Apple debunks bogus story of Steve Jobs' throwing star troubles [u]
Apple on Tuesday officially debunked a story from a Japanese tabloid that claimed Steve Jobs was stopped in an airport after he attempted to bring Ninja throwing stars onto a plane.
Update: After the story gained attention Tuesday, Apple gave an official comment to John Paczkowski of Digital Daily, dispelling the tale as false.
?Steve did visit Japan this summer for a vacation in Kyoto, but the incidents described at the airport are pure fiction," the statement reads. "Steve had a great time and hopes to visit Japan again soon.?
In the original story from Bloomberg, Japan's SPA! Magazine reported that Jobs was the subject of a security scan at Kansai International Airport in July as he was returning home from a family vacation on his own private jet. The executive was allegedly stopped because he had throwing stars in his carry-on luggage.
"Jobs said it wouldn't make sense for a person to try to hijack his own plane, according to the report," the translation reads. "He then told officials he would never visit Japan again, the magazine reported. Apple declined to comment."
Lending some credibility to the story was the fact that a spokesperson for the airport did confirm that a passenger traveling on a private jet was stopped at the end of July for carrying "shuriken," which is the Japanese word for throwing stars. The passenger reportedly agreed to throw away the weapons, as the airport does not have separate security policies for flyers on a private jet.
But Apple's comment would suggest that the incident involved someone other than the chief executive.
As a multi-billionaire and one of the most famous executives in the world, Jobs' activities in public are often publicized, though reports are typically more mundane than the tall tale from a Japanese airport.
In August, a photo of Jobs was snapped as he left a popular San Francisco, Calif., restaurant, where he couldn't get a seat because he didn't have a reservation. And in March, he and Google CEO Eric Schmidt were spotted drinking coffee together in Palo Alto, Calif.
Update: After the story gained attention Tuesday, Apple gave an official comment to John Paczkowski of Digital Daily, dispelling the tale as false.
?Steve did visit Japan this summer for a vacation in Kyoto, but the incidents described at the airport are pure fiction," the statement reads. "Steve had a great time and hopes to visit Japan again soon.?
In the original story from Bloomberg, Japan's SPA! Magazine reported that Jobs was the subject of a security scan at Kansai International Airport in July as he was returning home from a family vacation on his own private jet. The executive was allegedly stopped because he had throwing stars in his carry-on luggage.
"Jobs said it wouldn't make sense for a person to try to hijack his own plane, according to the report," the translation reads. "He then told officials he would never visit Japan again, the magazine reported. Apple declined to comment."
Lending some credibility to the story was the fact that a spokesperson for the airport did confirm that a passenger traveling on a private jet was stopped at the end of July for carrying "shuriken," which is the Japanese word for throwing stars. The passenger reportedly agreed to throw away the weapons, as the airport does not have separate security policies for flyers on a private jet.
But Apple's comment would suggest that the incident involved someone other than the chief executive.
As a multi-billionaire and one of the most famous executives in the world, Jobs' activities in public are often publicized, though reports are typically more mundane than the tall tale from a Japanese airport.
In August, a photo of Jobs was snapped as he left a popular San Francisco, Calif., restaurant, where he couldn't get a seat because he didn't have a reservation. And in March, he and Google CEO Eric Schmidt were spotted drinking coffee together in Palo Alto, Calif.
Comments
Why is the whining of some spoiled multi-billionaire brat news? Must've been a slow night, eh AI?
The not bringing the stars on a plane sounds perfectly fair to me though. It's not that he wouldn't try to hijack his own plane, but once they are through security and air-side, there is no reason why they couldn't be either handed to someone else getting on another plane or even stolen. I'm not saying Jobs would do that, but the security people can't differentiate and it's unlikely they would allow a security hole as simple as to allow weapons to get air-side as long as they are brought through security for private flights.
And thankfully you are not a "Star".
Ninja stars? I thought Steve was a pirate
Pirates do not use sneakers.
He is a ninja!
I'm taking my stars and going home and you're never going to see me again. I'm putting my foot down! Take that. So there. Waaah.
Why is the whining of some spoiled multi-billionaire news? Must've been a slow night, eh AI?
It's the principle of the thing. It's his own plane, and like he said, what sense does it make for him to hijack his own plane?
OTOH, I can see the precedent being set for future incidents. If Steve Jobs is allowed to carry shuriken on board his own plane, they have no right to stop another billionaire doing the same thing who is crazy enough to bring a plane down. (Steve Ballmer? Or was that just too cold?)
Anyway, more importantly is why was Jobs in Japan? Was he visiting NTT DoCoMo, the carrier that can use that 5th and undocumented UMTS band in the iPhone 4. Let’s get it on!
PS: If silly Ninja weapons are that important to Steve I’d have LiquidMetal make an entire arsenal of super strong and thin weapons for me.
It's the principle of the thing. It's his own plane, and like he said, what sense does it make for him to hijack his own plane?
OTOH, I can see the precedent being set for future incidents. If Steve Jobs is allowed to carry shuriken on board his own plane, they have no right to stop another billionaire doing the same thing who is crazy enough to bring a plane down. (Steve Ballmer? Or was that just too cold?)
Wait. I hear the waaahmbulance siren screaming as it rushes to the airport from the mental institution. Poor little billionaires, not getting what they want, when they want it, so they go & have themselves a little hissy fit.
I'm just surprised that when he couldn't get his way, he didn't immediately throw himself to the floor and start pounding his fists and kicking his little feet. Japan and Adobe, I hate both of you! Boo hoo.
Absolutely adorable little princess.
Unless they are illegal to export, why didn't he just put it into the luggage hold? Smells like a phony story.
Smells like a phony story?
"... Meanwhile, another billionaire passenger was allowed to keep the used panties he had picked up at a vending machine in Tokyo after rubbing himself against schoolgirls on the subway."
Now that smells like a phony story. Gotta love parts of the Japanese culture - and now their airport security is a idiotic as ours!
I can't imagine an executive of a high tech company would say they were never going to visit Japan again - important market that one.
The not bringing the stars on a plane sounds perfectly fair to me though. It's not that he wouldn't try to hijack his own plane, but once they are through security and air-side, there is no reason why they couldn't be either handed to someone else getting on another plane or even stolen. I'm not saying Jobs would do that, but the security people can't differentiate and it's unlikely they would allow a security hole as simple as to allow weapons to get air-side as long as they are brought through security for private flights.
Not buying any of this story. You can put just about anything you want in checked baggage, or have it mailed to yourself. I doubt very much he wouldn't have been given options of these kind, especially since a private jet isn't exactly going to leave without you.
This story stinks of Yellow Journalism.
I can't imagine an executive of a high tech company would say they were never going to visit Japan again - important market that one.
The not bringing the stars on a plane sounds perfectly fair to me though. It's not that he wouldn't try to hijack his own plane, but once they are through security and air-side, there is no reason why they couldn't be either handed to someone else getting on another plane or even stolen. I'm not saying Jobs would do that, but the security people can't differentiate and it's unlikely they would allow a security hole as simple as to allow weapons to get air-side as long as they are brought through security for private flights.
Your explanation makes perfect sense. The article said he was going through the regular security, and not some sort of exclusive boutique with special rules for rich people.
I can't imagine an executive of a high tech company would say they were never going to visit Japan again - important market that one.
The not bringing the stars on a plane sounds perfectly fair to me though. It's not that he wouldn't try to hijack his own plane, but once they are through security and air-side, there is no reason why they couldn't be either handed to someone else getting on another plane or even stolen. I'm not saying Jobs would do that, but the security people can't differentiate and it's unlikely they would allow a security hole as simple as to allow weapons to get air-side as long as they are brought through security for private flights.
They should have separate security for private jets...what the hell would they be protecting? Obama recently visited my city...I'm pretty sure he didn't go through regular security...LOL
In all seriousness though, even if it's his own plane transporting ninja stars is probably illegal via airport. Not that we all did try it at one point coming back from somewhere like Spain.
LOL This is a story so stupid I think it has to be true. Ninja throwing stars? Aren’t they just pieces of metal that are shaped like “stars” with pointy tips? Something he could get shipped if he really wanted them? Saying you’ll never visit an entire country again over that is very extreme, not mention not going to work with those whose job it is to prevent whatever items from leaving the country or going on private jets. “Oh, you’ll never return here. Now that you’ve said that we’ll surely let you have them, just please come back to Japan.”
Anyway, more importantly is why was Jobs in Japan? Was he visiting NTT DoCoMo, the carrier that can use that 5th and undocumented UMTS band in the iPhone 4. Let’s get it on!
PS: If silly Ninja weapons are that important to Steve I’d have LiquidMetal make an entire arsenal of super strong and thin weapons for me.
Family vacation. Article says it in the second paragraph.
This story stinks of Yellow Journalism.
You didn't just say that about a Japanese story did you?
It's not that he wouldn't try to hijack his own plane, but once they are through security and air-side, there is no reason why they couldn't be either handed to someone else getting on another plane or even stolen. I'm not saying Jobs would do that, but the security people can't differentiate and it's unlikely they would allow a security hole as simple as to allow weapons to get air-side as long as they are brought through security for private flights.
Absolutely correct but I wonder whether the notion of checked luggage exists with private jets. If it is your own private jet, you probably can take anything out of your 'checked luggage' again once you are on board.
Absolutely correct but I wonder whether the notion of checked luggage exists with private jets.
Well there's a story about it, so I'd guess it exists.