Today's Terror Trivia

Jesse Walker | June 21, 2007

Fun fact: For four months, the head of London International Airport was on the American no-fly list.

Comments

thoreau|6.21.07 @ 11:50AM|#

What I want to know is what the other guy, the one with the same name as the head of the airport, did to get on the list. What, exactly, does it take to be deemed a risk to aviation security?

Anyway, if I were a terrorist I'd try to reduce the risk of being profiled by assuming a false identity. I'd probably pick a western-sounding name. Maybe "Cat Stevens."

Oh, wait....

|6.21.07 @ 12:35PM|#

As ridiculous as this no-fly list is, I still take some pride in the fact that some cheeky British bureaucrat had his day inconvenienced by the very red tape that cheeky bureaucrats create.

USA! USA! USA!

|6.21.07 @ 1:17PM|#

London, Ontario that is. This is in the news because Canada is about to create its own no-fly list.

|6.21.07 @ 1:48PM|#

Let me tell you, being on that list is a pain in the butt (been there, done that, have the letter from the TSA denying I was ever on it...).

It meant I couldn't print out boarding passes ahead of time, had to be reinterviewed at the gate before I got to board, and, of course, nobody had the slightest idea why I was 'selected' (not quite the same as 'no fly', but similar). After filing a formal protest with the TSA the hassles stopped, and months later I got a note from them saying I wasn't on the list after all. Did two different airlines choose my name at random for three or four different flights? I don't think so...

And, as Deus pointed out, this guy is probably not even exactly a government bureacrat--he's the manager of the airport. London (YXU) actually seems to be semi-private, fwiw...

|6.21.07 @ 3:42PM|#

Mr. Nathan,

We are now in receipt of your posting of irresponsible, baseless lies about our truthful denials of your claims of being on a terrorist no-fly list.

Based on this posting, we have now concluded that you are, in fact, a terrorist (why do you hate America?). Prior to your arrival at the airport for any future attempts at commercial air travel, please prepare for pre-boarding inspection by administering an enema.

Warmest Regards,
H.S. Dropout
TSA Inspector