BuffettNews.com

I don't know how true this is but it's at least pretty funny. I was reading it on a blog so who knows if it is really true but, I was scratching my head with this one.

A five-year-old boy was taken into custody and thoroughly searched at Sea-Tac because his name is similar to a possible terrorist alias. As the Consumerist reports, "When his mother went to pick him up and hug him and comfort him during the proceedings, she was told not to touch him because he was a national security risk. They also had to frisk her again to make sure the little Dillinger hadn't passed anything dangerous weapons or materials to his mother when she hugged him."
It's a case of a mistaken identity for a 5-year-old boy from Normandy Park. He had trouble boarding a plane because someone with the same name is wanted by the federal government. Mimi Jung reports from Sea-Tac Airport.
You know, if you wanted to systematically discredit the idea of a Department of Homeland Security, if you wanted to make an utter mockery of aviation safety, you could not do a better job than this.

I heard the kid's name is Hussein Ayatollah bin Ahmadinejad.

There are worse stories. I have seen many inept things while going through Philthadelphia International Airport. That is the worst airport I have experienced.

It was on the local news the other night.

Red flags all over the place . . . suspicious looking little blonde haired - blue eyed kid named Matthew Gardner.

SeattleParrotHead wrote:It was on the local news the other night.

Red flags all over the place . . . suspicious looking little blonde haired - blue eyed kid named Matthew Gardner.

he's an agent of the Spanish Inquisition. Because no one expects them.

"I'm a homicidal maniac. We look just like everyone else." - W. Addams

Glad to see they're picking on 5 year olds for a change instead of uniformed and ID carrying airline pilots on the way to their next flight.

RinglingRingling wrote:

SeattleParrotHead wrote:It was on the local news the other night.

Red flags all over the place . . . suspicious looking little blonde haired - blue eyed kid named Matthew Gardner.

he's an agent of the Spanish Inquisition. Because no one expects them.

"No one expects the Spanish Inquisition! Our chief weapon is surprise...surprise and fear...fear and surprise.... Our two weapons are fear and surprise...and ruthless efficiency.... Our *three* weapons are fear, surprise, and ruthless efficiency...and an almost fanatical devotion to the Pope.... Our *four*...no... *Amongst* our weapons.... Amongst our weaponry...are such elements as fear, surprise.... "

There was one of these cases a couple of years ago that the "identified terrorist" was an infant.
Still took forever to get the baby cleared.

maybe they should be paying the folks who screen our security and borders more than minimum wage

CrznDnUS1 wrote:maybe they should be paying the folks who screen our security and borders more than minimum wage

That would be a start.

When my step son flew here a few months ago from Bakersfield, CA, he bought his ticket on some discount on-line travel service, which meant he flew here on one airline and home on another-hence, two one-way tickets.
Of course, that was a "red flag" to the TSA people that he could be a possible terrorist, and he was thoroughly searched coming here AND going home.

There's worse things, I suppose.

CrznDnUS1 wrote:maybe they should be paying the folks who screen our security and borders more than minimum wage

here at CMH, the majority of the screeners appear to be Somali. Given that Somalia is a state on the Terrorism Watch List.. let's just say that irony isn't in short supply here.

flyboy55 wrote:Glad to see they're picking on 5 year olds for a change instead of uniformed and ID carrying airline pilots on the way to their next flight.

you get six of them together, and you have a 30 year old..

the kids, not the pilots.

RinglingRingling wrote:

flyboy55 wrote:Glad to see they're picking on 5 year olds for a change instead of uniformed and ID carrying airline pilots on the way to their next flight.

you get six of them together, and you have a 30 year old..

the kids, not the pilots.

Honestly, it would be the pilots.

I paid cash at the airport one day for a one way ticket (Houston to San Antonio) and was flagged for a complete search - cause it was cash ... apparently a terrorist would not bother buying a return ticket ...


However - I think with the 5yo - bit of overkill ....

RinglingRingling wrote:

SeattleParrotHead wrote:It was on the local news the other night.

Red flags all over the place . . . suspicious looking little blonde haired - blue eyed kid named Matthew Gardner.

he's an agent of the Spanish Inquisition. Because no one expects them.

My friend Mike, who is black, hates to fly since 9/11 because he has the same name as a wanted member of the IRA, as in IRISH. The first time he joked that he must be part of the infamous "Black Irish". That landed him in a detention cell for 3 hours.

He is in the process of obtaining a certificate from TSA that says he is indeed, NOT that man. The process can take up to a year.

Your TSA wanna hope there are no wannabe terrorists out there with the name of Smith etc .... that would make them very busy people

SuperTrooper wrote:My friend Mike, who is black, hates to fly since 9/11 because he has the same name as a wanted member of the IRA, as in IRISH. The first time he joked that he must be part of the infamous "Black Irish". That landed him in a detention cell for 3 hours.

He is in the process of obtaining a certificate from TSA that says he is indeed, NOT that man. The process can take up to a year.

intelligence, and common sense... two things in short supply

flyboy55 wrote:

RinglingRingling wrote:

flyboy55 wrote:Glad to see they're picking on 5 year olds for a change instead of uniformed and ID carrying airline pilots on the way to their next flight.

you get six of them together, and you have a 30 year old..

the kids, not the pilots.

Honestly, it would be the pilots.

well, the NWA pilots never have that problem. Show up at the gate lit, Muslims and Mormons never drink, so the pilots can't be dangerous...