I'm on the no fly list and am flying to California next week. Wish me luck

[Az]

So apparently some guy up in Canada keeps going on about blowing up Mosques and happens to have the same name as me. Its a pretty common name. We have two pages in the phone book just for people sharing this name in the Detroit area. In fact I live across the street from someone with the same name (lots of fun come election day).

So the airline tells me its no big deal. Just make sure I have my drivers license and I show up a little early. I was thinking of getting one of those copies of the bill of rights printed on a metal card. But if I am already on the bad guy list I better not give them any excuse to ruin my vacation.

[EFerrari]

1. If they catch you with such radical material, it could be a problem.

Good luck, Az.

[IChing]

2. How did you find out?

The list is not available to the public.

[Az]

5. 60 minutes did a piece on it last week

The focus was on a guy named Robert Johnson. Thats me. Well the focus wasn't on me. But thats my name.

[hfojvt]

20. Och, that's a bit confusing

Do you mind if we call you Bruce?

[blondeatlast]

21. "Robert Johnson" is on the watch list? That really narrows it down.

Nice chance to catch up on your reading, I imagine. Good luck! :hi:

[XOKCowboy]

25. The director pretty much said that if your name is Robert Johnson...

ANY Robert Johnson you can expect to stay on the no-fly or at least the suspicious list. That's even though the guy in Canada only used the name as an alias, is a 50-something black man who's been out of the country for 12 years, etc....

What I also found interesting about that 60 Minutes piece was that "intelligence" agencies won't release the names of REAL terrorists for fear that some low level baggage/counter person somewhere in the world will tip them off. So all of the Robert Johnson's get screwed while real terrorists names aren't even on the list.

I feel so secure. :sarcasm:

[Bake]

26. Robert Johnson????!!!!

So YOU'RE the blues guy? Went down to the crossroads and sold your soul to the devil to play the guitar?? WHO KNEW!!!!

:rofl:

Been dyin' to meet you!

Bake

[Az]

27. Yep. I kinda like that one

Crossroads and all. Just have to keep an eye out for those demon dogs. I actually do play guitar too.

[Bake]

30. With a name like that you are REQUIRED to play guitar!

Good luck at the airport!

Bake

[Warpy]

3. Wear clean undies, anyway

unless you really want to piss them off.

Otherwise you'll be wanded and your bags will be opened and that will probably be it. Few people are actually asked to strip and most of those tried to carry dangerous items like formula for the baby they're carrying.

[Az]

6. I was thinking the messy route

But its not their idea. They are just doing their job.

[KansDem]

15. Reminds me of a Rodney Dangerfield joke...

I went to my doctor for a physical. He said he needed a urine sample, a stool sample, and a semen sample. So I left him my underwear and went home.

But really, have a safe flight! :hi:

[Crazy Dave]

4. Uh oh....

Cavity search
:scared:

[AndyA]

8. I always think of Tracey Ullman's character at the airport that just

loved doing those cavity searches.

And baggage searches, looking for prescription drugs because she had a headache and needed something for it! :rofl:

Good luck on your flight!

[Kerrytravelers]

7. Consider yourself in good company. Ted Kennedy was on that list, too.

[slackmaster]

9. Some guy up in Canada, huh?

Yeah, we believe you.

(There are a couple of guys in Canada with the same name as mine. One of them is a real shithead.)

[stellanoir]

10. so is your name

Edward Kennedy or Cat Stevens. . .?

Good luck and keep visualizing yourself disembarking from the plane safely.

Travel safe

and beware of those nefarious "sippie cup terrorists." Check the Political Videos forum if you missed Olbermann's take on that one.

This system is so terribly flawed it's insane.

[angstlessk]

11. Imagine if you were Chinese and your last name was Wang

seems there are about 400 million of them in China...more than the entire U.S. population!

[Az]

12. Ironically

We are going to visit my brother and sister inlaw. And she is Chinese and her last name is Wang. :D

[Buzz Clik]

13. The good news is that they now allow firearms in your carry-ons.

Be sure to pack yours!

[Lone_Star_Dem]

14. If I were you I'd see if I could write the bill of rights on a pair of undies

If it gets to that point I don't think you'll be feeling too charitable toward the person viewing them anyway.

Truth of the matter it shouldn't be to bad for you. Since there are so many people which share your name they'll no doubt have been through this several times before. You'll probably get your bags looked through and such, but little more.

[ingac70]

16. Get to the airport way early! n/t.

[dkofos]

17. No problem, just show up at the airport a day early.

[pitohui]

18. good luck, take it seriously about arriving early

hubby's in the same boat, you don't need the passenger bill of rights for this, that's a consumer rights thing, just bring good up-to-date ID and your patience

however take it seriously about allowing extra time in case they do need extra time to clear you, sometimes it does not seem to take any extra time at all, other times it takes over an hour to clear him

if they just pull you aside to pat down and swab your luggage, it's usually really quick when i've had it done to me, however, sometimes if they look in the database of names then it takes a long longer for my husband, i guess they have to file some form over the computer to let whoever in gov't know that this is not the person who needs to be arrested

if only our parents knew, they could have given us more creative names when we were little :-(

[Rosemary2205]

19. Me too!!!! Us terraists gotta stick together. I wish you luck.

I have been denied the right to fly and not even my Congressman seems to be able to find out why. My Senators won't even acknowledge me so that's a bust. I dunno, maybe I should call up Ted Kennedy's office -- I heard he's been there done that already. :)

Ted Kennedy the terraist. LOL :)

[RC Quake]

22. I hope you're not flying into Ontario.

[mmonk]

23. Many people that do not live in free countries

have to go through this sort of thing.

[Az]

24. Are you trying to imply that American isn't the land of the free anymore?!?

:sarcasm:

I want my rights back. I want my habeas corpus back.

Sigh. :cry:

[mmonk]

28. Well good luck. Hope your papers are in order.

[Az]

29. Eeesh. Sounds like a scene from Cassablanca

Wait does that make me Bogey or Becall?

[mmonk]

31. Here's looking at you kid.