[at-l] OT: Gas/propane trucks (was) RE: Backpacking terrorists

[nealb at midlandstech.edu (William Neal)]

Yes, but the question is how often does it happen in relation to the
numbers?

Take airlines as an example.  We often hear of planes crashing.  Lots of
people die.  Often from fires.  But when you compare number of passengers,
miles traveled, etc. to driving, it is safer to fly than to drive.

Going back to gas/propane trucks and using in terrorist acts...  You would
have to go to the trouble of finding one.  Just hoping to find one would not
work when you are planning a terrorist act.  I hope to find an envelope with
money in it.  Know a couple of people who did and who "inhabit" the same
area.  But I have never found one.  Even though I walked by the same area an
envelope (bank) was found 15 minutes later.  If you plan a terrorist act,
you do not depend on God to drop it in your lap.  You pre-plan on getting
what you need.  And it is a lot easier to find a box truck than a
gas/propane truck.

Then you would have to tamper with the "safety" devices and other devices to
get it to blow up or even to steal one.  Just burning up would not appeal to
terrorists.  Note I mentioned they were dangerous.  I did not say they would
not burn; just that they were hard to explode.  And explosions is usually
what terroists want.  Burnings takes too long.  Are too easy to control.
And they don't create anywhere near the terror that an explosion does.

And once hijacked, most of the time, a police alert is sent out.  Besides, a
propane/gas truck is very obvious.  How many gas/propane trucks to box
trucks do you notice?  Most people don't notice box trucks since they are as
common as city pigeons.  Gas/propane trucks are like hawks.  Too obvious.

Now box trucks can be rented fairly easily.  And are fairly inconspicuous.
Or they can be hijacked on the spur of the moment.  After all, you don't
have to do anything to them but pop the lock and then load the explosives in
the truck.  No tampering with safety devices, etc. while the police are
looking for the truck (as with a gas/propane trucks). So box trucks are
better suited for terrorist acts than gas/propane trucks.   

William, The Turtle

-----Original Message-----
From: Walter Daniels [mailto:wdlists@optonline.net]
Sent: Wednesday, July 16, 2003 11:50 PM
To: 'AT-L List (E-mail)'
Subject: RE: Backpacking terrorists (was) RE: [at-l] Cost of a
thru-hike?


>Gas/propane trucks are really hard to find except those owned by gas
companies.  Are hard to blow up unless you have experience -- dangerous yes,
but how many accidents with them do you hear of them blowing up. 

>Just my guess.

>William, The Turtle

Bad guess. Two of them have completely done in bridges in NY in recent
years. They don't explode, they just burn and melt the bridges. All they had
to do is crash it into the side of the bridge.

They are not hard to find around here. Yes they are all owned by gas
companies, but would be easy to hijack, just wait on a quiet residential
street for them to come make a delivery.


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