The Bullet Plane

‘WHAT kind of security will be in place for trips to the new Pepsi Moon Experience is not known, but we trust it’ll be better than what’s in place on America’s international flights.

”Anyone got ammo for a Glock .357?”

The Independent relates how a Sudanese man is being questioned in London after arriving on a flight from Washington with four or five what appear to be live bullets on his person.

The shock bigger than this is that the man, who was due to transfer at Heathrow for a flight to Dubai, is not an undercover reporter working for one of the tabloids.

(Note to man’s lawyers: That still remains his best line of defence and Anorak is happy to provide the necessary accreditation for the appropriate fee.)

It is, however, a worry how with all the added security in place a passenger can wander onto an aircraft with a load of bullets, especially one travelling from Washington DC, that hot-bed of American politics.

But not to fret because a spokesman for Virgin, on whose plane the suspect travelled, says: ”The items did not pose a threat to our aircraft.” No, just to your passengers.

It is all delightfully embarrassing for the Americans who, as the paper reminds us, have been questioning the security measures operated by foreign airlines.

Indeed, the Americans are still insisting that all planes to the US carry a so-called sky marshal, who will be armed to the teeth and able to prevent disaster at a moment’s notice.

And the great news is that if our saviour in the skies runs out of bullets in the middle of a shooting spree, he can always ask the passengers if they’ve got any to spare.’

Posted: 15th, January 2004 | In: Broadsheets Comment | TrackBack | Permalink