Where have you been??

Leaving Washington Dulles yesterday (I can't stand that airport if anyone really cares), we run into a fairly strange issue. We started to board over an hour late, so by the time the passengers got on the plane, most of the were already irritated. Then, just as we are getting our last minute paperwork, we get word that another passenger is coming on board. No big deal for us, but as the really late passenger came on board, another passenger in first class made a sarcastic remark that it was nice for him to delay the rest of the passengers. Well, rather than walking on, the new passenger had his own comments. He said something to the effect that he got held up by TSA through security and that he got treated like a terrorist. And then he (hopefully) sarcastically said, "you know I just look like wired suicide bomber." Well, that was a BIG mistake.

All the passengers in ear shot, which was most of them considering he was not whispering by any means, began to get really nervous, and our two flight attendants came up front to us to tell us what happened, although we too heard what he had said. The four of us quickly decided it was time to get someone else involved. So while the Captain made his way up to the gate area to let the agents know, it was my job to get this man and his luggage off the airplane. Let me tell you, he did not want to go. As soon as I went up to him, without me even saying anything yet, he starts yelling at me, asking if I had a problem with him being late too. I assured him I had no problem with him being late, but needed him to step off the airplane as we needed to talk to him. He went ballistic. He was yelling that he was not going anywhere and he did nothing wrong. I said we just wanted to talk to him regarding his comments to the other passenger. Then he, continuing to yell even though I was about 18 inches from him, said there was nothing wrong with what he said. I was dumbfounded. What do you mean there is nothing wrong with saying "suicide bomber" on an airplane??? Where the heck have you been?

I mean honestly, do you not remember the 9/11 attacks, or how about the attacks on U.S. Troops everyday overseas. I don't think they would take that comment as being funny either. Luckily, before I had to say anything else, LEOs (Law Enforcement Officers) showed up and quickly escorted the man off. All the time, he was yelling that he said nothing wrong. A security sweep of the aircraft was done, and we were on our way once again.

We will probably never find out what happened to this particular passenger, but generally it involves many hours being detained by the local police until the Department of Homeland Security officers can question the man. Than if nothing comes of all the checks and questioning, he will be allowed to travel the next day. Personally, I doubt this man was anymore a terrorist than Oscar the Grouch, but the fact that you would even make a comment like that on an airplane just baffles me. This guy must have been living under a rock for the last almost 7 years. That is the only explanation I can come up with for saying something like that.

I love most parts of my job, but safety and security are two things that no crew member takes lightly. Everyone knows, and even if you don't TSA posts signs around the security checkpoint about it, that even saying the word bomb in an airport is a stupid, and an illegal thing to do. And before all the free speech fanatics come crawling out, I am for all our rights just as much as the next person, but not at the cost of losing my sense of security. You should have enough common sense not to say certain things. For example, you do not call teachers names, or say 'gun' to a police officer, and you do not say bomb on an airplane. Don't travel if you cannot be smart enough to do so.