What about the toilet paper? Stuff a wad into someone’s mouth and they could suffocate! In other words, what on a plane can’t be turned into a weapon and should be banned?
Air Worthiness Directive 2011-04-09 (PDF). That’s the name of a new FAA rule that might kill you one day. It dictates that emergency oxygen masks should be removed from lavatories in every commercial plane in the United States.
The new rule was just made public by the FAA after keeping it secret for a long time in the name of “national security”. It was communicated to airlines previous to this date and it has already been enacted in 6,000 airplanes across the US commercial fleet as of Friday, March 4. But neither the government nor any of these airlines have notified passengers about these changes.
According to an official FAA note, it and “other federal agencies” (TSA anyone?) think oxygen generators in lavatories are a “security risk”. According to these agencies, terrorists may try to use this equipment to take airplanes down, turning the oxygen canisters into explosive devices.
Perhaps more problematic is the fact that, according to this report, the FAA has been trying to tip toe over this issue. The entry was absent from the FAA’s website because, according to them, “they wanted to make the changes before the wrong people realized a potential vulnerability.”
By taking out the generators, passengers who are in a lavatory during a rapid decompression event will not be able to use the oxygen masks. They will have to run out of the lavatory—in the middle of a confusing emergency situation—back to their seats.
Someone should be able to sue the FAA if this gets someone killed.
Hey, I once needed oxygen in the bathroom in releasing an unusually large turd.
Rush I could make the obvious certain poster joke, but I am a better person than that.
Clearly the only rational answer is to ground all airplanes. Then TSA could really make headway at railway stations, athletic events and shopping malls.
Anyone who has ever followed Rush Limbaugh into a washroom understands why this is a bad idea.
Surely this will make all these aircraft fail the airworthiness test of other countries.
It is actually a plot to stop you leaving the USA. Pretty similar to what the Soviets did and the North Koreans still do. If none of your aircraft can leave your borders, then all you slaves will have to stay where you are told!
The dang pilots have their own independent air supply, that’s not a chemically generated system. So why can’t the Toilets have a similar supply, activated only in emergencies? And not subject to local tampering. They’ve got water lines going to these closets. And electricity for lighting. Hmmm. Maybe those could be misused as a weapon, somehow. Better replace it all with moist towelettes, chemical toilets and glow sticks. Now, everyone is totally safe, until the Incredible Hulk cuts on in the john. HULK SMASH!!
I just heard a roomer (that I started) that in order to make Amtrak more competitive with the airlines, all light bulbs will be removed from their trains’ toilets. It has nothing to do with terrorism, on trains. The Gov. just wants something equally stupid done to train toilets. And they haven’t any oxygen masks to remove.
Ya know, I’ve always wondered what accompanies the mask and tubing. Is that a plastic vomit bag, attached to the mask?
And talk about hurling babies. Diaper poop is about the most toxic substance on earth. Someone could threaten to hurl a bag of that stuff, and most people would comply with their demands.