In message , Ed Rasimus
writes
On Thu, 25 Dec 2003 01:03:54 GMT, Mike Marron
wrote:
Jeez Juvat, *that* really helped. I just had my wife read your
response but I'm afraid your "RELAX.......LOTS OF GUYS WITH
GUNS ON US AIRLINERS RIGHT NOW" failed to set her at ease,
if ya' know what I mean.

Lemme see, your wife is one of those who doesn't like good guys with
guns around her, but ignores the fact that the bad guys with guns will
be there regardless?

Having been through a few passenger screenings for transatlantic flight
recently, how are "bad guys" meant to get aboard with available
firearms? If my belt buckle sets off the alarms then a handgun will do
so. (Please no foolishness about Glocks being 'undetectable', I owned
one and the frame is barium-filled plastic with metal inserts, the slide
solid steel - superb handguns but fully compliant with security
requirement)

(Agree with Mr Rasimus defending Juvat's choice of handle, by the way)

Fun fun fun!!! Shootout at the OK corral at FL340!

Well, if the choice is giving in to an asshole with a box cutter or
having a shootout at FL 340, what do you think is the better choice.

Fine, but where do I get _my_ firearms? I'm an honest citizen with
assorted clearances, military background, trusted with all sorts of
stuff. Why can't _I_ have a weapon to reassure me on the flight?

If someone tries to take over the aircraft with a craft knife, then I'm
willing to improvise an answer with my headphone cord (makes a handy
garotte and issued by the airline for every flight... or if I can't
trust that, my MP3 player's headphones will work) and the issue blanket
(lots of loose cloth to muffle a short-blade slash) and anything else I
can find to hand. The old days of "stay put, don't be noticed, don't
resist" are _gone_ and anyone trying to hijack an airliner these days is
going to be lucky to survive.

I'm not hostile to the idea of trusting others to protect me but I want
to be confident that they'll do a better job than I could. And while I'm
not an action movie hero, I've proved I'm a half-decent shot with rifle,
pistol, SMG, LMG, GPMG, rocket launcher, guided missile and called
indirect fire; so where do I apply for some armament?

Indeed, it strikes me that a logical approach to stealing an aircraft
with homicidal intent would be to get someone planted as a sky marshall
or pilot...

--
When you have to kill a man, it costs nothing to be polite.
W S Churchill

Paul J. Adam MainBoxatjrwlynch[dot]demon{dot}co(.)uk