fighting highjackers

[Qkfx]

I read on the U.G. about some idiots saying they would have fought the terrorist even though they had knives. Well maybe they would have and I am positive that many on the planes would have as well IF they knew what was coming. I'm sure as frightening as that situation was they probably thought the terrorist just wanted to take the plane somewhere out of country. If they knew that they were going to die anyway I'm sure many would have given their lives in overcoming these guys in order to save more people, as it seems the crew in PA did. Those guys are heroes.

[Szczepankiewicz]

Unfortunately there will be a lot of "what ifs" and the discussion started almost as soon as the tragedy was over.

Hind sight is always 20/20. But you're right, the normal way of dealing with hijacking is negotiation. No one could have known what was going to happen....

[Szczepankiewicz]

Things to consider?

We sat around and discussed some techniques and items that could have been used as weapons during the terrorist acts this past week.

Not that probably everyone hasn't run through it in their mind already, and not saying anything negative towards the people on the planes at all, but I wanted to post the list of items that we could find on a plane that would have been effective weapons in the hands of determined people.

We came up with:

The floatation device on your seat as part of a knife shield.
The seatbelt ( or a regular belt) with the heavy buckle on the end.
The arm rest of the seat (once removed)
A good pair of boots on your feet.

A tightly rolled magazine. This sounds strange but I got wacked in the head really good last night and it brought stars to my eyes. It has to be very tightly rolled, but it has a longer range than the terrorists knives had (to my knowledge)

A necktie or coat or blanket for added knife defense.

A soda can in a tube sock. provided you have a full one.

Pen or Pencil makes a good stiletto.

A hard bound book, briefcase, or heavy carry-on bag.

A laptop computer. You know you've always wanted to smash the darned thing anyway.

Hot coffee in the face.

The tray table, in the down and unlocked and removed position.

Anything found in the galley would be useful as well.

These are all just common items that may prove as useful weapons in case you're ever in a bad situation. I didn't think about this stuff at all until we actually talked about it.

But I thought I would share it never the less.

SZ

[flyinclockchoke]

steak knives

don't some of the planes have real steak knives, you know the kind with the wooden handles and all, for their business and first class passengers?

I know that the silverware on United Business class is top notch, and definately sharp enough to penetrate skin...

[Twisted up]

I've never seen so many bad-asses in all my life than exists on these forums.

I'm CERTAIN that if some of the members from these forums had been on those flights, they'd have all landed safely with those "bad-guys" subdued.

[flyinclockchoke]

i'd be scared s'hitless in a hijacking...

twisted,

actually, let me be the first to admit that I'd be scared completely s'hitless in a highjacking... and i am almost certain that the passengers of the highjacked planes could not have anticipated that the highjackers would deliberately run the planes into their respective targets...

most passengers are told that if they comply, nothing will happen and that nobody will get hurt... so perhaps the passengers thought that if they did comply, nothing would go wrong...

if the passengers knew that they were going to die anyway, i'm sure that many of them would have said screw it and tried something, which is what some aviation officials are speculating happened in the case of the the airplane that went down in Penn.

Of course you'd be terrified, but at that point, it's fight or flight, and with the flight option eliminated, all you can do is fight. you know that to do nothing will surely result in your death and those on the ground. but if you fight now, you might still have a small chance of saving yourself... if not yourself, then at least you might be able to force the plane down into a deserted field instead of downtown NYC.

[bobby_steeles]

one armed marshall in plain clothes would have put a single cap in each one of those rag heads and saved thousands of lives...
hopefully we'll learn from this sh!t but i'm sure the next attack, whenever it happens, will be something else we would have never thought of.

[Szczepankiewicz]

Nope Twisted,

I don't think anyone is claiming to be a bad ass. Except for the people who took down the fourth plane. Which is why this thread was started.

We are just offering ideas to think about in a neck deep situation like that.

Personally, I would have sheet my pants (which is probably an effective weapon in itself).

A hero is just someone who overcomes their terror to take action. I haven't read a single post about anyone who said they would have done anything differently.

Everyone on this web board is in some sort of martial arts.

What is martial arts all about? Dealing with your fear to accomplish action? maybe, I dunno.

But feel free to keep taking shots.

SZ

[bobby_steeles]

i meant 1 armed marshall, not a "one armed" martial, heh.
he should probably have both arms...