An electronic cigarette caused armed police to detain 48 people, shut down a motorway and call in th - Polidicks

[url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-stoke-staffordshire-18728303[/url] [quote=BBC News][B]A fake cigarette prompted armed police to swoop on a coach on the M6 Toll road and close the motorway for more than four hours.[/B] Forty eight passengers on the Megabus Preston to London service were led off the coach and forced to sit apart in a cordon on the opposite carriageway. The road was closed near Lichfield before police said they were no longer treating the incident as suspicious. Police said they received a "genuine report" of vapour escaping from a bag. [B]'Genuine security alert'[/B] Armed officers, troops, firefighters and bomb disposal experts all went to the scene. Jenny Lister, who was on the coach, said when she got off "there were armed police aiming at us". She said: "We... were told to sit in rows and not talk to each other. There was a small area of the motorway where we were told to sit and stay. It was probably 45 minutes to an hour that we were sat there. "The worst part was being stuck on the bus not knowing what was going on." A force spokeswoman said, given the credibility of the information received, officers "responded swiftly and proportionately". But police found no crime had been committed. The M6 Toll road was shut from about 08:20 BST and fully reopened by 14:00 BST northbound and by 15:00 BST southbound. Staffordshire Police received a report from someone who saw vapour coming from the man's bag while the coach was near the M6 Toll plaza at Weeford, near Lichfield. The force said on investigation they found the passenger had an electronic cigarette which produces a visible vapour. [B]'Reports unfounded'[/B] The passengers, including at least one young boy, were taken to a cordoned-off area of the motorway and surrounded by police. A decontamination unit was set up and officers searched the coach passengers one by one. Military personnel, police dog handlers, firefighters and other specialist units were at the scene. Military personnel, police dog handlers, firefighters and other specialist units were at the scene. No-one was injured, there was no danger to passengers and no-one was being treated as a suspect after armed officers evacuated the Megabus coach, police said. The spokeswoman said: "We can now confirm that, whilst this was a genuine security alert, the significant concerns reported to us were unfounded. "It's important to state that no criminal offence has been committed and no passenger or any other member of the public is being treated as a suspect. "We would like to apologise for any inconvenience and hope that the public understand that we have our duty to safeguard public safety." [B]'Felt uneasy'[/B] Witness Nick Jones, who was stopped on the motorway for more than an hour-and-a-half, said police warned him to stay in his car, keep his windows closed and not to use air conditioning. He said: "I was beginning to feel a little uneasy." A spokeswoman for Megabus, which is operated by Stagecoach, said all 48 passengers booked on the service were safe and well. She said: "We are assisting police with their inquiries into an allegation made against a passenger who was travelling on the 05.10 Preston to London service. "There were 48 people booked to travel on board the service, which was due to arrive at Victoria Coach Station in London at 10.55am. "Police have confirmed that all passengers are safe and well and they have been transferred to a substitute vehicle."[/quote]

second hand smoke is dangerous.

Heh.

[QUOTE=RichyZ;36636227]ecigs emit steam[/QUOTE] What are you, some kind of terrorist sympathiser?

A bag emitting vapour is a reasonable note for concern... they can't exactly just start ignoring shit like this.

[QUOTE=Scotchair;36636254]A bag emitting vapour is a reasonable note for concern... they can't exactly just start ignoring shit like this.[/QUOTE] Couldn't someone have taken a look inside before calling the police?

[QUOTE=Scotchair;36636254]A bag emitting vapour is a reasonable note for concern... they can't exactly just start ignoring shit like this.[/QUOTE] It would make sense to just check the bag before you call in the armed forces to point guns at people. Ah, dammit, ninjad

[QUOTE=fear me;36636294]It would make sense to just check the bag before you call in the armed forces to point guns at people. Ah, dammit, ninjad[/QUOTE] Right, because the average person is going to go about fiddling with things that they think are bombs.

[QUOTE=smurfy;36636277]Couldn't someone have taken a look inside before calling the police?[/QUOTE] [img]http://gifs.gifbin.com/052009/1243608899_bus-blast.gif[/img] probably not worth the risk.

They could've asked the dude what was in the bag

I dunno, if I had seen steam/smoke coming out of the bag I'd have thought "shit's on fire" not "terrrorisssstss!"

[QUOTE=Upgrade123;36636372]They could've asked the dude what was in the bag[/QUOTE] Well if I was some sort of terrorist I could have said its food instead of a bomb, its a legitimate concern considering it could've been a chemical weapon or some shoddily made bomb.

Just another indication of the fear based world we live in.

It was my understanding that it was another motorist who raised the alarm, not anyone on the coach.

[QUOTE=smurfy;36636277]Couldn't someone have taken a look inside before calling the police?[/QUOTE] And what if it was a legit threat?

[QUOTE=markg06;36637612]And what if it was a legit threat?[/QUOTE] Call the police.

[QUOTE=lotusking;36636208]second hand smoke is dangerous.[/QUOTE] So is third hand smoke

"Smoking is bad for your health, and those among you"

[QUOTE=Jocke;36637770]"Smoking is bad for your health, and those among you"[/QUOTE] Another person who has NO fucking clue what an e-cig is

Muslim terrorists!

Something suspicious was seen and people did the smart thing by not involving themselves, and by involving the guys prepared for this shit. It's an appropriate response and you guys would be talking differently if this was an IED and nobody reported it

[QUOTE=Upgrade123;36636372]They could've asked the dude what was in the bag[/QUOTE] "um what's smoking inside that bag, sir?" "NOT A BOMB IF THAT'S WHAT YOU THINK" [editline]5th July 2012[/editline] better safe than sorry

[QUOTE=zakedodead;36637039]Just another indication of the fear based world we live in.[/QUOTE] Uh no? If it had been a bomb and ignored you would all lose your minds.

Seems like it was an inconvenience for the motorist involved, but it's nice to know that the UK's response teams are working as they should. I'd rather have to sit in traffic fourty-five minutes or get taken off a bus than have one explode because something was overlooked.

A bit extreme, eh Britian? I can understand a bit of suspicion, but come on. A few seconds extra watching would have proven it to be an e-cig and not a bomb, and then you wouldn't have inconvenienced hundreds for four hours. Shit like this is proof positive that the terrorists were highly successful. They got what they wanted. 15 years ago nobody would have given this a second glance, these days it's grounds to call in everything.

[QUOTE=TestECull;36640724]A bit extreme, eh Britian? I can understand a bit of suspicion, but come on. A few seconds extra watching would have proven it to be an e-cig and not a bomb, and then you wouldn't have inconvenienced hundreds for four hours. Shit like this is proof positive that the terrorists were highly successful. They got what they wanted. 15 years ago nobody would have given this a second glance, these days it's grounds to call in everything.[/QUOTE] Terrorists win.

this kind of shit you'd like, heard in a pranku chatroom [editline]5th July 2012[/editline] [QUOTE=zakedodead;36637039]Just another indication of the fear based world we live in.[/QUOTE] seems like 9/11 was a success

this is completely fucking unacceptable just because "terrorist" is the first thing that comes to you mind when you see a smoking box, doesn't mean that's actually the rational thing to think

[QUOTE=DainBramageStudios;36641596]this is completely fucking unacceptable just because "terrorist" is the first thing that comes to you mind when you see a smoking box, doesn't mean that's actually the rational thing to think[/QUOTE] But then again, what if it was a bomb

[QUOTE=DainBramageStudios;36641596]this is completely fucking unacceptable just because "terrorist" is the first thing that comes to you mind when you see a smoking box, doesn't mean that's actually the rational thing to think[/QUOTE] "oh probably just an e-cig"? hell no.