Posted on 07/22/2005 11:08:38 AM PDT by areafiftyone
The driver of the London Underground train involved in the latest terrorist scare was chased by armed police and had a gun held to his head as he tried to escape the scene of today's shooting, according to union officials. The driver started running along an underground tunnel as passengers were fleeing from Stockwell Tube station following the shooting of a suspect.
He was followed by police who briefly held a gun to his head, according to officials from the train drivers' union Aslef.
When other drivers heard about the incident they were reluctant to continue working normally, said Steve Grant, the union's London officer.
He said the incident highlighted the tense atmosphere staff were having to cope with during the present crisis.
Mr Grant said police had since apologised about the incident.
Of-course.
The SAS drag even hostages by the hair, because they may not be who they seem. However, they are in control. It seems the same in this case.
For all we know the guy could have been running about with his holdall containing his coffee and lunch. What you gonna do, say "excuse me old chap, is that a bomb you have in your bag?" :)
I agree a lot with you mate, It is hard to stay calm when someone is trying to kill you, but then we here in America have been living for years with criticism from Britain about our racial problems and our police officers have been accused of being cowboys , shooting first and answering questions later. It just seems a bit ironic that a country that has criticised us so heavily for gun use put 5 bullets into an unarmed man. You are correct though when it come to a split second decision that has to be made that cop want to go home to his family that night and the dead guy should have stopped. Its funny how things seem different when it comes home isnt it? I am not criticising mind you just reminding Brits maybe they should think next time they read about gangbangers getting shot dead by American police.
That's what happens when you give guns to cops that aren't used to carrying guns.
Wow! I've always considered the "Stiff upper lip" statement as a term that signified bravery and high moral values. A term of endearment. Thanks for the education.
Whoa. Consider who's doing the criticizing. Usually, it's some smelly anti-war anti-everything puke who gets the vapors at the sight of a gun. The media loves to cover their "views" and usually agrees with them.
"that cop want to go home to his family that night"
Yeah - the cop and all of people on the train.
But the point is he wasn't unarmed at that specific split-second. If you are a friend of/or are a suicide bomber and you don't do what the Police says, you must be presumed to be armed.
As for the supposed criticism, why are Americans so keen to make political or social points at this time?
If your friends wife dies do you tell your friend you never liked her in the first place; or do you keep quiet and do what you can to help - just as he did when you were in trouble? :)
FROM ANOTHER THREAD:
He saw about 20 police officers, some of them armed, rushing into the station before a man jumped over the barriers with police giving chase.
He said: "There were at least 20 officers and they were carrying big black guns.
"The next thing I saw was this guy jump over the barriers and the police officers were chasing after him and everyone was just shouting 'get out, get out'."
--I DON'T THINK THIS GUY WAS JUST LATE FOR HIS TRAIN.
Note to self: Don't screw with British cops, they're jumpy lately.
No stiff upper lip means puritanical and posh. Britain is actually open and extremely diverse. Even the UK isn't one nation as such, but four nations in one nation-state, so stereotypes don't hold.
I think most Americans think it means "steady underfire" "steadfast" "resolved"
Thanks for the colloquial lesson!
Very true, some of the criticism may subdue now - or as long as the terrorists continue to strike in the UK.
No, no, they have a stiff upper lip....and an itchy trigger finger. But I dont blame them one bit.
I dont blame Briton either.
See the rest of the thread on the term "stiff upper lip"
Sounds like the driver was "Asian," as they say over there, and got caught up in the moment with some understandably jumpy police officers.
}:-)4
Friend I am sure we will help all we can. and what I said has nothing to do with most Americans just my own opinion.
As for criticising the police , I am not doing that either, If I had been there I would have popped a cap in the guy too probably. You say he wasnt unarmed at that split second. Well fact is he was unarmed but the cops didnt know it. Thats how most perps get shot.Remember that next time an American cop blows away someone unarmed the same way, and you read in your British paper how the cops are running wild in America.
Many in England are pretty keen to make social comment on political comment when we have a problem so why not me when the shoe is on the other foot? Sorry if the truth hurts, maybe you should talk to some of your fellow citizens and make them realise that sometimes Shit Happens.
Of-course you are welcome to your opinion, and I have never seen anyone criticise American Police for killing criminals, but there must be some.
As for the truth hurting, I'm afraid you are under a misapprehension - I know who the best Police forces are! ;)
You have to give the London police credit for trying to solve the problem. If all the Tube drivers refused to work, there would be nothing for the terrorists to bomb. Brilliant police work!
Looks like the shoe's on the other foot now.
We had a punk kid here in my town get shot a few years ago, and the race-baiters still haven't shut up about it. Kid with 15 misdemeanors runs from a cop, gets chased, ducks into a dark alley, makes a move for his beltline. Cop shoots him. Turns out his "mama" told him "you always run from cops!"
My one experience with the police? My car gets pulled over in the snow. Cop asks me to stay in the car. ("Yes, sir,") He walks around, taps snow off my plate. He tells me they had a car like mine involved in a robbery nearby, and couldn't read my plate due to the snow. I thank him. He thanks me. We both go our separate ways.
When the nice policeman says stop, you do. You speak politely to him. If you haven't done anything, thats usually about it. That's what my mama told me.
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