Sorry, I don't consider praying on a plane acting foolishly or inappropriately. - Edit 2
Before modification by Joel at 21/01/2010 10:30:14 PM
A US Airways flight was diverted to Philadelphia after a Jewish man's prayer items triggered a bomb scare, Philadelphia police said.
Passengers grew alarmed when the man used a phylactery - a small black box Orthodox Jews strap to their head as part of their rituals, police said.
The man was not arrested and the plane landed without incident.
US airports are on high alert after a Nigerian man was held over an alleged bomb plot on a plane last month.
His device allegedly malfunctioned and he was quickly overpowered by passengers and crew on the flight from Amsterdam to Detroit.
The latest incident took place on a 50-seat regional jet originally bound for Louisville, Kentucky from New York's LaGuardia airport. It landed in Philadelphia at about 0900 local time (1400 GMT).
Phylacteries - called tefillin in Hebrew - are two small boxes, usually made of black leather, with straps attached to them.
Observant Jewish men are required to place one box on their head and tie the other one on their arm as part of their morning prayers.
Seriously? Could you do your morning prayers before the flight and not on the middle of it? The plane is not the place for your morning prayers and no, I don't care how devout you (the passenger) are!
There is a simple way to stop all the shenanigans happening on flights. This man should be charged for all the extra fuel and employee wages that the diversion caused. If they start charging people and billing them thousands of dollars for their disturbances (and stupidity) then people will begin to think twice before acting a fool or inappropriately.
Passengers grew alarmed when the man used a phylactery - a small black box Orthodox Jews strap to their head as part of their rituals, police said.
The man was not arrested and the plane landed without incident.
US airports are on high alert after a Nigerian man was held over an alleged bomb plot on a plane last month.
His device allegedly malfunctioned and he was quickly overpowered by passengers and crew on the flight from Amsterdam to Detroit.
The latest incident took place on a 50-seat regional jet originally bound for Louisville, Kentucky from New York's LaGuardia airport. It landed in Philadelphia at about 0900 local time (1400 GMT).
Phylacteries - called tefillin in Hebrew - are two small boxes, usually made of black leather, with straps attached to them.
Observant Jewish men are required to place one box on their head and tie the other one on their arm as part of their morning prayers.
Seriously? Could you do your morning prayers before the flight and not on the middle of it? The plane is not the place for your morning prayers and no, I don't care how devout you (the passenger) are!
There is a simple way to stop all the shenanigans happening on flights. This man should be charged for all the extra fuel and employee wages that the diversion caused. If they start charging people and billing them thousands of dollars for their disturbances (and stupidity) then people will begin to think twice before acting a fool or inappropriately.
All things considered, it might be a good idea; I can certainly see why a devout Jew might feel that way. I definitely think tackling a man, diverting his flight and then charging him tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars FOR PRAYING is not an America in which I want to live. Doing it to an Orthodox Jew sounds more like bin Ladens America, but many new policies have that ring.
We could easily prevent shoe bombers and the like if we strap and sedate all the passengers, too, but those who would sacrifice essential liberty for security deserve and receive neither.