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Soldier Toy Disarmed at Airport
BBC News ^
| Monday, 5 August, 2002
| BBC Staff
Posted on 08/05/2002 12:36:20 PM PDT by jjm2111
A doll caused a security alert at an American airport because its two-inch plastic gun was considered a dangerous weapon. Judy Powell, 55, from Walton on the Hill, Surrey, bought the GI Joe toy in Las Vegas and packed it in her hand luggage.
But security staff at Los Angeles International Airport refused to let Mrs Powell on board the plane with the replica rifle.
Mrs Powell had to put the gift - minus the rifle - in her suitcase so it could go in the aircraft's hold.
Mrs Powell said: "I was simply stunned when I realised they were serious.
"Security examined the toy as if it was going to shoot them and looked at the rifle.
"I was really angry to start with because of the absurdity of the situation.
"But then I saw the funny side of it and thought this was simple lunacy."
A spokesman for Los Angeles International 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."
TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: airport; airseclist; banglist; guns; pc; retards; security; stupidity
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To: Capriole
You and another one of my friends see eye to eye. Although your response is pursuasive, I don't buy it. The horror stories and the funny ones too (granny beats up screeners) are just to much. The idiot's leering when underwire bras set off the machine, the between the legs search......it's just to much. I am a natural born citizen with nothing to hide. I won't be treated in such a manner so I won't fly.
To: jjm2111
speaking of plastic - does bulgaria still make that plastic "derringer-type" handgun?
To: jodorowsky
Anyways, GI Joe's guns never hit anything other than robots,
I've heard he's shot at dinosauers and those yellow bath ducks
To: fire_eye
I too have quit flying and won't until common sense prevails (probably never).
To: *bang_list; *AirSec_List
45
posted on
08/05/2002 3:11:02 PM PDT
by
Djarum
To: jjm2111
Wow. I have to count this as a milestone in American history. I don't think even George Orwell would have dared to create a scenario as surreal as this.
What's even moer disturbing is the long list of similar, nearly equally bizarre actions made by bureaucratic idiots (airport security agents) taking orders from other bureaucratic idiots (Norm Mineta).
The end result is not pretty for free life in America.
To: jjm2111
My son ( 9 ) loves GI Joes, Ultimate Soldier, etc. He has an underbed box full of them, as well as accessories. He has about 5 vehicles and a huge helicopter. You should see the battlefields he sets up ! Now he wants the Bradley tank which is about 200 bucks. If I brought him a GI Joe home weaponless, he would be royally ticked. What's a soldier without his weapon, I ask you ??
47
posted on
08/05/2002 3:21:04 PM PDT
by
Rainmist
To: freeeee
...he will not hesitate to use taxpayer money to bail out the industry, thereby overriding the wishes of the free market. Bet the farm on it. Hey, I was going to say that! BTTT.
48
posted on
08/05/2002 3:35:10 PM PDT
by
Jesse
To: jjm2111
Methinks it will be a long long time before I come back to the United States. Pity, my wife has always wanted to see it too.
To: Procyon
That's coming.
That's overshare. >:o
-Eric
50
posted on
08/05/2002 4:55:38 PM PDT
by
E Rocc
To: TexasRepublic
I too have quit flying and won't until common sense prevails (probably never). The last airline security conference I went to, I took Amtrak.
The airlines are unsafe. Their pilots can't even be trusted with a handgun, let alone an airplane.
-archy-/-
51
posted on
08/05/2002 6:19:56 PM PDT
by
archy
To: jjm2111
The latest airport security training video:
52
posted on
08/05/2002 6:33:04 PM PDT
by
Tauzero
To: rohry; Dukie; arete; headsonpikes; Lazamataz; stalin
ping
53
posted on
08/05/2002 6:34:34 PM PDT
by
Tauzero
To: Tauzero
I suggest C.M. Kornbluth's 'The Marching Morons'.
Orwell was an optimist.
To: E Rocc
"Either that or they have two brain cells, which are alleviating the boredom by playing tag."I think those two brain cells only have a half of a synapse between them!
55
posted on
08/05/2002 7:11:44 PM PDT
by
Pablo64
To: jjm2111
To: freedomcrusader
Re your Post No. 2. I used to say that I will never fly again until they are arm our pilots. Now I say (1) arm our pilots, (2) profile people from the Middle East and (3) get rid of the morons who are currently in charge of security at our airports. Then I may fly again. Lord above, a 2" plastic toy gun!
57
posted on
08/05/2002 7:20:34 PM PDT
by
maxwellp
To: Renegade
I can understand checking shoes for sharp objects and such
They actually checked your flip flops for what???
58
posted on
08/05/2002 7:46:21 PM PDT
by
JZoback
Comment #59 Removed by Moderator
To: Travis McGee
From the other thread:
Maybe he had one of those deadly 2" long .00223 caliber GI Joe rifles in his wallet?
Like this one.
The first thread had me thinking:"This can't be happening in America" It's now evident that this sort of dementia is a world wide phenomenon.
60
posted on
08/06/2002 5:14:52 AM PDT
by
Dukie
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