Do you care if a child gives the pilot of the plane you are flying in the okay to take off? Passengers at Nashville International Airport were split pretty evenly on the question.
Some called it a major security and safety issue while others said it is no big deal, and the child was in a very controlled environment.
No matter how you feel about the issue, it still rages on.
According to CNN, “unauthorized and unprofessional” is how an internal memo describes the conduct of an air traffic controller who allegedly allowed his two young children to speak with pilots on an air traffic control frequency, and his supervisor, who allegedly allowed it to happen.
As most of you know by know the incident happened in mid-February at New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport.
Its there than an air traffic controller reportedly allowed his young son and daughter to come to work and talk directly to pilots who were taxiing jet aircraft into position for take off.
“The display of professionalism in the past by the control personnel at this facility has been exemplary,” read the internal memo. “However, a lapse in judgment for what may seem a minor transgression diminishes our credibility and slights the high standards of professionalism.”
Dave Pascoe, owner of the Web site where the recording of the air traffic communications is posted, told CNN he thinks the attention the incident has drawn is “ridiculous” and it has been “blown out of proportion.”
In the recording, a child says, “JetBlue 171 cleared for takeoff.”
A man then tells the plane, “Here’s what you get, guys, when the kids are out of school.”
The pilot chuckles and says, “Wish I could bring my kid to work.” The same pilot later tells the child, “Awesome job.”
At Nashville International, here is a sample of the responses I got:
A man picking up his niece told me, “It scares me to death. That’s nuts. Passengers don’t want to know that a child is in charge of their lives.”
A nurse from Maine said, “People are making too big a deal of this. The child said routine stuff. It’s not a big deal.”
“That was inappropriate,” said a woman flying in from Washington D.C. “Would you want an eight-year-old taking care of the control tower your plane is flying into?”
A man who identifies himself as a flight attendant added, “That is not a good security situation. That was the wrong decision to let the kid up in the tower.”
“What I heard, it was a very tightly scripted situation,” said a civil engineer from Boston. “The kid said what he was told to say. I believe in bring your kid to work day. It’s good thing. We are overly sensitive to things today.”
The National Air Traffic Controller’s Association said they do not condone the type of behavior in anyway.
The air traffic controller and his supervisor have both been placed on administrative leave pending further investigation.
On February 15th, 2010, Ashley Harris was driving down Critz road in rural Williamson County. The 21 year old says that around 5:30 pm the road was icy and slippery.
The young woman says she was driving carefully and slowly as another motorist approached from the opposite direction.
As Harris approached Lewisburg Pike, there was a slight incline and bend in the road.
Harris taped the brakes slightly. That’s when the young driver said her car began to slide in slow-motion into the curve. Harris felt frightened as her car slowly slid off the roadway, which at this part of Critz road crosses over a creek.
The young woman says that’s the last she remembers until paramedics were standing over her in the ambulance.
An inspection of the bridge revealed a structure with no guard rails. In fact, Harris claims that if the bridge had guard rails, she would have had a low speed impact that might have dented her fender, but kept her car from falling upside down, 20 feet into the frigid waters below.
Harris and her passenger were belted in, which probably kept them alive until rescue crews arrived on the scene.
Harris’ passenger did not suffer serious injuries. Harris had a concussion. Her car was totaled in the wreck.
Now the young driver is calling for Thompson Station city leaders to put guard rails on the bridge so this doesn’t happen to anyone else.
“I cannot believe there is a bridge without a guard rail,” she told Messed Up.
“If they had a guard rail, it would not have been nearly as bad, maybe a fender bender,” she added.
Her older brother, Michael, echoes her concern: “I know they have had pot holes and roads are rough, but we need something in place so this doesn’t happen to anyone else, when it could be more tragic.”
At Andy’s request, City Administrator Greg Langeliers visited the bridge.
Andy has known Langeliers for several years, and he has always struck him as a can do type of administrator.
Langeliers told Messed Up point blank that the bridge needs a guard rail and the city will immediately begin looking into getting one in place.
“We have asked the town’s consulting engineer to look at it. We are evaluating where we would number one put it. Would we have to attach it to the side, or it is a narrow stretch of road, and we can’t have it sticking out,” Langeliers said.
Langeliers told Andy that there are plans in place to re-top Critz road, which is a major cut through to Spring Hill. He said that this guard rail will take precedence to that project.
“There are plans to rebuild this bridge, but we can’t afford to do it now. Hopefully we can design something to get the guard rails up and make this safe in the interim.”
We all know you can’t bring guns and knives and even shampoo through security checkpoints at the airport.
We all know we have to take off our shoes and pass them through the screening machine at the airport.
We all know we are going to show multiple forms of identification to a myriad of TSA agents who could possibly order us to another location for a secondary inspection.
We all know to take off our coats, and not to joke about bombs while standing in the TSA line.
We all know that the list of security measures to get on an airplane is extensive.
That’s why Joe Scott was so shocked when his wife found a knife accidentally left inside his lap top bag.
On January 10th, the Scott’s discovered the four inch 3-blade-knife several thousand feet in the air, while on board a Delta Flight headed to Salt Lake City, Utah.
Scott says he could have remained quiet about the obvious security breach, but the father of 8 says he decided to do the right thing, and notify the flight attendants.
Scott says the matter was handled on board in a quiet, discreet manner. He says the flight attendant warned him he would need to speak with security once they landed, but he was assured it would not last long and he would not miss his connecting flight to Seattle, where Scott was going to visit grandkids.
Scott says everything changed when the plane pulled up to the gate.
“Everyone stood and the flight attendant says please take your seats. And then U.S. marshals, and airport security and police shout out, “who is the couple with the knife?” They point to my wife and I and the plane is packed. They escort us off. Instead of going to a private place to discuss how this knife got through security, they stopped us at the top of the ramp and encircled us and interrogated us for 35 minutes over the stupid pocket knife.”
Scott says every passenger exiting the plane stared at him and his wife as if they were criminals.
“The U.S. Marshal was talking to me, his hand is on his gun the whole time. I said, dude, you are freaking me out. And he says I am from N.Y.C. and that is what we do. I felt like they treated us as terrorists. They didn’t catch the knife. My wife and I turned it in to them. We were honest and everything, and they didn’t say thanks or nothing.”
Scott says he misses his connecting flight. Scott says the only positive element of this story is that the airport manager in Salt Lake City did mail him back his grandfather’s pocket knife.
Messed Up obtains a report from the Salt Lake City police. The report is thin, referring to the case as a suspicious activity incident. The report echoes the story told by Mr. Scott, without all the details.
Messed Up also speaks numerous times with TSA officials out of the regional office in Atlanta.
Jonathan Allen sends me this statement:
On January 10, TSA was notified of a passenger who self-disclosed possession of a prohibited item during a flight from Nashville to Salt Lake City. The passenger stated that he inadvertently brought the prohibited item onboard the plane and disclosed it when he realized it was in his possession. TSA and local law enforcement met the flight. The passenger was interviewed, rescreened with negative findings and allowed to continue his travels.
In addition to checkpoint screening, TSA employs multiple layers of security including behavior detection officers, hardened cockpit doors, federal air marshals and federal flight deck officers. While no layer is impenetrable, the combination of layers results in a formidable security system.
We are reviewing the incident and will take appropriate action if necessary.
I ask Allen about human error or mechanical failure in Nashville. He would not elaborate only telling me that there are many layers to security and the system worked.
The way Mr. Scott sees it; the only reason the system worked is because he is honest and voluntarily turned in the knife.
Motorists with cars know that getting around Nashville can be difficult.
Now imagine trying to get around in a wheel chair on a city bus.
Linda Davis lives in North Nashville. The 50-year-old doesn’t have a car and says she doesn’t mind riding the bus, but she is frustrated because she is not always certain she will be able to board the vehicle.
Davis lives on Dickerson Pike near Hart Lane. There are two bus stops in front of her home. Neither side of the street has a sidewalk.
Davis says a sidewalk would not only provide safety, but it would create a flat surface for the bus ramp. This would allow Davis’ motorized wheel chair easy access onto the bus.
With no sidewalk, the ramp lowers onto Dickerson Pike which is not flat. Because it is not flat, her drive wheels sometimes spin leaving her unable to board the bus.
When you are waiting in the cold and the rain and the heat and the elements, not sure if you can board the bus you need, that is messed up.
“There’s a bus stop in front of my house, I should be able to catch it in front of my house!!”
We contact MTA for more information. A spokeswoman tells us the city is responsible for building and maintaining sidewalks. The official also says:
Busses are uniform as are the ramps.
MTA has 4,000 bus stops and 40 different routes.
Customers choose where they board.
“It’s the customer’s choice where she boards the bus stop. We would hope that she can make the right decision where to catch the bus.”
Kenton Dickerson works with the Center for Independent Living in Middle Tennessee. Dickerson tells me his agencies mission is to help citizens like Linda Davis become more independent.
I show him video of the woman getting on the bus, not getting on the bus and waiting on the side of the road.
Dickerson says he plans on sharing Linda Davis’ story with high ranking city officials inside the mayor’s office.
“What could happen, is for the MTA, they can control the location of the bus stops, they could go out and try and find a place where the street was more level than this is. That would help some. Obviously, the ideal situation is for the city to build a sidewalk there. I am on the mayor’s bike and pedestrian advisory committee. I have talked to the head of the committee and he is looking into finding where this is in the city’s plan to build sidewalks. The city is under court order to make sidewalks accessible. But after seeing this, I think we need to move the bus stop.”
I call Metro Public Works. The PIO tells me that there are no immediate plans to build sidewalks near Davis’ home.
There are a lot of rules to obey when you go to the Radnor State Natural Area.
According to the park’s website:
Jogging/running on trails is prohibited. Jogging/running allowed on
paved/graveled surfaces only.
Hiking is restricted to designated trails only. No off-trail hiking at
any time.
Dogs/pets must be leashed and are prohibited on trails.
Bicycles are prohibited on trails.
All food, picnicking, and feeding wildlife is prohibited.
All alcoholic beverages are prohibited.
Fishing, boating with personal watercraft, swimming, and hunting are
prohibited.
Musical instruments, church services, and weddings are prohibited.
BUT…
Handguns are allowed, as long as the person has a carry permit.
That law was put to the test the afternoon of December 20th 2009.
According to State Park Rangers, that is when a 37 year old Brentwood man entered the park with a loaded AK 47 PISTOL.
Assistant Commissioner for TN state Parks, Mike Carlton tells Messed Up, the man was wearing the weapon “slung” over his shoulder. Carlton says the type of weapon and the way it was displayed was upsetting other park patrons.
“I got a call from rangers at Radnor, who said they had a unique situation. Someone was carrying a gun, that they said was handgun, but it looked like a rifle to our rangers. It looked like a rifle to me too.”
Investigators confront the man who reportedly tells the Rangers the weapon is registered as a handgun and he has a legal carry permit.
The rangers question that story, and detain the man while investigating. Eventually agents with the ATF come to the scene and confirm the man’s story; that the weapon is a handgun, an AK 47 PISTOL and the man is NOT violating any laws.
After several hours, the man is allowed to leave.
Despite the ATF determination, Mike Carlton says the gun looked like a rifle to law men on the scene, and under park laws, a rifle is not permissible.
“Under normal circumstances that is a rifle. We all have our definition when we see a handgun. A handgun is in a holster, and this was one was slung over his shoulder in a sling. That is not my definition of what a pistol is.”
While the Brentwood gun owner did not violate any law, Carlton says the incident paints carry permit holders in a bad light.
“The unfortunate side effect of this is there are good people who follow the law. There are good carry permit people not breaking the law. They are not upsetting people on their visit. And this one guy is drawing (negative) attention to people who are pretty good folks. His actions will force some scrutiny.”
According to officials at the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, the AK 47 pistol is considered a handgun because it does not have a stock and the barrel is less than 11 inches long.”
When shown a picture of the weapon, park visitors we spoke to were upset and alarmed.
Ron Turner, former councilman in this district, tells Messed Up this:
“That doesn’t look like a handgun to me. It concerns me. People come here for peace and tranquility and nature. That would have upset me greatly. I would hope as this story gets out voters would contact the general assembly and let them know they are concerned about this type of weapon. The bill should be revoked or this kind of weapon excluded.”
Messed Up left several messages for the gun owner, but those calls were not returned.
But Park Rangers direct us to a website where the gun owner reportedly describes Sunday’s incident:
“I reached the end of the trail and turned onto the roadway where I saw the first ranger of the day. He asked me if it was an airsoft and I said no it was an AK-47 type pistol. He looked at me strangely and asked to see my permit. I showed my Tennessee handgun carry permit. He asked where I parked and I told him. He said I could keep walking I kept walking as he called someone. By the time I reached my car the ranger was no where in sight as I walk quickly. However, another ranger vehicle pulled in the parking lot and a ranger jumped out with a shotgun pointed at me and yelled at me to stay still and put the weapon on the ground. After I put the weapon down he told me to move away which I did. He then told me to put my face on the ground and my arms on my head. I complied.”
What started out as a pot hole, just a minor inconvenience, has become much more at one condo complex in Madison.
Over time, residents say, the hole has opened up, become deeper, and more dangerous.
One resident tells Messed Up the hole is a traffic issue and almost caused her to wreck.
That driver is B.J. Hannah, who says she has lived in the Coventry Woods Condos for nearly 16 years.
Because the hole takes up the middle of the driveway, cars have to alternate coming in and going out. Hanna says this almost caused her to have a head on collision.
Residents say they began noticing the problem after heavy rains in October.
Hannah says residents pay 100-a-month to their home-owners association for general upkeep, and after two months of dodging this traffic menace, something has to be done.
The Vice President of the management company that runs this complex says they are aware of the problem.
Brent McGarr tells me his office notified Metro Storm Water to see if the city was responsible for the problem.
Storm Water PIO Sonia Harvat tells me, inspectors visited the complex and determined the city is not responsible.
Brent McGarr VP of McGarr & Assoc says the home owners will have to absorb the cost of the repair, which could run anywhere from $8,000 to $20,000 dollars.
“The problem is the metal pipe running under the driveway. It is rusted out. There is nothing to pour concrete or rock onto. It goes down through to the creek. Ultimately the home owner’s association board will make the decision on how the money is spent. The board has committed to choose a contractor before the end of the year to do the work. Then when money is available we will start the project.”
A viewer says the signs TDOT promised to post (“UNLAWFUL TO THROW OBJECTS FROM BRIDGE. VIOLATORS WILL BE PROSECUTED”) are not working.
Andy,
The signs did not work! Attached are pictures of a pumpkin that was thrown off the Bridge Wednesday night. I was coming home from a business trip when about 9:30pm when I saw the remains of a pumpkin on the road. I turned around and took pictures and then the next morning took a couple of more. The one picture at night is a picture I took when I saw a car swerve into the other lane to avoid the pumpkin. Sorry the picture is not that clear, it was taken with a cell phone. The pumpkin landed in the same lane as the water balloon, except on the south side of the bridge.
Metro Police arrest an Antioch man charging him with five counts of cruelty to animals.
Animal Control authorities say the dogs were injured and covered with blood.
It happens Monday, November 2nd.
According to police affidavits; Metro Police and animal control raid the home of Miodrag Zimonjic after his wife reportedly calls 911
According to arrest reports: The 38 year old was “very intoxicated” and in the back yard, allegedly fighting two of his pit bulls.
Animal Control Supervisor Billy Biggs was on the raid. He says there was so much blood; it looked like a murder scene.
A few days later I see one of the dogs involved. His eye is badly injured, covered with a medicated ointment.
The dog seems very calm and many of the shelter staff kiss the dog’s face.
Biggs is disgusted by the entire event. He says that dog fighting is a much bigger problem in Davidson County than people realize.
He shows me an undercover video put out by the Humane Society of the United States, which estimates more than 100,000 Americans participate in the illegal blood sport.
We go back to the Zimonjic home. Nobody answers. In the back we find several dog houses, and heavy chains, but no animals.
Biggs says laws are changing regarding animal fighting. So are rewards for information that leads to convictions. A poster promising 5,000 dollars hangs on the door leading into the quarantine area of the shelter.
Biggs tells us that the dogs will recover and be kept safely till the case can be adjudicated.
Then, in what could be the cruelest twist of fate, perfectly healthy and seemingly friendly animals will be destroyed. Biggs says there are few options because the dogs have shown a propensity to fight and are not suitable for adoption.
A Cannon County man is demanding action after his car windshield is destroyed by an object thrown from a 50 foot high bridge.
According to the Cannon County Sheriff’s office, someone threw a shopping bag containing water balloons from the bridge that crosses SR 145.
The bridge is 50-60 feet high and the car was traveling at 50 mph when the impact occurred.
David Vance says it was dark and had just begun to rain. He says it sounded like “someone shot out his windshield.”
Though it was wet and dark, Vance says he was able to keep his Audi under control on the narrow, winding road.
Vance says he turned around and went up on the bridge, but the culprits were gone. He called the sheriff’s department which responded, but had few clues to go on.
According to Cannon Co. Sheriff Billy Nichols, items are thrown from the bridge all the time, but this is the first time he can recall a vehicle being hit.
Mr. Vance says he has seen pumpkins and computer monitors and car batteries smashed below the bridge. The sheriff says he has seen air conditioners and even refrigerators thrown from above.
It is for this reason that Mr. Vance is calling for action.
The sheriff says he can step up patrols, but with only 2 night time deputies working a large county, babysitting the bridge is not possible.
The County Executive, Mike Gannon says he is concerned about the incident and the issue. He tells me that he has been in contact with TDOT to see what if anything can be done.
Gannon says he is considering cameras and lighting as a preventative measure.
Mr. Vance is no bridge engineer but he knows what he would like to see - a barricade, similar to the walking bridges that cross highways. Vance says that would discourage people from throwing items onto vehicles.
“Personally I don’t know why they can’t put a pedestrian fence system up. You have people leaning over painting this thing. And the state has to cover it up. There is money they are spending they would not have to spend if they had something up here to keep that from happening.”
A TDOT spokesperson tells Messed Up it’s not that easy.
The fence is not practical, nor a good use of tax payer money. The spokesperson tells me this is a law enforcement issue, not a TDOT issue.
Additionally the spokesperson says, because of the height of this structure, the only way to maintain the bridge is to drive a bucket truck onto the bridge, and then lower a crew over the side in a bucket to get underneath. A fence would severely hamper that type of maintenance operation, the official says.
When I inform Mr. Vance of this, he responds by telling me; “They have the money. If we had a big car plant here, and all that money that goes into roads, they would have had this done. But it’s Cannon County. We don’t throw much money to the tax base and it’s being ignored.”
The TDOT official responds; “TDOT’s primary concern is for the safety of the motoring public. One of the most important functions of the department is the inspection of every bridge in the state. Fencing or barriers can create serious difficulties for our inspection teams, and can hamper maintenance and repair work. That being said, TDOT will continue to work with the Cannon County Mayor and local authorities to find a solution to this problem.”
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Do you care if a child gives the pilot of the plane you are flying in the okay to take off? Passengers at Nashville International Airport were split pretty evenly on the question.
“That was inappropriate,” said a woman flying in from Washington D.C. “Would you want an eight-year-old taking care of the control tower your plane is flying into?”
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Animal Control Supervisor Billy Biggs was on the raid. He says there was so much blood; it looked like a murder scene.
According to Cannon Co. Sheriff Billy Nichols, items are thrown from the bridge all the time, but this is the first time he can recall a vehicle being hit.
Mr. Vance is no bridge engineer but he knows what he would like to see - a barricade, similar to the walking bridges that cross highways. Vance says that would discourage people from throwing items onto vehicles.
