OT-Tampa school bus

[JohnS]

Did anyone else see this story and think that we should be worried? http://www.tbo.com/news/metro/MGBDJDFFFNE.html

[Fixed]

bro it's the first i heard of it . but i don't own a t.v.
cheers

[davids]

Yeah, they sound like terrorists. :rolleyes:

I'm more concerned about the bus driver who allowed them on...

[JohnS]

Yeah, they sound like terrorists. :rolleyes:

I'm more concerned about the bus driver who allowed them on...
It could have been a practice run...and we failed the test. First, they never should have been allowed on the bus. Second, why wasn't the bus directed somewhere other than the school. Lastly, why was the school liaison officer the only one to greet the bus?

[Too Tall]

Personal info. should not have been released to the public / press on these men.

[davids]

It could have been a practice run...and we failed the test. First, they never should have been allowed on the bus. Second, why wasn't the bus directed somewhere other than the school. Lastly, why was the school liaison officer the only one to greet the bus?
I agree with everything you say except that this could have been a "practice run." A practice run for what? For drawing attention to their stupidity? What could these guys possibly have been rehearsing that they could have had any hope of actually executing?

This calls for some perspective:

Boss: All clear?

Fifth: All clear, Boss.

Boss: (unfolding big map across table; talking carefully) Right ... this is the plan then. At 10:45 .. · you, Reg:, collect me and Ken in the van, and take us round to the British Jewellery Centre in the High Street. We will arrive outside the British Jewellery Centre at 10:50 a of m. I shall then get out of the car, you Reg, take it and park it back here in Denver Street, right? At 10:51, I shall enter the British Jewellery Centre, where you, Vic, disguised as a customer, will meet me and hand me £5.18.3d. At 10:52, I shall approach the counter and purchase a watch costing £5.18.3d. I shall then give the watch to you, Vic. You'll go straight to Norman's Garage in East Street. You lads continue back up here at 10:56 and we rendezvous in the back room at the Cow and Sickle, at 11:15. All right, any questions?

Larry: We don't seem to be doing anything illegal.

Boss: What do you mean?

Larry: Well ... we're paying for the watch.

Boss: (patiently) Yes...

Larry: (hesitating) Well... why are we paying for the watch?

Boss: (heavily) They wouldn't give it to us if we didn't pay for it, would they... eh?

Larry: Look! I don't like this outfit.

Boss: Why not?

Larry: (at last feeling free to say what's on his mind) Well, we never break the bloody law.

(General consternation.)

Boss: What d'you mean?

Larry: Well, look at that bank job last week.

Boss: What was wrong with that?

Larry: Well having to go in there with a mask on and ask for £15 out of my deposit account; that's what was wrong with it.

Boss: Listen! What are you trying to say, Larry?

Larry: Couldn't we just steal the watch, Boss?

Boss: Oh, you dumb cluck! We spent weeks organizing this job. Reg rented a room across the road and filmed the people going in and out every day. Vic spent three weeks looking at watch catalogues...until he knew the price of each one backwards, and now I'm not going to risk the whole raid just for the sake of breaking the law.

Larry: Urr... couldn't we park on a double yellow line?

Boss: No!

Larry: Couldn't we get a dog to foul the foot...

Boss: No!

Reg: (suddenly going pale) 'Ere, Boss!

Boss: What's the matter with you?

Reg: I just thought... I left the car on a meter... and it's...

Boss: Overdue?

Reg: Yes, Boss.

Boss: How much?

Reg: (quaking) I dunno, Boss... maybe two ... maybe five minutes ...

Boss: Five minutes overdue. You fool! You fool! All right ... we've no time to lose. Ken - shave all your hair off, get your passport and meet me at this address in Rio de Janeiro Tuesday night. Vic - go to East Africa, have plastic surgery and meet me there. Reg - go to Canada and work your way south to Nicaragua by July. Larry - you stay here as front man. Give us fifteen minutes then blow the building up. All right, make it fast.

Larry: I can't blow the building up.

Boss: Why not?

Larry: It's illegal.

Boss: Oh bloody hell. Well we'd better give ourselves up then.

Reg: We can't, Boss.

Boss: Why not?

Reg: We haven't done anything illegal.

http://www.geocities.com/fang_club/boss_non-illegal.jpg http://www.geocities.com/fang_club/reg.jpg

[JohnS]

Who knows? Not all terrorists are rocket scientists. Maybe they figured that if they were questioned, they could just play ignorant, and if they weren't, the next time they became bombs. Remember, terrorists succeed because they look like someone who shouldn't be taken seriously. If they looked like bad people, security would be all over them. Terrorists only look like terrorists in the movies.

[William]

Who knows? Not all terrorists are rocket scientists. Maybe they figured that if they were questioned, they could just play ignorant, and if they weren't, the next time they became bombs. Remember, terrorists succeed because they look like someone who shouldn't be taken seriously. If they looked like bad people, security would be all over them. Terrorists only look like terrorists in the movies.

Technically (legally), not much can be done to these guys. They didn't do anything other then take a ride on a bus. It could have been a stake out or honest mistake.....which I personally don't buy. Even if these two never intended to do harm, the message has been sent. School buses are easy targets. Set routes and travel times, packed with kids, easily coordinated in any part of the U.S. which would have a massive effect of the type they want. It's the type of thing these animals would do. In hindsight 9/11 really wasn't that hard for them to pull off, and look at the result & exposure. Something along these lines would be easier and have a much larger impact.

You can call me paranoid, I call it being prepared for different, possible scenarios.


A variation on my mantra:

I'd rather be prepared and have nothing happen,
then have something happen and not be prepared.


William

[Bobbo]

Technically (legally), not much can be done to these guys. They didn't do anything other then take a ride on a bus. It could have been a stake out or honest mistake.....which I personally don't buy. Even if these two never intended to do harm, the message has been sent. School buses are easy targets. Set routes and travel times, packed with kids, easily coordinated in any part of the U.S. which would have a massive effect of the type they want. It's the type of thing these animals would do. In hindsight 9/11 really wasn't that hard for them to pull off, and look at the result & exposure. Something along these lines would be easier and have a much larger impact.

You can call me paranoid, I call it being prepared for different, possible scenarios.


A variation on my mantra:

I'd rather be prepared and have nothing happen,
then have something happen and not be prepared.


William

What Williamissimo said.

Come on people, wake up. The idea of someone actually believing the story of these two gives me chills. Read the story again. These guys were up to something. Confusing a big yellow bus populated solely by children with public transportation? Come on, how stupid do you think we are? (Actually, don't answer that question.)

God help us.

[JohnS]

What Williamissimo said.

Come on people, wake up. The idea of someone actually believing the story of these two gives me chills. Read the story again. These guys were up to something. Confusing a big yellow bus populated solely by children with public transportation? Come on, how stupid do you think we are? (Actually, don't answer that question.)

God help us.
To update an old saying--Ignorance isn't bliss, it's just, well...ignorance! :crap:

[coylifut]

Yes we should be worried. Our transportation systems are sitting ducks. I can get on the tarmac of any airport in this country anytime I want.

the thing that comes to my mind is why "a practice run." If you were planning harm, why bother boarding un armed or without the dynamite vest.

I think it's highly un likely that terrorists would get on a school bus to see if they could ride it to the end of the line because they believe they can make up a story if anyone notices. The element of surprise is a the most valuable asset. Why ruin it?

Maybe I'm giving them too much credit. Maybe they're the kind of terrorists you see on "World's dumbest criminal" videos. It's possible. With that said, there's no defending the driver who let them on.

I once mistakingly boarded a bus in Indonesia that took workers from the outskirts of town to work at a large rice mill in town. I got on, everyone looked at me funny, I tried to pay the driver until some one with limited english pointed out my mistake. I asked him if I needed to get off, he asked the driver and they let me ride into town. The difference is that I didn't change my story 3 times, nor claim I was from Canada.

I can see both sides of this issue and we're left to trust that law enforcement did their job.

[Sandy]

Buses are blown up often in Israel, some with suicide bombers inside the bus, and some with bombs outside the bus. It could very easily be done here.

I certainly feel that the school system involved handled the situation in an extremely poor manner.


Sandy

[Tom]

Terrorists only look like terrorists in the movies.

Here's some helpful hints from the Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Law Enforcement's "Terrorism: What the Public Needs To Know" pamphlet on how to tell a terrorist. They are:

"Focused and committed
Team-oriented and disciplined
Familiar with their physical environments
Employ a variety of vehicles and communicate by cell phone, email, or text messaging
Try not to draw attention to themselves
Look like students, tourists, or businesspersons
Travel in a mixed group of men, women, and children
Avoid confrontations with law enforcement
Use disguises or undergo cosmetic surgery"

That should help.

[Fixed]

bro do you really think anything is really safe ? if they want it bad enough they can get it . even if we live in a police state . i.m.h.o.cheers