Titanic Editorial: You can easily forgive the police for a case of mistaken identity when they pulled over a white mini van that had plates that matched a stolen vehicle, but once the family started emerging from the van, it seemed pretty obvious (even from the helicopter camera far above) that this was not a bunch of crazy thieves that need to be spread out in a prone position on the highway with their hands cuffed. Whatever happened to chatting with the driver for a few minutes, letting him produce some papers. It certainly seemed that with no less than 5 police vehicles and a helicopter, there was enough security around to walk up to the window and ask for a driver’s license and registration. This just seems to be part of an emerging body of video footage that includes a lot of pointless tasering and rough treatment by police. Clearly, America has a serious civility issue within segments of the police force.
Here’s a new one for rail travel: police don’t need to worry about their guns.
An Amtrak officer is suing the railroad, claiming it’s liable for a woman who grabbed his gun and shot him in the foot.
James Bullard, working at Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station last March, got in line at McDonald’s (he wasn’t even on the train). While there, he tried to remove a disruptive woman from the restaurant. She grabbed his gun and shot him in the foot.
You might think he’d sue McDonald’s. But Bullard is claiming that he had a worn-out gun holster and that Amtrak failed to provide a new one when he requested it. Perhaps he has a case.
Hard to imagine a 25-year-old local scam artist is so dangerous to the public that it was worth endangering the lives of many by opening fire in a crowded public spot. Or enough to kill him, which is what they did. Watched too many movies? Poor judgment call? Poor training? Personally prefer the practice in Europe, where typically let the guy get away (and try to catch him later), rather than start a public gun fight that might kill or wound many onlookers.
If there’s one light on a plane you don’t want to malfunction, it’s the light in the plane’s only bathroom. When this happened on a SkyWest Airlines flight, it didn’t leave the passengers much to do except cross their legs and pray. That is, except for one especially acute urinator who, according to the Salt Lake Tribune, “had two really big beers. It was like I had no choice.” What he’s referring to is his decision to pee into an airsickness bag. A clever solution? Perhaps, but the pilot didn’t think so. He called the police upon landing in Salt Lake. The airline later issued an apology and gave the passenger a travel voucher.
(8 votes, average: 9.75 out of 10)
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photo: elmada via flickr
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