Student May Face Hearing Over Box Cutters

[daniel1113]

http://news.lycos.com/news/story.asp?section=MyLycos&storyId=791970

BALTIMORE (AP) -- College student Nathaniel Heatwole wanted to shine a spotlight on aviation security by putting banned items aboard planes, authorities say. But the 20-year-old junior at Guilford College in Greensboro, N.C., is now expected to be the focus of a hearing in U.S. District Court in Baltimore on Monday.

On Thursday night, Southwest Airlines maintenance workers found small plastic bags containing box cutters, bleach, matches and modeling clay in lavatory compartments on planes in New Orleans and Houston.

Notes in the bags "indicated the items were intended to challenge Transportation Security Administration checkpoint security procedures," according to a statement from Southwest Airlines.

A Bush administration official has said the suspected perpetrator last month sent the government an e-mail warning of his intention to conceal suspicious items on six planes and provided dates and locations for the plan.

The suspect was identified through a database search that linked the bags found on the planes to the e-mail, the Transportation Security Administration said.

The discovery triggered stepped-up inspections of the entire U.S. commercial air fleet _ roughly 7,000 planes. But after consulting with the FBI, the TSA rescinded the inspection order.

No other such suspicious bags were found in the inspection.

The modeling clay found aboard the Southwest planes was made to look like an explosive, while the bleach could have been used to demonstrate how a corrosive or dangerous liquid could be smuggled aboard a plane.

FBI spokesman Bill Carter said Sunday the FBI had no other information on the proceedings and directed calls to the U.S. Attorney's office in Baltimore. Messages left with the U.S. Attorney's office Sunday weren't returned.

 

[mugs]

That kid is an idiot; so is everyone who thinks that it is at all possible to take over a plane with box cutters these days. No way would the passengers ever let that happen again.

I heard he also refused to register for the draft, and instead sent a letter of dissent. That kid needs to find himself a new cause, like PETA or something.

 

[Bowfinger]

Originally posted by: mugsywwiii
That kid is an idiot; so is everyone who thinks that it is at all possible to take over a plane with box cutters these days. No way would the passengers ever let that happen again.

I agree with your conclusion, but that's not the point. The guy demonstrated that all of the new, intrusive security at airports is more show than substance. The government aggravated the ordeal of flying without really improving security and safety.

 

[daniel1113]

Originally posted by: Bowfinger

Originally posted by: mugsywwiii
That kid is an idiot; so is everyone who thinks that it is at all possible to take over a plane with box cutters these days. No way would the passengers ever let that happen again.

I agree with your conclusion, but that's not the point. The guy demonstrated that all of the new, intrusive security at airports is more show than substance. The government aggravated the ordeal of flying without really improving security and safety.

How does this little incident prove that?

 

[CADsortaGUY]

Originally posted by: daniel1113

Originally posted by: Bowfinger

Originally posted by: mugsywwiii
That kid is an idiot; so is everyone who thinks that it is at all possible to take over a plane with box cutters these days. No way would the passengers ever let that happen again.

I agree with your conclusion, but that's not the point. The guy demonstrated that all of the new, intrusive security at airports is more show than substance. The government aggravated the ordeal of flying without really improving security and safety.

How does this little incident prove that?

It doesn't - it's just another attempt at taking one example of a failure and calling the whole thing a failure. The kid found a loophole in the system. We need to fix it.

CkG

 

[Zebo]

When not sweeping the airport tarmac for the next 10 years for no pay, he should have to look at grusome pictures of 9-11 victims to be reminded how funny his prank really was.

 

[Gaard]

Originally posted by: CADkindaGUY

Originally posted by: daniel1113

Originally posted by: Bowfinger

Originally posted by: mugsywwiii
That kid is an idiot; so is everyone who thinks that it is at all possible to take over a plane with box cutters these days. No way would the passengers ever let that happen again.

I agree with your conclusion, but that's not the point. The guy demonstrated that all of the new, intrusive security at airports is more show than substance. The government aggravated the ordeal of flying without really improving security and safety.

How does this little incident prove that?

It doesn't - it's just another attempt at taking one example of a failure and calling the whole thing a failure. The kid found a loophole in the system. We need to fix it.

CkG

"Thanks for showing us the loophole kid. We'll get right on that. By the way, put your hands behind your back."

 

[Wolfdog]

The charges are baseless, and come from more of that political crap that we call government. I ask for all to think for a minute. The current government just laid off some 5000 workers who check the baggage and luggage. What if the "loophole" wasn't found(more like a hole you could drive Arnolds hummer through!!!) , and instead of a kid bringing aboard pretty useless items they had instead been terrorists with biological weapons? There are a vast array of biological weapons that could be spread throughout the globe in a matter of days by infecting a small population on board an airplane. To add to my dismay is the fact that there have been several attempts by federal employees to bring aboard items such as these, and have been able to pass through every time. I notice that none of those attempts have been publicized to any extent. This should blatently show that the current measures are very ineffective in keeping weapons off the airlines. The person who is responsible for this in the government should be fired, and they should bring in someone with enough experinece and knowhow to bring about some real change in the way things are done. All of the hundreds of millions of dollars in new machines and the like has been a waste of money for all it is concerned. It is obvious that the FAA has learned nothing since the attrocities of september 11, and we are doomed to repeat those events. Especially since the morons in charge have no clue whatsoever.

 

[43st]

I think he's a Quaker. Most Quaker 18 year old males send a "Conscientious Objector" letter for Selective Service registration, no big deal.

As for helping the government... he has a wierd way of doing it. I think most Quakers would've been involved in a more traditional sense. But, as we've seen time and time again, fanatism can occur in any group.

 

[daniel1113]

Originally posted by: Zebo
When not sweeping the airport tarmac for the next 10 years for no pay, he should have to look at grusome pictures of 9-11 victims to be reminded how funny his prank really was.

Sounds good to me.

 

[Gaard]

Originally posted by: Zebo
When not sweeping the airport tarmac for the next 10 years for no pay, he should have to look at grusome pictures of 9-11 victims to be reminded how funny his prank really was.

Somehow, I don't think it was meant to be funny.

 

[DanceMan]

Originally posted by: Thera
I think he's a Quaker. Most Quaker 18 year old males send a "Conscientious Objector" letter for Selective Service registration, no big deal.

As for helping the government... he has a wierd way of doing it. I think most Quakers would've been involved in a more traditional sense. But, as we've seen time and time again, fanatism can occur in any group.

I saw today earlier on the news that he goes to a 'Quaker' college that is renowned for it's activism (and, in fact, it's part of the school's motto).

Really, I think the guy has done us a public service. There are many, many bureacrats who say you should use the proper channels and work your way up the chain, but time and time again, when people do that, it's usually ignored. This has shock value, and unfortunately, that's what it sometimes takes for people to wake up.

Also, didn't some reporters try something similar a while back? What happened to them?

DanceMan

 

[43st]

NPR just said that no one is going to press charges against him. Works for me.

I thought it was pretty smart of him to say that he'll work with the govenment before he talks to the press. Bright guy.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: Thera
I think he's a Quaker. Most Quaker 18 year old males send a "Conscientious Objector" letter for Selective Service registration, no big deal.

My mistake, that wasn't reported when I saw it on the news... I'm sure they knew it, they just left it out because it would decrease the shock value.

 

[rickn]

They should leave the kid alone, or make him go work for the morons who ignored him. he just proved what everyone already knew, that homeland security is a smoke screen, and americans really are THAT lazy

 

[dmcowen674]

What a way to get a job these days.

 

[Crimson]

Just got off a plane yesterday.. tell you what, I see a guy walking into the restroom on a plane with a box cutter, and he will be getting the sh|t kicked out of him faster than you can say 9-11.. I fully intend to kill anyone who attempts to hijack a plane while I am on it.. or die trying..

The little bastard pulls that stunt while sitting next to me and he will be eating that box cutter.

He should be in jail for a long time.

 

[sandorski]

Are there no "Whistle Blower" laws that apply here? Seems to me that this kid provided a valuable service, he certainly had no intentions to commit a Terrorist Act, what he did was to embarrass powerful(apparently) people. To even consider charging him with a crime is stupid and desparate damage control. The fact is, despite $billions spent, Laws/Regulations passed, thousand hired, and endless rhetoric on "security", the US is still as vulnerable today as it was pre-9/11. This kid proved it, more than once.