has got to be one of the funniest threads at FR!

[Waco]

No doubt Ben and Jerrys" is looking for a whiz-bang business head like this for their new CEO.

[GirlShortstop]

 
Airfare to Europe:  $400.00
Busfare and lodging to get to Iraq:  $500.00

Realizing you're a penniless idiot who's so very screwed once you get there:  PRICELESS!!!

[barker]

But he said that although he stayed on as a shield for a week, he had no intention of staying in Baghdad for the duration of a war.

Not very committed to the cause is he?

[Snowy]

LOL! *Snort!*

[Snowy]

This is a soap opera where I tune in and see what nutty thing the "shields" are up to today. It should have been a reality TV show.

I hope South Park runs with this. :)

[VOA]

Where did they think they were going?

"They must have been in a hurry to get to a funeral."

(Classic line from Sean Connery in a Bond movie...uttered in a perfect dead-pan
to some by-standers...wondering where the bad guys were headed...until 007 ran them off
the road.)

[GirlShortstop]

LOL! *Snort!*

What a funny reply Snowy.   Another laugh tonight, and boy does it feel good!     ©¿©

[river rat]

Perhaps they could sell their silly bongo drums, crack pipes and roach clips for the fare home..

The women were far too ugly and unclean to sell their bodies...


THESE are the moral leaders we should follow......NOT!
Semper Fi

[SouthernClaire]

I ask in all seriousness, do these folks ... hmm ... like, have families, jobs, pets, appointments, obligations? You know, the things ordinary to a human life? If so, I have to wonder (with loads of sick humour) the conversations that must've taken place prior to departure.

"Sorry, Junior. Mommy/Daddy loves you very much, but I love more the idea of getting my name in the news for being an idiot. You understand, you're very special to my heart and all, buttttt..." ???

"Sorry, boss, but as I see there's no room for advancement within this organization..."