Bob Maxey wrote:
You could be a writer researching a book. Or you could be someone with
a strange interest in power plants, poisons, bombs, and the like. You
know you are innocent, but should they tear your life apart?
Or you could be the chairman of an international airline carrying
detailed plans of a new aircraft.
"And I said, `I'm the chairman of an airline. I'm the chairman of
Qantas'. And this black guy, who was, like, eight foot tall, said, `But
you're a woman',"
It took an hour to convince the TSA that she wasn't a terrorist. And in
the end what did she do? Did she sue? Did she get him fired? Did she
do something else to get back at him or the US? No, she:
"...produced paper with her letterhead on it and wrote a note to the
guard, whose name was Bill. ... `Dear Bill, this is from the chairman of
Qantas, who is a woman'."
<http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,17785550%5E661,00.html>
The rest of us would probably be sitting, waiting to be tried in secrecy
in some place that's not actually in the US. :-(
Mind you, it's not like the US has cornered the market on stupid
security people.
"New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark was frisked at Sydney Airport
for explosives in an incident that has embarrassed the Australian
Government."
And what did our government say?
"`You won't be surprised to hear the New Zealand Prime Minister was not
found to be carrying any explosives,` a spokesman for Transport Minister
John Anderson said."
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/11/23/1069522472954.html
You've just got to laugh. (At least it's not a strip search)
It seems that people will do almost anything if someone in "authority"
tells them to. And people will take advantage of that :-(
<http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051009/NEWS01/510090392>
Only in America? Sadly, no.
Steve
