Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Bullets on a Plane!

Apparently some federal law enforcement officer left his spare magazine on Southwest Airlines plane today.

It was almost found by a little child, but an alert flight attendant noticed it and scooped it up before the child could come to harm.

I mean, if he hadn't swooped in to the rescue, the tot could have... could have... well, maybe if his little toddler fingers could have pried some rounds out of the mag, he could have choked on one. Or maybe dropped one into the aisle, causing a flight attendant to slip and twist an ankle during drinks service. Other than that, I can't really think of too many ways you could use a loaded magazine to cause any real injury without having the, you know, rest of the gun.

Jeez, people treat even gun parts now as though they're made out of flaming radioactive kryptonite rattlesnakes or something. Good work, hysterical media!

23 comments:

Don said...

Ah, but what if the little snot-snorter been carrying some water pipe, a rubber band and a nail?

Jay G said...

And if they had landed at Logan, anyone who picked that up would be guilty of a felony...

Jake (formerly Riposte3) said...

"Other than that, I can't really think of too many ways you could use a loaded magazine to cause any harm without having the, you know, rest of the gun."

Maybe if he threw it really hard?

What if they were going to Boston, and he picked it up and kept it? That toddler would be looking at, what, 14 or 15 felonies? (One for each round without a license, plus one for possession of a high-capacity magazine.) That flight attendant probably saved that child from spending the rest of his life in jail! [/sarc]

Also, just because [cue Samuel L. Jackson voice]:
How did these Mo#$$#@!%$^ bullets get on this Mo#$$#@!%$^ plane?!?!
[end Samuel L. Jackson voice]

"Jeez, people treat even gun parts now as though they're made out of flaming radioactive kryptonite rattlesnakes or something."

In all seriousness now: You are, unfortunately, right. Even worse (as I noted above) in places like the People's Republik of Massachusetts, people have to just to avoid running afoul of the law.

Keads said...

And our highly esteemed fourth estate cog at Reuters called it a clip.... Sigh.....

Rabbit said...

It wasn't left behind. It escaped and was making a run toward Free America.

Ed Foster said...

I'm always hopeing some cop will stop me in Massachusetts while I'm on my way to Vermont or New Hampshire, armed to the teeth (O.K., to the trunk lid, but hyperbolic venting is the spice of life).

"Just not breaking any laws at all Officer". "Rifles, pistols, and a shotgun, all stored in the trunk, away from their ammo, all legal in Connecticut and Vermont, and I'm in transit on a Federally funded interstate".

Actually, all the cops I've met up there are laidback, and half of them hunt. Get into western Mass, beyond the Connecticut river, and it's a really neat, Vermont kind of place.

A pity they can't just let Vermont run all the way south to I-84, bordered on the east by the Connecticut river, and on the west by the Hudson.

With a divot excluding Hartford of course.

TheSev said...

...no word on whether the CNN crew soiled their diapers...

Six said...

Heh heh.
"Flaming Radioactive Kryptonite Rattlesnakes"
Now in 9mm!

Phssthpok said...

Loaded magazine + sock = bludgeon.

That's about the ONLY way someone could get hurt by one.

(Uh-oh...now we'll have to start calling them the Taking SOCKS Away)

Flaming Radioactive Kryptonite Rattlesnake said...

Pusssssies.

karrde said...

There is the off-chance that the mag could be put to illicit use in a nearby firearm...

But that would require the holder to be lazy about both magazine and pistol, or the mag-dropper to accidentally drop a mag exactly matching an illegal gun held by One Of Them Terrorists...

I mean, my instincts would secure both a loose gun and a loose mag...but it's not that they're magically dangerous, just that there's a small chance that they might be misused.

USCitizen said...

I had some problems with carry-on luggage in Chicago a few years ago.

Evidently empty 25-round Uzi magazines were too scary for the main cabin and had to be checked.

(That incident happened after 9-11 when the National Guard manned the check-in lines as backup).

I think I had about 20 mags.

Hmm. Maybe if it happened more often it would be commonplace.

atlharp said...

This is what happens when you grow up north of the Mason Dixon line or in land known only to draft dodgers and guys who get awesome tans. I am glad that found that magazine before it would have went wild and raped a white woman.....sic...

Crotalus (Dont Tread on Me) said...

Our local radio news talking head said that the magazine belonged to a police officers revolver.

*facepalm*

David said...

Flaming Radioactive Kryptonite Rattlesnakes...that is actually something I'd like to see!

Brian J. Noggle said...

I blame Jake Johannsen. His old joke goes, "Guns don't kill people. It's those little bullets."

Anonymous said...

sentient, malevolent, flaming radioactive kryptonite rattlesnakes

Weetabix said...

Back when my city had security at the front door of City Hall, I amused myself and made security wet themselves by wearing in an empty holster and a full magazine.

Them: "YOU CAN'T BRING THAT IN HERE! YOU CAN'T BRING THAT IN HERE!"

Me: "Why not? I left the gun in the car."

Them: "TAKE IT OUT!"

Next time, I brought in a pocket full of cartridges. Same result.

What really made me smile was that they were passing a gun around the metal detector for me in my briefcase.

Maroons.

Unknown said...

I rather expect such berzerkoid, in this world where people call the cops if they see a plastic water pistol, and kick kids out of school for drawing a picture of a firearm.

The children have taken control of the day nursery...

Art

John Venlet said...

Passengers were allowed to deplane, he said.

A more ridiculous ending, to a rather ridiculous story, I cannot imagine, Tam.

mikee said...

Do none of you have children of your own, or associate with folks younger than 5 years of age?

Any child able to ride in mom's lap would immediately extricate several cartridges without any problem (just give a toddler a childproof bottle and watch it magically open). Then said child would insert one cartridge each into his or her noseholes, earholes, and maybe then and only then mouth. Maybe push a few into a sibling's orifices. And a few would be tossed around the plane, leading to a life-threatening panic among passengers.

God, I love little kids and their shenanigans.

Anonymous said...

While it maybe true to some people only law enforcement can be trusted with guns it would appear they can not be trusted with magazines.

Special Agent Fife, please return to Gate 5. Special Agent Fife, please see the gate agent at Gate 5

Gerry

markm said...

Crotalus: IIRC, it was the AP that described it as a "clip" for a "service revolver". Caused some speculation that it might mean a moon clip - but if it actually was a moon clip for one of the last three cops in the country to use a .38 Special, odds are the media would have called it a magazine for a Glock.