Why I Cannot Believe In Terrorists

Shortly after 9/11 I took a job with a major air freight company in Memphis TN. I had to pass the FBI screening to be able to drive on to the airport apron - part of my job to meet the planes as they came in.

Each time I would enter the airport security fence we would be "screened" by security guards. This was a joke of the highest order. Up until 9/11 happened these guys could have been best described as unemployable. Indeed, none of them were armed, none of them could have chased even my old cigarette smoking butt even a block. Not only that but I have no doubt that if I had ever leaped, screaming out of the truck at one of these guys he would either soil himself, have a stroke, or both.

This is not to vilify these guys at all, they needed jobs and now have them and that is good. But if that is who they are hiring to keep our airports safe how serious can the threat be? Some of these guys could barely walk!

At one point they were not allowing bottled water into the airport and we would have to submit to a search - actually a rare thing - and the bottled water would be held for us until we came back out. I know for a fact that some drivers relinquished their water bottles but the handgun they carried on a daily basis was never found. I carried one in my car but never took it onto the airport.

Why did drivers carry handguns in Memphis? Well, because Memphis for three years took the title of most violent city in the US from Detroit. On morning I was nearly carjacked as I waited for the overpaid # to come open the terminal. Luckily I speak Spanish, and when I spoke to the guy in his own language he seemed to change his mind and leave, although there was a thirty-eight in the back of the waistband of my trousers and my hand was on it in case he didn't.

If terrorism were real, the guards at the airports would not look like they were candidates for full disability would they?

Thoughts?

Similar experiences?

reply to post by Ittabena


Anecdotal. Also, your personal viewpoint. The gaurds may have been saying the same thing about you.

reply to post by hooper

Anecdotal. Also, your personal viewpoint.

Actually no. This was the consensus of my coworkers and I . There were five of us and we saw this everyday for eight years, and we never ceased to be amazed how low they would go to hire. I don't think we ever saw anyone under the age of 60.

What's the most challenging part of a TSA officer's job?

Think about that for a minute, then it will make sense.

reply to post by BeyondPerception


These were not even TSA, these were dime store variety rent-a-cops, guarding the gates to the airport.

reply to post by Ittabena

After 911 the big threat was from the passengers not the ramp gates.
But yes you can securiety jokes all around you. Nothing is as secure as the higher ups will tell you.

But that doesn't mean that men with box cutters didn't do 911.
The simplest methods are the most reliable.

reply to post by Ittabena

Actually no. This was the consensus of my coworkers and I .

And I can only imagine the consensus of the gaurds - "these guys aren't a threat - they can barely drive a truck let alone fly a plane".

reply to post by samkent


If guys with box-cutters did accomplish 9/11 then we are due a refund for the trillions of dollars we have spent on national security. Why is it so hard to believe we are being lied to? Lying is, after all, what we humans have done best throughout history.

reply to post by hooper

And I can only imagine the consensus of the gaurds - "these guys aren't a threat - they can barely drive a truck let alone fly a plane".

How are you OSers this morning? Doing well?

Kind of think you are off base on this one. Did Security for the many Strip Clubs in Memphis for years. Guys who got too out of hand we would knock out and toss in the dumpster. Ever thrown a full grown man into a dumpster? I can. Pretty fit myself. How about you?

reply to post by Ittabena


Let me get one thing straight before I comment.

Do you actually think there is no such thing as terrorists at all?

You actually think that no planes have ever been hijacked and there arent violent extremists out there that would kill hundreds upon hundreds of people in order to make their point?

Originally posted by samkent
reply to post by Ittabena

 

After 911 the big threat was from the passengers not the ramp gates.
But yes you can securiety jokes all around you. Nothing is as secure as the higher ups will tell you.

But that doesn't mean that men with box cutters didn't do 911.
The simplest methods are the most reliable.

please enlighten me on how some guys with boxcutters hijacked airliners....i keep hearing this story but no one will tell me how it was accomplished...please, do tell......and the tsa is a joke, they just like to feel people up...

I find it funny how terrorists managed to get on a plane with some form of weapony and hijack a plane unless ofcourse they had inside help. There is no way they are getting through security armed.

so they either hijacked a plane with their bare hands... or they had inside help.

P.s I find it highly doubtful the passengers would allow this to go on if the terrorists did not have some form of weapony(guns obviously)

reply to post by megabytz

Do you actually think there is no such thing as terrorists at all?

No, I believe there are terrorists. But I believe the terrorist threat has been ramped up for our benefit. And I believe that the biggest terrorists today are in Washington spreading their own brand of terror. Is not pointless and ungrounded fear mongering a form of terror? It is in my book.

So far there has not been a terrorist attack on our shores which did not stink to high heaven of our own Governments involvement, from recruitment, to turning a blind eye to them being here, to their very training.

Originally posted by Ittabena
Shortly after 9/11 I took a job with a major air freight company in Memphis TN. I had to pass the FBI screening to be able to drive on to the airport apron - part of my job to meet the planes as they came in.

Each time I would enter the airport security fence we would be "screened" by security guards. This was a joke of the highest order. Up until 9/11 happened these guys could have been best described as unemployable. Indeed, none of them were armed, none of them could have chased even my old cigarette smoking butt even a block. Not only that but I have no doubt that if I had ever leaped, screaming out of the truck at one of these guys he would either soil himself, have a stroke, or both.

This is not to vilify these guys at all, they needed jobs and now have them and that is good. But if that is who they are hiring to keep our airports safe how serious can the threat be? Some of these guys could barely walk!

At one point they were not allowing bottled water into the airport and we would have to submit to a search - actually a rare thing - and the bottled water would be held for us until we came back out. I know for a fact that some drivers relinquished their water bottles but the handgun they carried on a daily basis was never found. I carried one in my car but never took it onto the airport.

Why did drivers carry handguns in Memphis? Well, because Memphis for three years took the title of most violent city in the US from Detroit. On morning I was nearly carjacked as I waited for the overpaid # to come open the terminal. Luckily I speak Spanish, and when I spoke to the guy in his own language he seemed to change his mind and leave, although there was a thirty-eight in the back of the waistband of my trousers and my hand was on it in case he didn't.

If terrorism were real, the guards at the airports would not look like they were candidates for full disability would they?

Thoughts?

Similar experiences?

The only threats we have are the per-approved ones. You know Dick Chaney's famous quote "of course the order still stands, have you heard anything different!"

reply to post by David291

I find it funny how terrorists managed to get on a plane with some form of weapony and hijack a plane unless ofcourse they had inside help. There is no way they are getting through security armed.

Before 9/11 I took a three inch blade folding knife onto a plane when I flew to LA to visit my ex-girlfriend. The guys who screened looked at it, measured it, and commented that I knew how much I could get by with. When I mentioned my father was an Illinois State Trooper, they grinned as if the mystery was over.

Originally posted by samkent
reply to post by Ittabena

 

After 911 the big threat was from the passengers not the ramp gates.
But yes you can securiety jokes all around you. Nothing is as secure as the higher ups will tell you.

But that doesn't mean that men with box cutters didn't do 911.
The simplest methods are the most reliable.

Doesn't mean they did either.

reply to post by Turkenstein

The only threats we have are the per-approved ones. You know Dick Chaney's famous quote "of course the order still stands, have you heard anything different!"

Testify brother. See I knew we weren't all addicted to the pablum that passes for truth these days.

reply to post by Ittabena

How are you OSers this morning? Doing well?

Shoulder is killing me. Damn torn rotator cuff.

Kind of think you are off base on this one.

Oh, could be, just having some fun.

Did Security for the many Strip Clubs in Memphis for years. Guys who got too out of hand we would knock out and toss in the dumpster. Ever thrown a full grown man into a dumpster? I can. Pretty fit myself. How about you?

Not anymore! As for airport security - I would rather have ten retired out of shape cops then 30 twenty-something weight lifters watching the airport. Its security, not defense. There's a difference.

reply to post by samkent

But that doesn't mean that men with box cutters didn't do 911. The simplest methods are the most reliable.

Actually, speaking of simple, Occam's Razor would seem to disagree with you. Hope I spelled that right.

please someone explain to me how these boxcutter wielding rookies hijacked the plane???? how did they do it???? i keep hearing it but no oser will tell me how they did it...i always have an idea of how something happened before i go spouting off that it happened....