But, at the same time, thinking that "a joke" is safe when observed, is also not necessarily true. Good judgement needs to be taken into account. I recall hav

But, at the same time, thinking that "a joke" is safe when observed, is also not necessarily true. Good judgement needs to be taken into account. I recall having to "reapply" for my temporary job in the computing center every semester (because, of course, it was "temporary") - and one of my fellow students, after having done this for a couple years, and having a bit of ego, basically just scrawled on his application form, "Hire me again or I will murder all of you." You see, if you knew him, it was actually really, really funny. We were all a close group, and everyone on the team thought it was hilarious. The HR organization that unbeknownst to this student, screened all applications, and had no idea who he was, took a decidedly different perspective on his application. The proper response was to alert security, and thankfully his hiring managers - who then de-escalated the situation. The problem with the airline situation - their is no easy "oracle" who can confirm that this person is most decidedly not a threat.