A "must read" prior to flying

["J. Sullivan" <jsullivan@moscow.com>]

    If you have not read this, please do so, then pass it on to your
business associates, family and friends who may fly. The message is
an empowering one.

     Preflight instructions:

     From the Washington Times, Wednesday, September 19,
     2001

     Aboard Flight 564
     by Peter Hannaford

     As it was at most U.S. airports, last Saturday was he first
     near-normal day at Denver International since the terrorist
     attacks. On United's Flight 564 the door had just been locked
     and the plane was about to pull out of the gate when the
     captain came on the public address system.

     "I want to thank you brave folks for coming out today. We
     don't have any new instructions from the federal government,
     so from now on we're on our own." The
     passengers listened in total silence.

     He explained that airport security measures had pretty much
     solved the problem of firearms being carried aboard, but not
     weapons of the type the terrorists apparently used, plastic
     knives or those fashioned from wood or ceramics.

     "Sometimes a potential hijacker will announce that he has a
     bomb. There are no bombs on this aircraft and if someone
     were to get up and make that claim, don't
     believe him.

     "If someone were to stand up,brandish something such as a
     plastic knife and say 'This is a hijacking' or words to that
     effect here is what you should do: Every one of you should
     stand up and immediately throw things at that person "
     pillows, books, magazines, eyeglasses, shoes" anything that
     will throw him off balance and distract his attention. If he has a
     confederate or two, do the same with them. Most important:
     get a blanket over him, then wrestle him to floor and keep him
     there. We'll land the plane at the nearest airport and the
     authorities will take it from there."

     "Remember, there will be one of him and maybe a few
     confederates, but there are 200 of you. You can overwhelm
     them.

     "The Declaration of Independence says 'We, the people' and
     that's just what it is when we're up in the air: we, the people,
     vs. would-be terrorists. I don't
     think we are going to have any such problem today or
     tomorrow or for a while, but some time down the road, it is
     going to happen again and I want you to know
     what to do.

     "Now, since we're a family for the next few hours, I'll ask you
     to turn to the person next to you, introduce yourself, tell them
     a little about yourself and ask them to do the same."

     The end of this remarkable speech brought sustained clapping
     from the passengers. He had put the matter in perspective. If
     only the passengers on those ill-fated flights last Tuesday had
     heard this same talk, I thought, they might be alive
     today.

     Remember This.

I thought this was good practical advice and hope that each of you
reading it will take it as it was intended. To educate and inform those
of us who fly.. We are living in some harsh times now, aren't we?

Janesta Sullivan