I flew to Florida last Wednesday morning, and there was an 'incident' on the airplane prior to takeoff. When we arrived at the gate, there were two men in US Army uniforms standing there, one on either side of the gate. The airline was preboarding the aircraft. Since we had the kids with us we were eligible for preboarding, so we headed on the aircraft and started getting settled. Not long after we get settled- but before general boarding begins- the soldiers come on the aircraft. It's only at this time that I notice they're wearing MP armbands. They walk to the back of the aircraft and escort this guy off this aircraft, then one of the MP's stops and says "Wait. Where's his other bag? He came on with two bags." (I'm paraphrasing, but that's basically what he said.) So the guy being removed has to go back and produce this second bag. Meanwhile, the kids are asking me "Why are the soldiers taking that man off the plane?"
My wife and I shoot each other 'the look'.
"Well, uh, we don't know." Which was true; we didn't know why. Still don't.
But I can tell you that it's damned disconcerting to have a guy taken off the plane you're about to take off in. I didn't realize at the time that Governor Romney called in the National Guard a few weeks ago (after the London 'liquids on a plane' scare) to assist at Logan Airport. I know these guys were just doing their jobs (and it should be added that they were making the best of it, saying 'hi' to the kids getting on the plane & being very courteous with the guy they took off), but it's just disconcerting to have soldiers in charge of interacting with the general public. I
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