Bottles of honey causes Calif. airport shutdown

Breitbart ^ | 01/05/2010 | By TRACIE CONE and MARCUS WOHLSEN

[Responsibility2nd]

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (AP) - The suspicious material found inside luggage that prompted the shutdown of a California airport Tuesday morning turned out to be five soft drink bottles filled with honey, authorities said.

A passenger's suitcase tested positive for TNT at Bakersfield's Meadows Field during a routine swabbing of the bag's exterior, Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood said. When TSA officials opened the bag, they found bottles filled with an amber liquid, he said.

"Why in this day and age would someone take a chance carrying honey in Gatorade bottles?" Youngblood asked. "That itself is an alarm. It's hard to understand."

Investigators said the bag's owner, Francisco Ramirez, 31, is a gardener from Milwaukee who has been cooperating with authorities. He flew to Bakersfield Dec. 23 to spend Christmas with his sister and was returning Tuesday when the alarm sounded.

When TSA agents opened one of the bottles and tested the contents, the resulting fumes nauseated them, Youngblood said. Both were treated and released at a local hospital.

"It's encouraging that the system did work, because something is not right there," Youngblood said. "The system worked the way it was supposed to, but it just takes time when you close an airport—and it costs a lot of money."

[Responsibility2nd]

It's encouraging that the system did work....

 

 

 

[Responsibility2nd]

At least the honey was not found in his shorts.

[Republic of Texas]

So Mom was right. Honey does work better than vinegar!

[livius]

Honey carries botulism spores, which is why you shouldn’t feed it to infants. It’s harmless to adults, but possibly could set off some sort of bioterrorism alarm.

As for the TSA agents, I think they were delusional.

[redhead]

"When TSA agents opened one of the bottles and tested the contents, the resulting fumes nauseated them, Youngblood said. Both were treated and released at a local hospital."

Yeah, gotta watch out for those honey fumes. Whiskey tango foxtrot???

[Republic of Texas]

So Mom was wrong?

[Right Wing Assault]

When TSA agents opened one of the bottles and tested the contents, the resulting fumes nauseated them,

What did they test it with, concentrated nitric acid?

[chiefqc]

Oh good grief, give me a break.

[dfwgator]

Reminds me of the old commercial:

“What you got in the bag?”

“Nut and Honey.”

[Allegra]

Yeah, gotta watch out for those honey fumes. Whiskey tango foxtrot???

I was wondering the same thing. What on earth are honey fumes and how is it they made people sick enough to go to the hospital?

Am I missing something here?

[Political Junkie Too]

What does this mean, that the more we rely on ethnic workers to run security, the more likely it will be that they don't recognize certain foods, and then panic at the smells?

-PJ

[Responsibility2nd]

When TSA agents opened one of the bottles and tested the contents, the resulting fumes nauseated them...

________________________________

Well, I had a girlfriend that promised me honey one time.

Turned out the resulting fumes sent me to the hospital also.

(TMI???)

[Snickering Hound]

"None of your steenkin business why we put honey in Gatorade bottles!"

[11Bush]

When TSA agents opened one of the bottles and tested the contents, the resulting fumes nauseated them, Youngblood said. Both were treated and released at a local hospital.

Same old, same old. Several years ago a leaking strawberry preserves bottle sent several USPS employees to the hospital. What a bunch of morons. Maybe instead of hiring the lowest common denominators in society they could hire some returning vets that have balls.

[Graybeard58]

Well, I had a girlfriend that promised me honey one time.

When you go to kiss your honey

And her nose is wet and runny

You may think it;s funny

But it'snot

[olezip]

"It's encouraging that the system did work, because something is not right there," Youngblood said. "The system worked the way it was supposed to, but it just takes time when you close an airport—and it costs a lot of money."

But the "system" did NOT work. Some poor gardener with traces of fertilizer on his clothing or bags, who is taking honey to give to relatives being falsely accused of terrorism says the system failed again. Maybe Youngblood gets his cues from Janet.

Military personnel or police officers who spend time at a shooting range may be sources of false positives. Current administration officials thus have another opportunity to humiliate our military and law enforcement personnel.

Our "system" punishes the innocent because everybody and anybody might be a terrorist, even a 88 year old retired schoolteacher. But our "system" is more likely to let the suspicious person go because we do not want to be accused of profiling!

[hkp123]

For Christ’s sake. I used to ship maple syrup from PA to my cousin in CA and get oranges and lemons in return. This is horse shit and the American people have better prove to the government who has the balls to stop this crap. This is out of control. What’s next?
A boycott of flying would only encourage the government of taking over their industry (think GM and Chrysler).
I really do wonder at times if we can come back from this debacle of government control.

[outofsalt]

This guy was a gardener. Any fertilizer containing Nitrogen can set off alarms. I once fed my lawn in my loafers and wore them that weekend to the airport. Bad idea.
If he harvested wild honey and put them in Gatorade bottles this would be legit and yet, dumb at the same time.

[doodad]

Having been in the haz business once upon a time I saw very similar behaviour from public employees (and only public employees). Any chance or excuse to claim illness, hopefully disability, worker comp, mental distress. Anything.

I bet this was the case here.

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

Am I missing something here?

Yeah, that two agents got the rest of the day off.