'BOB' scrawled on a sick bag in the loo

[TurboDewd]

Apparently some United Airlines flight from Sydney to LA returned to Syd (soon after takeoff) after someone found a sickbag with 'BOB' or 'bob' or 'Bob' written on it. It was interpreted as possibly meaning 'bomb on board'...before 11 Sep this wouldnt have happened. Interesting times we live in.

Reminds me of a few yrs back watching staff from the ATO in Belconnen evac the building after someone saw some talcum powder (or similar) on the floor of the men's. Anthrax?! Yeah, riiight. Talk about hysteria.

Edited 28/07/04 03:34 AM by ducatijb

[ZAP]

In relation to the UA flight that turned back last night:

The plane was 90 mins from Oz and I personally think that pilot overreacted. If the note had said BOMB or bob on board or something it would have made a bit more sence. Maybe 2 people were joining the mile high club and the guy was writing his name on the airsick bag for the blond to remember :lol:

Edited 28/07/04 03:35 AM by ducatijb

[pym]

All I can say, is thank God I don't fly with United...I would have been extremely peeved having to return to Sydney and then start all over again.

Knowing Americans, it was probably some moron named Bob, who wanted to stake his claim to the sick bag.

[Falchoon]

On first glance it would seem to be an overeaction but these days you can't be too sure.

The terroists have won, they don't actually have to do anything anymore as authorities get all wound up over the simplest of things and relate it all to "terroism".

[Rusty05]

All I can say, is thank God I don't fly with United...I would have been extremely peeved having to return to Sydney and then start all over again.

Hhhmmmm and how peeved would your family be if the possibility is ignored and pieces of you ended up raining down all over the pacific ocean?????

Yes we are paranoid BUT paranoia keeps people alive!!!!

and its my job so dont knock it :lol:

[Guest]

Cant win

[Honest Gaza]

The terroists have won, they don't actually have to do anything anymore as authorities get all wound up over the simplest of things and relate it all to "terroism".

Agree totally with Falchoon. The aim of terrorism is to make others act in a way that they would not normally act. It is now a matter of course for us to react to the "smallest" of signs and deviate from the course that we would normally take.

So yes Falchoon.....the terrorists have won.

[sixfan]

It was found in the first class dunny....

C'mon,

The young liberals were on that flight (and which class do you think they travel?)and obviously it was a reference to Bob Hawke, the thought of which makes them sick. Everyone knows they refer to sick bags as "Bob Bags"

[-carty]

the bomb squad probably took all the precausion to make sure it didnt blow up and when they opened it it has puke in it?

wow wonder what you would expect to be in a sick bag 'eh?

but with what happen 9/11 things are kinda blown outta proporsion

[Zeke]

You just have to ask yourself how likely is it that a terrorist group that put a bomb on board a 747 would communicate that info by writing "bob" on a sickbag? Yep, I reckon that's how they would do it....NOT.

I would've also thought that the captain could have accessed some high powered expertise to do a realistic risk assessment and provide the best possible advice before acting. With modern communications, the plane isn't exactly isolated and, after 90 minutes, you'd think it would take more than three scrawled letters to convince him to dump the fuel and turn the thing around.

The ugly bit is that it suggests to any insignificant moron that they can easily give themselves a big power trip by scribbling a few letters just about anywhere. In the past, hoaxers had to put in more effort to get that sort of result.

I guess the other thing to realise that the version of the facts that we get through the media is, at best, an approximation to the truth and there may be further info of which we're all unaware.