Did they over-react?

[anotheoldgit]

This is regarding a bus on which a passenger saw smoke coming from a fellow passengers bag and contacted the police.

The bus was stopped on the M6 toll motorway, and surrounded by Armed officers, troops, fire-fighters, ambulances and bomb disposal experts.

This was discussed this morning on the Nick Farrai show LBC radio who seemed to think they had over-reacted, and he nearly burst a blood vessel when a caller disagreed with him.

He attempted to shout the caller down by shouting "IT WAS JUST A HARMLESS ELECTRONIC SMOKING DEVICE FOR GOD'S SAKE" and that the police could have sent along a patrol car with a couple of officers, one who could have entered the bus and approached the passenger and say "excuse me sir do you mind telling me what you have in your bag"?

Yes that would have been all right if they had knew it was only a harmless electronic smoking devise, but they didn't, and if it had been something more sinister the lives of the buses passengers, along with the police officer could have been at risk if not immediately, but certainly by the time all those emergency response teams had finally arrived at the scene.

All very well to be wise after the event, Mr Farrai.

But what do fellow ABers think?

[AB Editor]

I think they acted fairly properly. Especially as it ended in a bit of a farce, which is a very British way to end things.

[jno]

you don't like the name Vermilion? How do you feel about Scarlett O'Hara? Or Red Adair?

[LazyGun]

I think Kiki summed it up best earlier - "Damned if they do, Damned if they dont". You can just imagine all the outrage had they not eomplyed the measures they did, and it was a genuine threat with a genuine explosive device.

If nothing else, they get some practice in cross- service emergency response and co-operation.

[craft1948]

I use E-Lites................but I never use buses.

[Messi_Ten]

Total overkill, every jobsworth in the country turned up. Looks the the job cuts aren't deep enough!

[anotheoldgit]

AB Editor

/// I think they acted fairly properly. Especially as it ended in a bit of a farce, which is a very British way to end things. ///

That's not very patriotic of you ED.

Mmmm, End of slavery, 'a bit of a farce', End of WW2, 'a bit of a farce', end of rationing, 'a bit of a farce' end of The British Empire, 'a bit of a farce', end of the Falklands War, 'a bit of a farce', end of hostilities with the IRA, 'a bit of a farce'. Helping to over throw Gaddafi in Lybia, 'a bit of a farce'.

[sandyRoe]

The police had stopped a car, recovered guns, and arrested people in the same area. In view of that, their response to the bus incident wasn't an overreaction.

[anotheoldgit]

Messi_Ten

/// Total overkill, every jobsworth in the country turned up. Looks the the job cuts aren't deep enough! ///

Perhaps you will reconsider what you have said, if you are ever depending on the police or emergency services to get you out of what could be a life threatening situation?

Perhaps you are the type of person who would demand the most best of attention, when it only effected you yourself?

[Brenden]

Of course it was not an overreaction, they would have been failing in their duty if they had not responded in the way they did - terrorists only have to see a slight chink in your armour and they will act.

[anotheoldgit]

Good point Sandy.

[excelsior-1]

i did not need to read the entire thread.

i agree with the first two responses ... rojash and baldrick

[cathfromsaron]

no, we all need to keep our eyes open! x

[chaptazbru]

Better to be safe than sorry !

[AB Editor]

I think it's very patriotic of me. Silliness and irreverence is part of our national character. An Englishman who cannot laugh at his country is not an Englishman.

[anotheoldgit]

AB Editor

/// I think it's very patriotic of me. Silliness and irreverence is part of our national character. An Englishman who cannot laugh at his country is not an Englishman. ///

Now,now ED that is not what you said.

You said that the British always ended things in a farce
ie /// unlikely, extravagant, and improbable situations ///

But that doesn't mean that everything he does ends up in a farce.

An Englishman can laugh at both himself, and his country, but really at any other or their countries.

[peewack]

Of course they over re-acted; if that was a bomb and the bomber was aiming to go to London and blow something up he would have been well alerted by the bus stopping before it's schedule and been ready fro plan 'B' which these people usually have due to the experience they have had in the past. Better take this lot with me than be caught, I imagine is what he would have said to himself if he were such a tyranical person!

[missprim]

I agree with sandyRoe as this had just happened.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18734585

[echokilo]

Massive over reaction - at a cost of £100K and 6.5 hours of road chaos .... yes, go and check it, yes send back up - but surely 16 firs crews was OTT??? What if they had been needed elsewhere??

[rsvp]

imo they didn't over- react - there was a perceived threat and they reacted to it - what else do people want - a referendum for anti terrorest reaction before any unit is mobilised? This may take a while - in the meantime we have all been obliterated by a bomb or chemical warfare. I'm grateful they are on the button.

[wiltsman]

I think an element of this incident is, that the emergency services were putting into practice, something that may be involved in if terrorism comes to the Olympics.