his disarmed GI Joe
Posted on 09/03/2002 12:20:13 AM PDT by Sir Gawain
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| Armless warrior ... George and his disarmed GI Joe |
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Kid's 2-inch gun seized
By BOB GRAHAM
AIRPORT security staff confiscated a TWO-INCH plastic gun from a toy soldier, it was revealed yesterday.
British tourist Judy Powell, 55, bought a GI Joe doll in America as a gift for her seven-year-old grandson George.
Security officials at Los Angeles airport found the toy — similar to Action Man — when they searched Judy’s bags before she boarded a flight to London.
Then they took the figure out of its box and confiscated its tiny replica Armalite rifle.
Judy revealed: “They examined the toy as if it was going to shoot them.
“Then they asked me if there were toy grenades as well. I thought they were joking, but they weren’t smiling — they were deadly serious.”
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| Stunned ... toy gun seized from Judy |
Judy, from Walton-on-the-Hill, Surrey, added: “I couldn’t believe it.
“I can understand them wanting to ban weapons or things that look like weapons, but surely common sense has to take over at some point.
“I was really angry at first because of the absurdity of the situation, but then I saw the funny side and realised it was simple lunacy.
“The whole world is going mad if we resort to such stupid measures.”
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| Two inches ... the toy gun seized by security |
Judy, who bought Beanie Babies for her other grandchildren, joked: “At least THEY weren’t subjected to body searches.”
George’s mum Becky, 29, said the lad was “really upset” when he realised his GI Joe had been disarmed.
She said: “Even though he’s seven years old George knew the toy was missing an important part.
“I explained what had happened, but he just kept shaking his head saying it was silly and ‘Don’t those people understand the gun was a toy? and couldn’t shoot’.”
Airport security has been tightened since the terrorist attacks of September 11, and airlines can now ban anything resembling a weapon.
Security chiefs at Los Angeles airport said: “We have instructions to confiscate anything that looks like a weapon or a replica.
“If GI Joe was carrying a replica then it had to be taken from him.”
Happened to my son too.
This scenario is probably being repeated hundreds of times a day, throughout the US.
Doesn't it make you feel safer flying though?
Sheesh!
Imbeciles!
Molon Labe!
No, Judy. I'm afraid not.
"...but then I saw the funny side and realised it was simple lunacy."
It helps if you can see the humor.
You kow...the more you think about it, the more you can understand why America's enemies are so emboldened.
It scares hell out of me.
It's a wonder these highly-trained gooberment employees who are no doubt rocket scientists on their other jobs didn't arrest GI Joe for trying to leave the country without a passport. Ya gotta wonder how long they spent trying to get him to tell them where he bought the gun.
Lady, these are federal employee's, don't get your hopes up.
Second, what are you doing making up articles and posting them on the forum?
People could not possibly be this incredibly moronic, because there's not even a damn word to desribe that level of vapid stupidity.
I mean I suppose it's possible that one really idiotic person could have a total brain fart and confiscate a GI Joe rifle from a seven yer old, but this was a group of people. There had to be at least one person who was smarter than a damn cabbage amongst them or how would all of their shoes be getting tied?
Somebody after all has to be tying the other's shoes, so this couldn't have happened.
The Federal security idiots didn't seem to concerned, they must not have gotten the memo from the morons in Washington.
Surprise. While they were there they had NO BULLETS loaded.
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