Suspect video sparks passengers' removal at Baltimore airport

[jpak]

Source: Reuters

Four passengers were taken off a Spirit Airlines Inc (SAVE.O) flight at Baltimore on Tuesday after one who appeared to be Muslim viewed what another passenger thought was an Islamic State video, a government source said.

Initial checks of the three men and a woman and their baggage found nothing suspicious, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Spirit said that the incident took place when Flight 969 from Baltimore-Washington International Airport to Chicago O’Hare International Airport was taxiing to the runway.

"A passenger alerted a flight attendant of a passenger engaged in suspicious activity on board," it said. The plane returned to the gate, and police removed the four.


Read more at Reutershttp://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/17/us-spirit-airlines-passengers-idUSKCN0T61VO20151117#Tk8GDI6j1FfQRhdZ.99

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/17/us-spirit-airlines-passengers-idUSKCN0T61VO20151117#820Blv6j2TpBtv32.97

[randys1]

1. Yeah, they are going to be plotting an attack while in line at an airport in front of TSA

[AuntPatsy]

2. Pathetic, apology is more in order

[msrizzo]

3. Well this suck

A man who "appeared" to be a Muslim. What next? We will have to declare and provide proof of our religion? Maybe they will have special lines for "Muslim" looking people. And while we are at it, let's not let Muslims bring any electronic devices on board either. Heck maybe they can fly in their own segregated planes? Just a little inconvenience to keep the rest of us safe!

[Dr Hobbitstein]

4. "Appeared to be Muslim"...

And time for another round of anti-Muslim sentiment.

[cvoogt]

12. Well

Maybe they observed the person giving to those less fortunate than themselves and caring for the environment, and concluded they must be Muslim.

[FLPanhandle]

5. They got up during the taxi and prep for takeoff

"A woman got up and went to the back of the plane with a small child as the plane was preparing for takeoff, said WJLA, an ABC affiliate."

I'm a middle aged white male, and I'd get thrown off for doing the same thing.

[msrizzo]

6. It doesn't say.

We don't know who that woman was. She might not have been the same woman watching the video. Only one woman was thrown off plane according to this report and it said nothing about a child. Could just as well be that the woman with the child who stood up was the one who had complained about them being on the flight and she was scared and overreacting.

[msrizzo]

10. Also this.

"WJLA television in Washington reported that the four passengers appeared to be in their early 30s and of Middle Eastern ancestry. They were carrying several backpacks."

No mention of a child.

[FLPanhandle]

11. You are correct. Odd piece of info to toss into the article.

I assumed it was the middle eastern woman

[msrizzo]

15. There's a lot of confusing information

I also have no idea if the person watching the video was male or female, although I assumed female at first because of that odd sentence thrown in there. But no child was thrown off the flight so it seems like that was another person. I'm going to assume that they people escorted out of the plane were travelling together but I can't even be sure of that.

[LannyDeVaney]

8. I disagree ...

I don't think they would have removed you unless you resisted when asked to return to your seat. I certainly don't think your flight would be delayed for 3.5 hours.

And I definitely don't think you would have been identified as "suspected Christian".

[TwilightGardener]

7. Could be an unfair overreaction. Could also be a dry run or test of reaction, see if anyone

notices this behavior or that behavior. I'll wait for more info before jumping to conclusions.

[6000eliot]

23. I'll jump to conclusions before jumping to conclusions.

[LannyDeVaney]

9. We are a country of spineless cowards ... just like the media wants ...

Keep living in total fear, dumbasses.

[Iggo]

21. .

[flamingdem]

13. So why did she go to the back of the plane?

That needs answering. (Her kid needed to pee?)

[SoapBox]

14. Here we go again...

Grasping at straws...

"The government source said a female passenger who appeared to be Muslim was watching a video on her phone that another passenger thought was from Islamic State. The militant group has claimed responsibility for the attacks in Paris on Friday that killed 129 people."

Appeared to be Muslim? Ok...that's pretty indicative that she was a TERRORIST...not. And again with the appeared, to be watching an ISIS video? Really? Just because that is what the passenger "thought"? Great concrete evidence that Passenger Sherlock came up with.

"WJLA television in Washington reported that the four passengers appeared to be in their early 30s and of Middle Eastern ancestry. They were carrying several backpacks."

Yikes! Don't ever carry "several" backpacks among 4 people, 'cause you'll be hauled out as terrorists. And don't be young! Or non-WHITE!

"A woman got up and went to the back of the plane with a small child as the plane was preparing for takeoff, said WJLA, an ABC affiliate."

Sooooo...there were supposed to be 3 males and 1 female...no mention of a child. Was this THE female or some other, miscellaneous, assorted female with child, that was going to wet its pants? And "preparing" for takeoff...exactly what does that mean? Blocked out? Taxiing? On the actual departure runway and rolling? And if they were, at what point did they decide to return to the gate?

Too much stupid involved in the whole story, to even get to the facts.

(Stuff like this infuriates me because it's wild-eyed speculation, based on what they look like...hell, "terrorists" can come in all shapes, sizes, religious beliefs and SKIN TONES!)

[msrizzo]

16. Great summary

Very poorly written story. Too many inconsistencies and random facts that don't seem to connect.

[SoapBox]

17. Thank you msrizzo...

I guess in my old age (and some of my training, if you will) I have lost a lot of patience with knee-jerk reactions, that can actually cause even more problems and/or spread misinformation.

What if the passenger that started this whole thing, pulled a window plug and started an unwarranted evacuation? All over "appearances"! Many passengers could have been seriously injured.

Many years ago, I was on a flight (pre-9/11), where I saw one of the pilots come out of the cockpit to use a lav...the flight attendants were positioned at the door, the pilot used the lav and went back in.

When we arrived, a man in front of me got up quickly, mumbling OMG, OMG, OMG and almost looked panicked...his last mumble was something like, We could have died!

On his seat, was a USA Today paper, folded to an article, about an incident involving some pilots, a flight, the cockpit...it all had nothing to do with any pilot going to pee...

The guy had manufactured and manifested, in his little brain, that he could have somehow died...I gave the paper to the crew when I got off with a quick synopsis, in the event that Mr. Delusional filed some sort of complaint.

Needless to say, that being many years ago, this kind of stuff will start again. The delusional are the ones that worry me the most.

[jmowreader]

18. How, exactly, do you tell what an "Islamic State" video looks like?

Especially if you can't read Arabic? Let me guess: they write "Islamic State," in English, down in the corner of the video so guys peeking over your shoulder at the airport can tell you're getting Terrorist Indoctrination while you're waiting to get on the plane.

[uppityperson]

19. Checking other news sites, this article gives more info than they do. Wtf.

Be afraid!!!

[Iggo]

20. Morons.

[uppityperson]

22. Update, they were watching the news on their phone

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-4-passengers-removed-from-chicagobound-plane-in-baltimore-20151117-story.html

Police: 'Suspicious activity' on Chicago-bound plane was just someone watching news on phone

More at link but I can't copy as my tablet is acting up