Wednesday, January 23, 2008

in the news

In western Pennsylvania, a woman beats her older sister with the sister's own prosthetic leg.

And cops in Kentucky shoot a man because they mistake his prosthesis for a weapon.
I suppose that anything is possible, but I am seriously doubting that his leg looked anything like this:


Any moment now, I expect hysterical demands for bans on "assault limbs." Those amputees are very dangerous you know. I have a BK, myself - it's a little smaller than the AK.

15 comments:

Lydia said...

given that it took me well over 10 years to even realize that you had a prosthetic, I bet they would consider it a concealed weapon.

Brent Greer said...

LOL...I love your sense of humor Breda -- "assault limbs"...I plan to link to this post later in the day. You made my day!!!
Brent

Carteach said...

Oddities can be found in any genre....
Never underestimate human ability to be weird.....

I thought you were thinking the 'robocop' route? Way kewl.... but whatever you think best. With the AK, the muzzle would be plugged for sure... not a good idea.
Better a built in holster....
or two.

"Honest officer, I just kicked him! I have no idea how his $$$$$ got blown off."

Mike W. said...

How in the hell do you mistake a prosthesis for a weapon? Not to mention it was a LEG and thus couldn't possibly have been pointing at them anyway.

Could you imagine if an armed citizen had shot this guy and used that as their defense? He would be laughed out of the courtroom before being thrown in jail.

I can't imagine how these cops would have reacted to someone openly carrying a real holstered gun on their hip. I think they'd open fire the moment they saw a *gasp* GUN!

NotClauswitz said...

That better have a muzzle break or flash-hider on it or the crown is toast and will never shoot accurately! :-) Mainly I'm downcast about Fred...

Anonymous said...

Serious question Breda, when you fly, do they ask you to remove your leg?

I was just thinking that it would be a breeze to hollow out a fake leg and put a {insert scary, 'terist device here} inside of it.

Do they x-ray them? And if it was a metallic, Cyberdyne Industries T-1000 Model, could they?

breda said...

lydia - your observational skills leave something to be desired.

robb - I haven't flown since 9/11, and honestly, I'm a little worried about them making me remove my leg when I eventually decide to go somewhere. That would be really embarrassing for me. I imagine it would set off some sort of alarm if I went through the metal detector because all prosthetics have some sort of metal inside, underneath the cosmetic cover.

breda said...

Robb - I just looked it up.

"Prosthetic devices do not have to be removed for screening; however they will be manually inspected and swabbed for explosive residue. Tools needed to adjust prosthetic devices are allowed through security upon inspection."

I will be swabbed, apparently. Ugh.

Anonymous said...

The Supreme Court guards STILL give me a world of grief about my crutches (Canadian crutches; Lofstrand crutches; cuff crutches) because there was some novel 30 years ago in which a crutch was actually a gun...

The Supreme Court guards are the most obnoxious, self-important, ill-mannered guards in all of Washington DC, including the White House.

Well, they were under Rehnquist. Perhaps John Roberts, who is still an awful judge but supposedly a better person, has taught them some manners. Rehnquist's own 'tude was so imperial, I don't suppose he expected the guards to be any less so.

Anonymous said...

You know, I think that the first comment I ever left for you was pointing out that Rose's prosthesis was an AR, not an AK :).

breda said...

Ha! & fearsclave, I thought of you when I posted this one =)

Christina RN LMT said...

I bet the sister just grabbed whatever was handy and big enough to do some damage. Sad when sisters resort to violence, though. Whatever happened to cutting your sister's hair while she was asleep, and other evil, yet not violent, deeds?

Tam said...

"I haven't flown since 9/11"

Nor have I. It's becoming a point of pride.

People have asked me if the steel in my leg sets off metal detectors and I truthfully answer that I haven't a clue because I haven't gone anyplace that insults me that way in eight years.

breda said...

tam - it is kind of an insult, yeah. And the more I think about it, the more I think that they are going to have a problem when they come at me with their swab.

Maybe I'll wear a burqua that day and they'll leave me alone. Can't have racial profiling, right?

Anonymous said...

"In western Pennsylvania, a woman beats her older sister with the sister's own prosthetic leg."

...in a trailer park, no less!
Classic

word verification:boazmnro