posted on December 23, 2001 07:05:24 AM
He's been promoting travel by flying in case you haven't seen him. Stipowitz in NYPD Blue, amongst other credits.
Some guy got on a plane in London bound for Boston, and he had C-4 explosive stuff in his shoes. They were able to stop him from igniting it with a match when the stewardess smelled the match.
Dennis should know about C-4 because he's a vietnam vet and the stuff was in wide use there for a lot of things. I've used it to heat C-rations and boil water, and he was a grunt so I'd bet money that he's done the same thing. It burns HOT. A little bit about the size of the end of your pinkie will bring a boil to about two cups of water. I'm not sure if this guy couuld have made it explode using a match. I think it needs a little explosion for that--a blasting cap. But even terrorists can learn, so maybe next time it'll work. A pair of lift shoes with C-4 as the lift should blow a hole out of the side of any airliner. It's plastic stuff, you know, and wouldn't look very unusual on an x-ray....
posted on December 23, 2001 10:53:40 AM
I thought that the idea behind this was beyond stupid as well. I think that ever since the Sept-11th attack, the government has been hiring a firm to go see if they can penetrate the security at airports, and upon success, make sure that they get caught while in-flight which ensures that they will get the maximum media coverage. If that truely is the case, I applaud their efforts, even though it may cause a heart attack or two to the unwitting participants.
posted on December 23, 2001 12:36:36 PM
I'd've thought American Airlines, in particular, would have an air marshal on every long-haul flight. Dennis Franz's "get-back-onboard!" commercial always seemed idiotic to me. Now it's an inside joke.
