Next time you travel, remember to pack your brain

[Speedo]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/shropshire/3415525.stm

A British woman being held in a US prison after allegedly joking at an airport that she was carrying a bomb has been told she will stay behind bars until she can raise £3,000 bail.

Shropshire student Samantha Marson triggered a security alert as she waited to board a British Airways flight from Miami back to Britain.

The 21-year-old, from Bridgnorth, was asked what was in her rucksack and apparently told officials she had a bomb.

British consular officials in Florida said they were hoping to arrange a meeting with Miss Marson on Wednesday.

She is scheduled to appear before a judge on 6 February, when she will be asked to enter a plea.

A spokesman for the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office said she faces a maximum of 15 years in state prison if convicted.

'Three bombs'

According to the arrest report, Miss Marson placed her bag on the belt at a security check, telling a Transportation Security Administration screener: "Hey be careful, I have three bombs in here" - before allegedly repeating the joke twice more when confronted by officials.

She was taken into custody and within hours appeared before a judge who remanded her to Dade County Jail.

Sergeant Joe Wyche from Miami Airport Police told BBC Midlands Today that officers were left with no choice but to arrest Miss Marson.

"First of all, it's a violation of our state law.

"Before 9/11 we took it seriously - after 9/11 there's no room for kidding or joking, if that's the person's intention, so it's taken in a serious manner."

Sgt Wyche added: "There's no room for playing games at security checkpoints.

"I'm sure probably over in Britain if similar comments are made it's not laughed upon."

'Silly thing'

Miss Marson's father Jim, 75, said: "We are beside ourselves with worry.

"She phoned at about 3am on Sunday and was hysterical.

"I'm sure Samantha will accept that it's a silly thing to say, but she's the sort of girl who might have thought it would make people laugh."

She had been in the US for three months with her American boyfriend and was returning to the UK to renew her visa.

A Foreign Office spokesman said officials were seeking more information from the US authorities and Miss Marson's family.

"We will offer her any assistance we can and ensure that she is being properly treated.

"But it is up to US authorities if they decide to arrest someone for making allegations."

'Stupid joke'

Meanwhile Miss Marson's local MP called on the US authorities to deal with her case more "appropriately".

Matthew Green, the Liberal Democrat MP for Ludlow, said her comments were "stupid but not worthy of weeks in prison".

"Their handling of this issue now is out of proportion to the offence.

"Prison hardly seems the right response for what was, admittedly, a stupid joke in bad taste," he added.

Both British Airways and Virgin Atlantic warned on Tuesday of the dangers of joking about security.

A Virgin spokesman said: "With security levels so high at present, there are certain things you do not joke about.

"Most Britons having had years of heightened security would realise that you have to be extremely careful about what you say."

Not very bright...

 

[MarineCorps]

And here I was thinking that people couldn't get any stupider. How wrong I was. Oh well she did provide comedy relief, just not in the way she intended.

 

[Norlamand]

Stupid is as stupid does.

 

[Shadylookin]

i think we should let her go once we give her a severe tounge lashing and after she promises to never have children

 

[Bozo Erectus]

The silly bint should be sent home and barred from returning to the U.S., thats all. Locking her up would be going to far. I wonder if the American boyfriend went to go see her and pressed his chest against the glass like in Midnight Express and Cable Guy.

 

[Plexus]

Idiot. Any three year old kid understands not to joke about such things in an airport, not even to say the word 'bomb'.

 

[The Yankee]

So many people joke about having a bomb....isn't it obvious by now!?

Now...if she had gotten shot...that would have been the Darwin Award right there.

 

[Pontiuth Pilate]

Not as bad as the poor fool in the latest Dilbert [ie, Dilbert himself] who decided to phone up his friend Jack in midflight

 

[Speedo]

Darn, PP! I just remembered that

Here's yesterday's strip, for the confused:

 

[Bozo Erectus]

Here she is. She should be arrested for those hula hoops she's using as earrings. Bad judgement AND bad taste

 

[Zamphyr]

Anyone here think she might have a bit more trouble getting her visa renewed for the return trip ?

 

[The Person]

There are too many people in this world. If there were less people, the less stupid people there would be, too. (Hopefully)
And to all who thinks they've seen all of stupidity, think again. If you make a system fool-proof, then somebody else will just make a better fool.

 

[carlosMM]

Does anyone else but me wonder why there are no signs at the airports that joking is forbidden?

I mean, the US is plastered with signs - but foreigners obviously are not worthy of a warning.......

and, btw, airport security has gotten ot the ridiculous point where an airplane captain cannot take nail scissors on board - as if the fire axe right behind his seat wasn#t enough to kill the Co.

 

[Stapel]

I think, that as long as airport security marshals can't make the difference between a joke and a real thread, they do a poor job. In fact, they migth jeapardize the safety, by putting their time and efforts on a dumb (blond ) student.

It is their job to prevend danger. In this case, they should have checked the bag, conclude there is no bomb in it, and be extra alert on the next passengers.

 

[Eastern Knight]

Delete please.

 

[Eastern Knight]

How can it be called a "joke"? It isn't even funny, it's stupid.

 

[Turner]

I agree with you Stapel, you have a good point.

However, if they don't show people what happens when someone's an idiot and jokes about things they shouldn't, then they're going to have to deal with this sort of thing all the time.

Now, I'm not one of those people who run around screaming about 9/11. I didn't buy five cases of duct tape, and I'm not suspicious of every non-white person I meet. But even I know not to tell an airport screener that I have a bomb in there. Somethings you just don't joke about.

Look at it from their point of view. The airport screeners. They deal with hundreds, if not thousands, of people a day. I'm sure they've heard their fair share of bad jokes, bad stories, and bad lies. They want to check this bag so they can get done with it and move on to the next one. Now they have to deal with some smartass who decided to say "Don't hurt my bomb" when she should have said nothing. To be honest, I'm surprised she wasn't dogpiled. Long day, dealing with people, digging through their stuff. . . tempers are short, and a sense of humor is probably long gone by then.

Anyways, there are somethings you just don't joke about it. Hopefully she'll learn.

 

[lord_byron_nz]

Jail time seems harsh to me. Sure, it was a stupid thing to do an all but when you look at it, she hasn't committed any noteworthy crime.

A fine? Maybe. But Jail

 

[Pongui]

Originally posted by carlosMM
Does anyone else but me wonder why there are no signs at the airports that joking is forbidden?

We rather not admit the modern taboos. I wonder if we have more, or less, than a hundred years ago?

My son acquired two passports when just a month old, Japanese, and Canadian. Both required entries in the hair colour, eye colour, height and weight fields. All these would change, naturally! "?" or "N/A" wasn't permitted. The passport portraits had to show him upright and facing the camera as well as looking at the camera (we're talking about a newborn, here) and for the Japanese passport revealing no teeth ( ) while the Canadian passport application kit requested a neutral expression. No visual distractions or other persons could be present in the shot... of the newborn baby, upright, looking at the camera, wearing a neutral expression.

***
Nail clippers. Yeah, my baby's itty bitty baby-sized nail clippers got confiscated prior to boarding. Sharp implement. Funny they let the stroller on board. Could be wielded in violence.

I read about a mother who was made to drink from a bottle of her own breast milk before boarding, to prove it wasn't some poison (?). The screener couldn't understand why a nursing mother might pack bottles of her own milk for the flight, thought it highly suspicious.

 

[carlosMM]

Originally posted by Sean Lindstrom


We rather not admit the modern taboos. I wonder if we have more, or less, than a hundred years ago?

My son acquired two passports when just a month old, Japanese, and Canadian. Both required entries in the hair colour, eye colour, height and weight fields. All these would change, naturally! "?" or "N/A" wasn't permitted. The passport portraits had to show him upright and facing the camera as well as looking at the camera (we're talking about a newborn, here) and for the Japanese passport revealing no teeth ( ) while the Canadian passport application kit requested a neutral expression. No visual distractions or other persons could be present in the shot... of the newborn baby, upright, looking at the camera, wearing a neutral expression.

that reminds me of a story I read by an American writer who had lived in GB for a long time - his Britsh friends came over to visit, and the US official proceeded to ask their child the questions on the visa waver form (are you or have you ever been a member of a terrorist organization etc )
When the father tried to tell him something, he was shouted at to stand still, do not touch anything, do not move and shut the **** up!

'But...' earned him a fine.

the kid was 6 months old
***


about the stroller: I watched a young girl wheel her grandmother (?????) through security at LaGuardia airport. As the wheely was too wide for the metal detector, they had to bypass it.

They took it apart (! they dismantled it while granny had to sit by!), checked it (might be a tube bomb in it, right?) then let the gilr push granny to her flight.




catch it? they screwed up, and I guess I was the only one who noticed!

They did not check the girl!!!!!!!!

If I was cruel enough to blow up my Mom in the plane -I'd aslo find a little gril to push her wheelchair and use HER to transport the bomb....