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September 27, 2008

Stupidity on the increase?

There are definitely times when stupidity should be a capital offence. The extended post gives an example of one such - a British (I'm ashamed to say!) woman who bought a live artillery shell in France, placed it in her hand luggage and then, when stopped by French Security staff at the airport, claims not to have any idea why it caused such a fuss!

I think the only thing that tops that story is the Russian ship, carrying thirty - you got it, count them yourself - tanks which has been captured by pirates off Somalia......

One can only hope that they are not fully equipped and haven't the ammunition with them, but don't count on it.

ITN - Friday, September 26 01:07 pm An entire French airport had to be evacuated when a British woman tried to board an aircraft with a bomb in her hand luggage.

Security guards spotted the 55-year-old had a World War Two shell, used in army field guns, in her case ahead of her Ryanair flight from Bergerac, in the Dordogne, to East Midlands airport.

The woman, from Nottingham, said she had bought the 37mm military explosive in a second hand shop as a present for her husband.

As more than 1,000 passengers and staff were forced to leave the terminal building, bomb squad officers took the shell to nearby wasteland and carried out a controlled explosion.

A French police spokesman said the woman, who has not been named, was questionned at the scene.

He said: "She told us she had no idea that taking a military shell through airport security would cause such a fuss. She said she bought the device in a second hand shop because her husband collected military memorabilia."

He added: "Checks were made with the tradesman she bought it from and her story proved to be genuine, so charges will not be brought and she was allowed to leave."

The flight finally took off 90 minutes late with the woman on board, airport officials said

Posted by The Gray Monk at September 27, 2008 07:22 AM

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Comments

The Gorse Fox believes that the problem is the spread of black-market stupid pills. It wasn't too bad in the old days when they were handed out on prescription (union leaders in the 70's, miners in the 80's, Labour voters and bankers in the 00's) but now they are freely available on street corners - everyone is taking them.

Posted by: Gorse Fox at September 27, 2008 07:16 AM

I think you've hit the nail on the head there - perhaps it should be labelled a "Class A" drug and possession made illegal?

Posted by: The Gray Monk at September 27, 2008 11:03 AM

Talking about the Russian ship, carrying thirty - you got it, count them yourself - tanks which has been captured by pirates off Somalia. The British government doesn't want to do anything about the pirates because they are afraid that the pirates will claim asylum when the reach British soil.

Posted by: Skipjack at September 29, 2008 07:26 PM

Nononononono! They are afraid Mrs Blair's Human Rights colleagues will make a fortune defending the pirates right to be pirates - at the British Taxpayers expense!

Posted by: The Gray Monk at September 29, 2008 09:17 PM

Oh yes, and our three frigates that are all this government has left of the Navy are all deployed elsewhere!

Posted by: The Gray Monk at September 29, 2008 09:18 PM

I hereby volunteer to learn shipbuilding and start building more frigates for the Navy. That is, if we have any metal left over from the raids of the scrap thieves. Would wooden ships do?

Posted by: Postulant at October 7, 2008 11:58 AM