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In Situ
The Oblivious Passenger;
"Well yes he had been jiggling for a long time, his hand bouncing up and down under the blanket, but I thought he was a pervert, not a terrorist. I dunno, it was strangely flattering to think that he just couldn't stop himself, despite the fact I hadn't fixed my makeup and the ground security staff had confiscated my eyelash curlers and nail clippers so I wasn't looking my best."
The Air Hostess;
"I didn't really know what was going on, it looked like the Air Marshall had confronted the guy and had already drawn his pistol. I thought the guy looked suspicious when he asked for extra peanuts. We don't even serve peanuts anymore, just those god-awful pretzel things that have to be doused in chili powder to give them any sort of taste. Life was more interesting when we could expect someone to choke of a peanut or maybe go into anaphalactic shock. I miss those days... when flying was still such an innocent pastime for most people."
The Air Marshall;
"I had to contain the situation and keep the guy focused on me. He had his finger on the ringpull and even shooting him directly in the head and stopping his brain functions could have led to an instinctive muscle spasm that would have pulled the ring. We use special bullets that penetrate flesh without coming out the other side, but the risk is still very high that it won't work out."
The Terrorist;
"I was trying to drink a can of Orangina. The side of the can said to shake well before opening..."
Aug.11.2006