Tartan Gannet -
As I've said before, I'm an airline captain with a terrific prejudice against sky-rage.
I'm well aware that passengers such as the deceased CAN be restrained in a civilized manner, with minimal threat or harm to anyone.
My constant question - "Why won't the industry move in that direction?"
However, toward your "rules" I respectfully submit that your group of "decent, law abiding citizens" should not be allowed contain those who constitute a murderous mob.
Hypocrisy at it's finest! Do you claim to be a Christian, also???
Not only did the mob kill the kid, but they were still standing on him when the police came through the door at the gate. They had to be told by the police to get off him.
If that's your definition of "decent, law abiding citizens," you've got a real problem.
I join the rest on these threads as to being fed-up with the nut cases. They ARE dangerous.
However, my common response when a flight attendant tells me we have a distrubed passenger on board is, "Did you serve him [alcohol]?" To date, the answer is a consistent, "Yes."
In a majority of my questionings, the passenger was suspected to be a potential problem prior to boarding.
I've headed off many a disturbed passenger incident by ordering that he/she not be served - it works. My constant plea to flight attendants is, "Just give me an early warning." When they comply with that request, there is no ensuing significant problem. No guarantees, of course.
When a problem appears to be continuing after the alcohol cut-off, I go back and give them a speech about, "We're just concerned for your welfare." The idea that somebody cares seems to be powerful - even when it's a manipulative lie. Results needed; that's all.
The occurence of flipped-out passengers with no background or other plausible explanation is common enough to warrant a NASA study.
There is one case in the U.S. where a former airline employee slipped by security with a .44 and took out a whole plane over California.
Another case where a pilot came close to doing the same on a freighter.
In both cases, the individuals were known to be unstable, but boarded anyway.
In the second case, the nut nearly killed the copilot, who will never fly again. With all that, the flight crew subdued him. No doubt you'll call them stupid for not killing him.
A U.S. Government report illustrates that the FAA is knowingly and miserably failing in their security mission - yet nothing changes.
Further, while it is not advertised, the cockpit doors are designed for pressure relief in a way that they got discovered by accident by the nut cases and have now become a magnet for terrorists.
Where's the FAA with their infamous "emergency authority" now???? They are still getting off grounding pilots and carriers with it. Here's a perfect case for the application of emergency authority.
You want a finger to point - go for it. They are all yours. Not enough courage to do it? I'm not surprised.
I'm all for agressive attention to the sky-rage problem. But just as in accidents themselves, sky rage investigations tell us that the necessary ingredients are present prior to approaching the aircraft - with rare exception.
I'm deeply involved in thre aviation safety issues. What are YOU doing besides prostituting sites such as this for some cheap-shot self-agrandizement?
The expression you were looking for was, "Quite frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn." Or, at least cite it in terms of paraphrase.
Get a psychiatrist; get a life!