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Those French Pilots and Their Inappropriate Shoe Bomb Jokes


By

Jen Chung

Published Aug 10, 2003

Modified Mar 6, 2008


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By

Jen Chung

Published Aug 10, 2003

Modified Mar 6, 2008


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2003_8_airf.jpgIn this case, the French really don't have any sense of humor: Air France pilot Philippe Riviere's shoes set off a Kennedy Airport metal detector, and he was asked to remove them. Then Riviere made a joke about a bomb in his shoes. Of course the security workers called the cops. Riviere was arrested, his shoes turned out to be clean, his flight of 350 people to France was searched then cancelled. Bon idee, Philippe, joking about bombs in an airport. Air France apologized for Riviere's "inappropriate remark."

What Gothamist wants to know is why Riviere hadn't taken off ses chassures and put them through the scanner - everyone, business people, tourists, even kids, tend to remove their shoes.

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Jen Chung

Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.

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