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October 22, 2003October 21, 2003
The FBI is taking this kid to court instead of giving him a job. He’s a twenty-year-old junior at Guilford College. He set out to demonstrate that the Transportation Security Administration procedures currently in place are completely inadequate to prevent any determined terrorist from bringing weapons aboard commercial airliners. He did this by depositing box cutters, a bottle of household bleach, matches, and modeling clay in the lavatory compartments on planes in Houston and New Orleans. They were left in bags with notes that indicated that the items were intended to challenge Transportation Security Administration checkpoint security procedures.
Naturally the FBI tracked him down because he signed his name and e-mail address. And instead of thanking this kid and giving him some kind of medal, they’re hauling him up before a judge and making his life miserable. At an age when many college students enter frat house beer-guzzling contests or spend their weekends bungee jumping young Heatwole engages in public service activities. He attends a school that values civil-disobedience, pacifism, and other Quaker ideals and is a serious student who is admired by his teachers. Although Horsefeathers may not agree with his pacifism, it takes Heatwole’s principled actions seriously, protests the government’s blockheaded actions, and thanks this smart, courageous young man for his public spirited efforts to keep us safe. Posted at 11:28 AM by
 
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Here's a better way to for the FBI to deal with this attention-starved "prankster", assuming he still wants to contribute to civil aviation safety:
Mock up a 737 cabin, with some unsuspecting randomly chosen people reflecting a typical passenger sampling. Put Mr. Heatwole on board, instruct him to rise from his seat and declare loudly that he has brought dangerous implements on board, with the intent of commandeering the airplane. Then see what the passengers do to prevent him from reaching the cockpit door. I hope it would include a major ass kicking, maybe he'd wind up choking on some of that clay he left on board.
This guy's no hero, he's a dick!
Posted by: David on October 23, 2003 01:37 PMWhile I wouldn't go so far as to call him a hero, he certainly did a lot more than anyone wants him to be able to. How many terrorists are going to give the FBI advance notice?
If, clued in by his tip, the FBI had jumped him while he was carrying out his plan, Bravo for them! and he gets what he deserves. They didn't. Who are the dicks? And I don't mean "detectives" and I don't mean "Tracy." Why didn't they stop him?
And are you suggesting that passenger resistance is the preferred method of dealing with potential hijackings? That might be a neccessity, but it's a pretty awful plan.
Posted by: murdoc on October 23, 2003 07:07 PMHe sent warning. It was ignored.
He was successfully able to plant items on airliners that presumably he walked right through security screens with.
The warnings about pilot training were ignored. 9-11 happened.
You'd think someone would get a clue here. Maybe the authorities can't read or are email deficient.
Posted by: Karen Lee on October 27, 2003 08:25 PMOr maybe they looked into the kid's background, decided he was a some stupid college kid with no real access to high explosives, and decided his threats were bogus.
Ever wonder how many threats the FBI recieves every day? Ever wonder what would happen if they actually investigated all of them fully? Odds are they'd be so busy protecting us from the dangers of modelling clay that they wouldn't have time to stop any real bombs... you know, the kind that terrorists plant WITHOUT giving warnings first?
Posted by: Tatterdemalian on October 28, 2003 04:18 PMGovernment agencies are so conserned with protecting their six they lose sight of their mission.
Posted by: Tibo on October 29, 2003 09:25 AMI think the kid did a service for all who travel by air.