Question About Flight Simulator Brings Visit From Police

http://www.recorder.com/Headlines/tuesday_basic.htm ^ | 01/09/04 | VIRGINIA RAY

[Servant of the 9]

If it had been my window he taped on and shined a light in, it would have been his last act on this earth.
Of course, that is Texas.
What in the world are they teaching police these days?

So9

[Arkie2]

A kid who wants microsoft flitesim is now a potential terrorist? Please. Maybe Tom Ridge should just tell Bill Gates to stop making that terroristic software. We's all be safer./ sarcasm

[Support Free Republic]

Do these guys look happy at the possibility SHE might someday be their Commander in Chief?	Don't Let This Happen!!!
	Support Free Republic!   Or mail checks to FreeRepublic , LLC PO BOX 9771 FRESNO, CA 93794 or you can use PayPal at Jimrob@psnw.com
SUPPORT FREE REPUBLIC Help Keep "Wonder Vermin" out of the White House!

[Arkie2]

We's=we'd

[JCG]

Right attitude on everybody's part.

America's Fifth Column ... watch PBS documentary JIHAD! In America
http://12thman.us/media/jihad.rm (Requires RealPlayer)

Who is Steve Emerson?

[_Jim]

Next to be on the 'watch' list: maps. Simple maps, state maps and any nationwide road atlas not to mention the USGS series of topo maps (HEAVEN forbid someone would order Delorme's Street Atlas USA or any of their topo maps on DVD) ...

[Procyon]

I would be pleased than an officer responded to a clerk's concern in an elevated-alert condition. A simple inquiry. Case closed. If only the FBI had responded to concerns raised before 9/11 in a similar manner.

[dr_who_2]

Insane. But we saw it coming.

[justlurking]

"He was disappointed because there was military stuff, but it was all fighting stuff, so I asked the clerk, and he was alarmed by us asking how to fly airplanes and said that was against the law,"

Give me an eff'ing break. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004 is not "against the law". Is Amazon selling an illegal product?

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000096KDT/qid=1073692018/

Personally, if this had happened to me, I'd be all over the manager at Staples like a cheap suit. Either the clerk that reported me would be looking at a pink slip, or the store would be mine.

[CyberAnt]

This is a great story. I know someone who owns that type of software .. but that's because he's studying to be a pilot .. and he's retired Air Force.

My only comment is this .. the store clerk should never tell anyone that certain software is illegal. If the clerk thinks the person should be checked out .. I don't have a problem with reporting it .. but clerk's should be careful to not alert the customer that the clerk suspects them. Telling a terrorist you know he's doing something suspicious could be deadly!

[John H K]

Nope.

The clerk was an absolute moron.

[Orangedog]

Nice to know that they are looking at 10 year olds as possible terrorists.

[RckyRaCoCo]

I've been flight simming since the Atari days. Century of Flight(Microsoft's latest)is cool!

Guess it's time to dig my spider hole.

[camas]

right on!!! staples has a sharp clerk and he/she should get a raise.

[cynwoody]

From http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/28/34776.html:

At one time it was rare to find US citizens, in the safest and most prosperous country in the world, jumping at their own shadows. Now we only note how high.

Fear is a force multiplier for AQ.

[John H K]

right on!!! staples has a sharp clerk and he/she should get a raise.

You think someone that is either a liar or an idiot should get a raise?

[steve86]

This paranoic behavior by Staples is truly over the line and recalls citizen behavior in Communist countries. Nothing prudent or rational or sensible about this.

Here is a Staple's web page for submitting comments:

http://www.staples.com/content/help/Contact/other_quest.asp

[ErnBatavia]

Nice to know that they are looking at 10 year olds as possible terrorists.

In some parts of the world, they are...

[Orangedog]

Like a 10 year old is going to hijack a 767.