"WHAT IN THE WORLD?" Monday

Even though it is a holiday (Happy Labor Day, y'all!!), it's still Monday, and I am trying to make this a weekly feature. Plus, this is such a great story (uh, stories) that I just HAD to post it (them).

This story appeared on June 3, 2003:

A man running late for his flight to Phoenix called in a phony bomb threat Monday in hopes that the plane would be delayed long enough for him to get on board, police said. America West clerks at the Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport became suspicious and notified police after the man came to their desk asking about Flight 6262, which by then was on its way back to the airport because of the threat. The plane, an America West express shuttle, had been in the air for just a few moments when a flight attendant took a call from the pilot.

The 30 passengers were evacuated and a bomb squad searched the plane with the help of a dog. All bags were rechecked for any trace of an explosive device. Nothing suspicious was discovered.

It's incredible to me that someone would do this, especially post-9/11. But wait, THIS story appeared August 27, 2006!!

A man attending college in South Florida was arrested after authorities say he called in a bomb threat to the Long Beach Airport because he arrived late for his flight and was prevented from boarding, an FBI spokesman said Sunday.

Yechezkel Wells, 21, was being held at a federal detention center in Los Angeles following his arrest Saturday night. He was scheduled to appear in federal court Monday on charges of providing false information and making threats. Wells is accused of calling in the threat after he arrived only minutes before a JetBlue flight to Florida was scheduled to leave around 9:10 p.m. and was denied a boarding pass. Shortly after, Wells, a U.S. citizen, was arrested by local law enforcement at the airport based on unspecified information in his call.

It was not immediately known which college he attends. [Yeah, the dean of his college has got to be sweating bullets, hoping that info doesn't get out! Ha!]

"He admitted that there was no bomb and admitted he was upset because he wasn't allowed to board the plane," Smith said. The plane departed about an hour late after authorities using bomb-sniffing dogs determined it was safe. [Yeah, it was safe because they didn't let the stupid, crazy people on.] Smith said three [drunk] friends traveling with [really, really drunk and apparently stupid] Wells were detained and released after being questioned.

What in the world were these guys thinking? Did the thought ever cross their minds that this might end badly?

- Jul -