Self-Made Hero in Airport Attack
A Glasgow employee promotes himself after helping to subdue terror suspect.
July 11, 2007 — -- Ten days ago, John Smeaton was just an average baggage handler.
Nothing had prepared the 31-year-old senior ramp assistant for the events that would unfold, as he got out of bed on June 30, had breakfast with his parents and headed over to Glasgow Airport for his afternoon shift.
"It was one of the busiest days of the year," Smeaton said, "and I just thought 'Here we go again.'"
A few hours later, he was famous.
At 3:15 p.m., a Jeep Cherokee rigged with gas canisters drove into the front facade of Glasgow Airport's Terminal 1, 20 yards from the spot where Smeaton was taking his cigarette break.
The car, driven by suspected jihadists Kafeel Ahmed and Bilal Abdulla, burst into flames, setting the outside of the terminal on fire.
According to eyewitnesses, Abdulla was arrested on the spot. Ahmed, the driver, poured a can of petrol over his head and set himself on fire.
When a police officer tried to assist him, Ahmed fought back, and that's when Smeaton intervened. "I just ran over and tried to kick the guy," he told ABC News.
A few minutes later, the man was successfully tackled and driven to a nearby hospital.
When the media arrived, Smeaton was made into an instant hero. He was interviewed by ABC News and other major international media and was quoted by major newspapers.
No fewer than 14 fan clubs, saluting his bravery, opened on the networking Web site Facebook within hours of the attacks, including a campaign to rename Glasgow Airport Smeaton International Airport, the John Smeaton Appreciation Society and a few John Smeaton-is-a-legend groups.
Taking advantage of the momentum, the new hero launched his own Web site, www.johnsmeaton.com, where he takes his newfound celebrity lightly.
Smeaton calls himself the "British Airport Authority's answer to Jack Bauer" and collects beer pint pledges for a party he's organized in his honor, slugged as the "Big Night Out for the Big Man." So far, he's received pledges worth more than $8,100.
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