Chalk One Up For My Countrymen
By Wyatt Earp | January 8, 2010
My great-grandparents came to America from Czechoslovakia – more specifically, Slovakia – and the Slovak roots are still pretty strong on my mother’s side of the family. And that is why this story has me shaking my head. I’m not the only one. My Uncle Ray sent me this story, and I could almost hear him rolling his eyes as he did it.
BRATISLAVA, Slovakia — Slovak officials on Wednesday blamed “a silly and unprofessional mistake” for a failed airport security test that led to a man unwittingly carrying hidden explosives in his bag aboard a flight to Dublin.
Dublin security chiefs said it was foolish for the Slovaks to hide bomb parts in the luggage of innocent passengers under any circumstances.
Slovak Interior Minister Robert Kalinak expressed “profound regret” to the Irish government for the oversight and the three-day delay in alerting Irish authorities about the Saturday incident.
The Slovaks hid bomb parts in random pieces of luggage to see if their screeners (and dogs) could find them. The problem is that they forgot to remove the parts from the baggage before the planes took off. Nice, huh? Understandably, the Irish government is furious at the Slovaks.
Heh, it’s like my parent’s families are engaged in a personal civil war.
Topics: Slovakia | 9 Comments »
January 8th, 2010 at 8:07 am
It’s because Slovaks are dumb.
January 8th, 2010 at 8:40 am
Hmmm, didn’t that happen at Philly airport a couple of years ago, except it was drugs they forgot to take out of the poor shlub’s suitcase???
January 8th, 2010 at 8:55 am
Doh!
January 8th, 2010 at 9:31 am
In August 2006, I was in Ireland when all airports in the UK were closed after the threats, and arrests, of blowing up planes to the US from Britain. I thought for sure I would have a difficult time getting home. But then again, I was in Ireland.
Just 3 days later I was in Shannon Airport. I walked up to one of the security check points ready to show my boarding pass and Passport. As I approached I tried to hand over my documents, and was told “that’s okay” (as he waved me by). At first I was a little shocked, but I don’t fit the ‘profile’. I’m sure if I looked Middle Eastern, I would have received a closer look. AS IT SHOULD BE.
The Philadelphia Police train VERY frequently with explosive dogs at the airport. Explosives are hidden on planes for dogs to find. Paperwork follows that plane so others doing searches know explosives were ONCE on that plane for training purposes. But the explosives are removed immediately after training.
Leaving explosives after training is not a “mistake”, it’s incompetence.
January 8th, 2010 at 11:21 am
OOPS!
January 8th, 2010 at 12:14 pm
Wyatt, I too am of a very nationalistic Slovak descent. God Bless Frankie Yankovic, Joseph Schneehoor, The Six Fat Dutchmen, and America!
January 8th, 2010 at 5:21 pm
Randal – Uncle Ray is gonna kick your ass for that.
Old NFO – I believe so. We also let someone board a plane with a gun in his luggage.
Smite – Yeah, dumb.
Wagonsux – I remember when K9 gave us the demonstration in the academy. Damned impressive.
Rick – Big time blunder.
Watuschski – My sister-in-law is Slovak and she always puts out some food from the Old Country in Christmas Eve.
January 8th, 2010 at 6:32 pm
Ruht-roh.
January 8th, 2010 at 8:56 pm
Actually, I’m 50% Pennsylvania Dutch, 50 % Slovak and 50% Polish (by marriage). That makes me 150% American and since I served and survived 22 years in the U.S. Army, I’ve had the best the world has to offer for my entire life.