Man Plows SUV Into Maui Airport, Ignites Fire

[nodehopper]

Honolulu (March 1) - Thousands of departing passengers were stranded on the island of Maui for 10 hours on Sunday after a man drove his sport utility vehicle into the open-air ticket lobby and set the vehicle on fire, authorities said.
Maui County police and the FBI said it was not an act of terrorism. No one was injured.
The 52-year-old suspect, whose name was not released, was arrested and remains in custody, police said.
The incident occurred early Sunday morning. The man drove his Dodge Durango up a handicap access ramp and into the lobby near the United Airlines ticket counter and then ignited a flammable liquid in the back seat, said Scott Ishikawa, spokesman for the Hawaii State Department of Transportation.
"Because of the ensuing investigation, we had to shut down the airport to outgoing flights," Ishikawa said. "We could allow planes to arrive, but we couldn't allow passengers to depart because we couldn't screen them." </snip>

more here:
http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=20040229221409990001&_mpc=news%2e6

[chimpy the poopthrower]

1. "not an act of terrorism"?

Don't have AOL so couldn't sign in but... how can this not be considered terrorism?
:shrug:

edit: I mean I couldn't read the article. Got another link?

[spinbaby]

2. Simple

If it's a white guy, it's mental instability; if it's an arab-looking guy, it's terrorism.

[tom_paine]

10. Bingo!

Oh, and when Democrats are attacked with anthrax or their planes go down...it's not terrorism either.

[MountainLaurel]

3. Depends on his purpose

It's terrorism if he's trying to make some statement, promote some groups's agenda, or incite fear. If he's just some drunk who hit the accelerator instead of the brake, then it's not terrorism.

[primavera]

13. Wow, that sounds just like republicans

Of course, judging from the shrub's drunk driving convictions, I guess they could fall into either category.

[WildWorldOfMan]

12. I read about crap like this all the time...

so what. Believe it or not crap like this happens all the time in America. Not all whackos out there who do stupid shit like this is linked to terrorism.

[chimpy the poopthrower]

14. It's terrorism by definition.

I would argue that it's by definition an act of terrorism to purposely crash a car into an airport and then set it on fire. Now whether or not it's connected to a terrorist organization (as opposed to a single individual) is another matter.

Also, I wonder now if the FBI really said it's not an act of terrorism or whether that was sloppy reporting. I saw a direct quote from an FBI agent somewhere (lost the link), and she said something about this event not indicating "a nexus of terrorism." Well, that's a bit different from just saying this act was not terrorism. Now, it may be that there were two different quotes or it may be that this single quote was misconstrued by the reporter.

[KansDem]

4. Are we sure this was intentional?

Perhaps the man lost control of his SUV because he had a cell phone in one hand and a coffee in the other.

As for the fire in the back seat, perhaps the coffee was from McDonald's and spilled on the back seat, raising its temperature level to the point of combustion.

:shrug:

edited to add "(/sarcasm)"

[chimpy the poopthrower]

5. Well it sure sounded deliberate.

The article snippet said he ignited a flammable liquid in the back seat. It didn't say that the liquid caught fire from sparks from the crash or something.

[Robb]

6. Just watch...

DHS will roll back the ADA, since he drove up a handicap access ramp. :eyes:

[rocktivity]

7. Maybe he's one of those environmental extremists

one of those people who have been vandalizing and firebombing SUVs--except that he didn't know that he wasn't supposed to be inside them.

:headbang:
rocknation

[chimpy the poopthrower]

8. another link (same exact story)

http://edition.cnn.com/2004/US/West/03/01/airlines.suv.reut/

The snippet in the original post is pretty much the whole article except for the last paragraph/sentence. Might want to shorten it a bit.

[newyawker99]

9. Hi nodehopper!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Bombero1956]

11. on our local news

They reveal that the guy, Paul Blatchley has a local connection. Once lived in Monson Mass. and ran a botanical garden in Monson named Devonshire Botanical Gardens with a partner. He was said to be despondent about a failed romance.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

15. More on man from Monson in Maui mishap...

MONSON - A former Monson man who drove his roommate's car into the ticket lobby of Maui's main airport Sunday and set it ablaze has been increasingly depressed since he tried unsuccessfully to save the life of a tourist who drowned while surfing several weeks ago.

Paul S. Blatchley, 53, who operated Devonshire Botanical Gardens in Monson for several years with Francis Lobik, is facing first-degree attempted murder charges and first-degree criminal property damage charges in Hawaii. Federal charges are being considered.

Blatchley is being held on $220,000 bail. Lobik said he's trying to find a way to have his "best friend" released from custody and may set up a fund so people can make donations.....

...Lobik said Blatchley had grown increasingly despondent after seeing a vacationer struck by a huge wave and knocked unconscious. Lobik witnessed the incident and said beach-goers formed a human chain and pulled the man from the water before Blatchley and a nurse performed CPR. But the man died.

http://www.masslive.com/springfield/republican/index.ssf?/base/news-4/1078307215278482.xml

[RememberTheCoup]

17. Oh, man.

I would be so pissed if a roommate did that to my car. :evilgrin:

[symbolman]

16. I sure hope they don't mess with the airport now

it's wonderful to fly into Maui after having all those TSA idiots looking up your butt everywhere else you fly - and walk out into an airport where birds are flying all around the rooms, wide open, and the security guy is emptying the trash cos he's bored..

sometimes in Hawaii it's hard to tell the inside from the outside of buildings.. we don't need extra security..

too bad the guy saw someone die in the ocean but that happens here all the time.. NEVER turn your back on the ocean in Hawaii..

[slackmaster]

18. At least they acknowledge this SUV was under control of a human

Most of the time it sounds like the SUV's fault.