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New York, NY - Turtles Shut Down Kennedy Airport Runway |
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The airport has put up with all kinds of delays -- weather, late connections, crowded airspace -- but this delay may have been a first.
A runway that juts out into a bay was closed for 35 minutes while 78 diamondback terrapin turtles, each weighing 2-3 pounds, were removed, said a spokesman for airport operator The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
"They came up out of the water," the spokesman said. "It happens, but it doesn't happen a lot."
The closure caused delays of 1-1/2 hours at the airport, which caters to about 48 million passengers a year.
NBC News correspondent Anne Thompson, who was on a flight from Raleigh to La Guardia, reports that the pilot on her flight announced that all flights were delayed throughout the New York area because of crowded airspace caused by the wayward reptiles.
The turtles were taken away and released back into the wild -- away from the airport.
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Read Comments (19) — Post Yours »
1
Jul 08, 2009 at 07:35 PM Anonymous Says:
that is soooo weird! a neighbor on my block discovered a large turtle today in her backyard.
2
Jul 08, 2009 at 07:26 PM Anonymous Says:
The Handures should've used turtles at the airport to block the ex president from landing.
3
Jul 08, 2009 at 07:56 PM Anonymous Says:
the nerve! removing turtles from there natural habitat and releasing them elsewhere! where is PETA? are they only concerned with fly swatting?
4
Jul 08, 2009 at 07:22 PM Anonymous Says:
Is anyone else getting the feeling that were experiencing some lite version of the maakos.... Birds and turtles are shutting down our airports.... NUNU. Hopefully moshiach is on the way.
5
Jul 08, 2009 at 07:20 PM Anonymous Says:
What a chidush !! Sounds interesting
6
Jul 08, 2009 at 07:19 PM Anonymous Says:
I bet the turtles move faster than the planes at La Guardia do when it's working at full capacity.
7
Jul 08, 2009 at 08:02 PM Anonymous Says:
I'm at JFK now and didn't hear anything about turtles mentioned. My flight is delayed though, for about an hour.
8
Jul 08, 2009 at 08:41 PM Anonymous Says:
“ Is anyone else getting the feeling that were experiencing some lite version of the maakos.... Birds and turtles are shutting down our airports.... NUNU. Hopefully moshiach is on the way. ”
my makos don't mention turtles . perhaps your using the later edition
9
Jul 08, 2009 at 09:34 PM Z. N. Mishegoss Says:
That would be Runway 4 Left / 22 Right - that's the runway that points at Broad Channel. There's a couple of marshes there (Duck Creek Marsh, Jo Co Marsh) that are part of the Gateway Park. Still doesn't make that much sense though - they still had 4 Right / 22 Left, a few hundred feet away, it's not like LaGuardia, where if someone grepses in Astoria, the place shuts down.
10
Jul 08, 2009 at 10:30 PM Nature Lover Says:
Nothing extraordinaire.. All this rain we have had has brought out of the waters many frogs too.
11
Jul 09, 2009 at 03:30 AM cool masmid Says:
This is really amazing.... today- of all days, I saw a large turtle marching down Route 9 South in Lakewood,it was crossing over the tracks just south of Central Ave. - it was a sight to see everyone was slowing down to give a look. I actually turned around and went back to take pictures. I guess today is turtle day.
12
Jul 08, 2009 at 11:57 PM The power of hashem Says:
Trying to humble the big airo scientists, like Titus's nat thet flew into his nostral, a slow little turtle stops many powerful large jets.
13
Jul 08, 2009 at 11:06 PM Frequent Flyer Says:
“ That would be Runway 4 Left / 22 Right - that's the runway that points at Broad Channel. There's a couple of marshes there (Duck Creek Marsh, Jo Co Marsh) that are part of the Gateway Park. Still doesn't make that much sense though - they still had 4 Right / 22 Left, a few hundred feet away, it's not like LaGuardia, where if someone grepses in Astoria, the place shuts down. ”
What you are saying would make sense in a city OTHER than NY. Things here generally dont and WONT make sense especially if logic is involved.
14
Jul 09, 2009 at 08:06 AM shimon taylor Says:
There's no big or small before hashem. Turtles can't help what they are. They don't deserve to die for coming there. And yes, they may take their time, too. It's not deliberate.
15
Jul 09, 2009 at 10:17 AM gregaaron Says:
“ Is anyone else getting the feeling that were experiencing some lite version of the maakos.... Birds and turtles are shutting down our airports.... NUNU. Hopefully moshiach is on the way. ”
No, I'm sorry, I don't think anyone else is getting that feeling.
16
Jul 09, 2009 at 11:00 AM MS Says:
“ No, I'm sorry, I don't think anyone else is getting that feeling. ”
You should be having that feeling every day of your life.....
17
Jul 09, 2009 at 11:56 AM Askupeh Says:
To coin a new phrase: now we'll have turtlenecking in addition to rubbernecking.
18
Jul 09, 2009 at 06:07 PM gregaaron Says:
“ You should be having that feeling every day of your life..... ”
What, that we're reliving the makkos? Where did you pick that one up from?
19
Jul 10, 2009 at 12:24 AM me Says:
Are turtles an endangered species? Why not just run 'em over? Are they worried they would get sucked into the jet intakes and cause some damage?