Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/09/13

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Sinclair article (was For You George)
From: Mark Langer <mlanger@ccs.carleton.ca>
Date: Thu, 13 Sep 2001 12:08:32 EDT

The passengers have been kept on planes until they can be individually
cleared by RCMP and security agents at the specific request of the U.S.
government.  There has been a minor amount of conflict between the U.S.
govt. and the Canadian govt on this matter, as the Canadian govt would
like a more relaxed process because of the incredible discomfort that the
passengers there are undergoing.  There was a rather lengthy piece about
this on CBC this morning.  The passengers are being fed, but you have to
remember that Gander is basically an airport in a remote northern
location that rarely has more than a couple of flights a day landing. 
It once was a major refueling stop in the propellor-driven era of
transatlantic travel, but not since the age of jet travel began. There
is only a tiny village without food and housing capability for thousands of
passengers.  Gander itself is in the sub-Arctic, and housing those people
in an unheated hangar is out of the question.  The airport itself
could hold a couple of hundred people -- if no one needed to sit
down or move their arms.  

Everything possible has been done and is being done for the comfort and
assistance of these people by the Canadian govt and local citizens, but it
isn't a matter of these people being denied facilities in local hotels and
restaurants, which scarcely exist in great enough capacity for one plane,
let alone 57.  Nor is there enough aircraft fuel for that number of jets
available locally.  The logistics of even getting those aircraft out of
there is considerable. An immense effort is being made to take care of the
situation.

But of course, you knew this and were in no way implying that Canadians
are indifferent or withholding assistance from Americans.  I thank you for
your acknowledgement of our assistance to those 15,000 passengers.  I
really am touched by this.

Mark

> 
> G. Michael Paine writes:
> > 
> > I understand that most if not evey one of the some 15,000 passgengers 
> > stranded at Gander have spent the entire time in the planes. Not 
> > allowed off the planes and not fed.
> > Michael
> > -- 
> > mit der dummheit kampfen die Gotter Selbst vergebens
> > 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> Mark Langer
> 
> Email address: mlanger@ccs.carleton.ca
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> 




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Mark Langer

Email address: mlanger@ccs.carleton.ca
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