'President's Helicopter Security Makes Marijuana Bust"

[louis-t]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=287&e=2&u=/ibsys/20040831/lo_wdiv/2353926

My questions are: What altitude was the copter flying at? How could they be sure it was pot at that altitude? Something stinks. I'm not a pothead, but everything these people do is suspicious.

[NMDemDist2]

1. actually pot is fairly easy to spot from the air n/t

[louis-t]

2. Really? Hunh, I guess I never

looked!

[amber dog democrat]

4. This is one way Law Enforcement spots it.

they usually use small planes. Its not safe outdoors anymoer.

[truthisfreedom]

3. for what it's worth, it's rated a 1 right now. first time i've ever been

able to do that! 8^)

[henslee]

5. Gotta top your plants fellas.... No reason for an eight footer. And

growing near an airport doesnt sound too bright.

[leetrisck]

6. This is too good to pass up - boy george wanted

it - pitched a screaming little fit - I want it, I want it and so they did.

[0rganism]

7. Darn that peaceful hippy plant! Let's eradicate it from existence!

Wouldn't want people feeling mellow and happy, it would interfere with their Programmed Violence Responses.

[DemoTex]

8. My okra patch has 10' plants that would look like MJ from the air.

This is bullshit. These guys, if nothing else, need to have their heads on swivels for other aircraft and even SAMs. And it wasn't even on public land! What a bunch of tight-assed military pukes. Ever heard of the concept of Live and Let Live, assholes? What? Oh, sorry. I forgot about the long-stale "war-on-drugs." Too many wars to keep up with with Bu$hco.

When I was in flight school, we did low-level tactics in LA (Lower-Alabama). Several times I saw plumes of smoke in the hardwoods near a stream and wracked it back around in a tight turn for another look-see. It was almost always a working likker still. Think I turned them in? Hell no! More likely than not, it was the enterprise of distant cousins just trying to make a living.

[Radius]

9. FLIR

mary jane has a distinctive heat signature. NG units look for it with infrared sensing devices. Can see it through tree cover. I'm sure most millitary helicopters have this equipment on board.

Biggest cash crop in my neck of the woods..

[DemoTex]

10. Well, I am to the west of you (western Transylvania County).

It's real big in the National Forests. We hear the military helicopters slow-flying in the Nantahala (where I live) all the time. They can't be looking for Eric Rudolph. Hope they don't bust me for my big okra patch.

[Radius]

11. No shit

I love the Nat. spent plenty of time backpacking there when I went to App State.

Watauga county, moved but really would love a place in Ashe or Avery county..

[DemoTex]

13. I'm 4000 ft from the eastern border of the Gorges State Park (wilderness).

I'm not as high, altitude-wise, as Ashe or Avery. But that had definite advantages in the winter. I am in the deep, deep wilds. We trail-head to public trails (which we will always consider public domain) that are part of the Foothills Path system, which ties into the Appalachian Trail. We are trying to buy some property around us to maintain the integrity of the trail-head and, perhaps, improve the initial beauty of the trail and the access. This is in an area that is not even depicted (with any accuracy) by USGS Topo maps. If you are interested PM me tomorrow for the map numbers and the Lat/Long of our place.

Mac

[Sterling]

16. Link plz.

I,m interested in seeing some info on this imaging systen that can pick different kinds of plant life apart.

[louis-t]

18. I knew there was more to this!

Infrared, eh?

[AspenRose]

23. I think I saw this on "60 minutes" once

It's pretty amazing to watch, actually

[DrWeird]

27. Wah?

Alright, I know certain plants produce heat (e.g. skunk cabbage), but I was unaware cannabis was one of them.

Is this for real (detecting outdoor grow-ops), or are you confusing this with law enforcement uses of IR to detect grow-op hothouses?

[stepnw1f]

12. Dope Shopping for the Twins?

Damn... what a bunch of lucky @*(!()_!

[daleo]

14. A few more lives will be destroyed over a harmless plant

I finally watched "The Untouchables", the version with Kevin Costner. After all the killing and mayhem (many dozens killed in the film, although I don't know how historically accurate it was), at the end of the film the epilogue mentions that prohibition was repealed shortly thereafter. It made me shake my head.

[Sterling]

15. 8 plants?

WTF? That's hardly anything. If these guys have this kind of time on their hands I think we can rest easy that the terror from anyone other than GWB is fake.

[thebigidea]

25. But this one operation may secure Doritos supplies to the tri-state area

the scourge of late night snack eating must be stopped!

[stickdog]

17. Purging the voter rolls one enlightened voter at a time. (nt)

[yellowcanine]

19. Stupid guys panicked and started ripping up plants - if they had

played it cool the chopper guys probably wouldn't have known. No way could thy have told those plants from tomato plants from the air.

[Radius]

20. Fire Chief

When I was growing up the Fire Chief's house burned. Turns out one of the halide lights melted its ballast and set his place on fire. His plants didn't burn so he got screwed.

People get caught for spiking electric bills, overflights, and just plain carlessness.

[0007]

21. Big fucking deal!

[LeftHander]

22. What...were the twins onboard? nt

[jmowreader]

24. It could have been the tenants' actions, too

When the two guys heard the helicopter overhead, they ran outside and started pulling the plants out of the ground and throwing them in the creek.

Most people don't pull okra plants out of the ground and throw them in the creek when a helicopter flies overhead. The cops may not have KNOWN the plants were marijuana before the growers started pulling them up, but they sure as hell did afterwards.

[leesa]

26. Do any of these arrests have anything whatsoever to do with security risks

Or is it all just nonsense like this?