January 21, 2002

I Wanna Be Sedated, Part

I Wanna Be Sedated, Part II

Moira Breen provides a link to this Times article: a Florida company called International Protective Services Inc. is offering a course to ordinary citizens on how to defend oneself from airborne terrorists:

Once on board, ensure you have an airline blanket, can of Coke, pen, magazine and keys within easy reach.

If the plane is hijacked, these become instant weapons. The blanket is to smother the terrorist, the belt to garrotte him. The belt can also be swung buckle first.

Pens and keys can take out eyes and be used on pressure points.

Roll up the magazine and jab it at the hijacker’s eyes or solar plexus, or aim it at an artery.

Placing shoes on the hands offers some protection.

A can of Coke can either be thrown at the hijacker or used at close range to give force to a blow on the head or neck.


I'm all for the idea that passengers need to be ready to defend themselves and to take action to subdue terrorists when they pop up, as they did with Richard Reid. (When a suspicious incident occurred on one of my recent transatlantic flights, there was a real solidarity among my fellow passengers, and I have no doubt that, had it turned out to be serious, we would have taken action in concert.) This is a good thing. Yet, am I the only person who thinks it's a little, uh, odd to be publicizing tips on how to use ordinary objects found on airplanes as lethal weapons? The Coke can angle had never occurred to me, but now I, along with all other Times readers, am wondering why I'd never thought of it before. Who needs box cutters when you've got a Coke and an in-flight magazine?

I imagine there are those who thought I was kidding when I proposed that commercial airlines take a page from the U.S. military's precautionary measures for the Guantanamo Bay Express. I am in fact quite serious. The skies will never be safe until our airlines sedate all passengers on take-off. TAQN.

Posted by Dr. Frank at January 21, 2002 08:37 PM | TrackBack