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I remember a story where Roberto Clemente of the Pittsburgh Pirates made a similar joke, must have been the late 1960's or early 1970's when skyjackings were usually trips to Cuba. He made a joke about a bomb and he was detained at the airport until the next flight.

Another story with me in it this time was where my mother and I took her friend to the airport and as I was laying her big suitcase on the scale, she said "here's my old bomb." The ticket agents eyes grew wide and I said to her, "that's a poor choice of words to use here" and the ticket agent agreed with me. I believe it was 1999 or 2000, but sometimes I carry a police scanner and my ham radio with me so the security people did make me turn them on to prove to them that they are what they are. I just tuned in some planes and they were satisifed. I'm glad it wasn't past 9-11 though, I might have been detained along with my mother's friend, I doubt there would have been charges but there would have been a lot of questions and sorting out that could have taken hours.

You story reminds of the time in 1981 when I was flying down to Richmond with an eletric motor with the shaft drilled out and a thermocouple inserted with a couple of wires dangling out as carry on luggage. In the soft X-ray inspection system they were using it looked like a kid's cartoon of what a bomb looks like. I managed to sweet talk the nice colored ladies pulling security that is was harmless and went on my merry way.

Now in Heathrow in 1991, I remember the Army patroling with semi-automatics, like in Logan in October 2001. Only I think the Tommies actually had ammuntion. You had to bring your luggage in two hours before departure and went through two rounds of very thorough - bordering on initimate- inspections.