Practical Travel Safety Issues - Israeli security agent confuses Washinton Nationals baseball cap with Hamas headgear

No, really. Mind you, I'm not sure what would be wrong with "Hamas headgear" anyways, even if that's what it was.

Also, "vaguely Arabic" logo? It's a letter W. http://www.westviewbaseball.org/Westview_Logo_nationals_1.jpg

Story here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/13/AR2009091302371_2.html

Terrorist Nats?

The long Washington Nationals season is finally crawling to a close. The chronic basement dwellers have outdone their prior haplessness and are on pace to lose 106 games, which would make them the second-worst Washington team in a century. (Thank goodness the Mets lost 120 games in 1962.)

Now it seems that being a Nats fan -- and wearing one of those green Nationals hats -- not only can be embarrassing but can even get you in a heap of trouble.

Take what happened when Tyler Allard, legislative assistant to Rep. Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.), wore the cap as he returned from a trip last month to Jordan and Israel. An Israeli airport security guard pointed to the hat with the curly W team logo and demanded with a tone of disgust, "Why do you wear that?"

"Good question," his father, former longtime Senate aide Nick Allard, replied. "They are hopeless. They desperately need relief. You never know when they will hit, and because their defense is so bad, they suffer more than they can dish out. It's not rational and I can't explain why, but we are loyal and we love them." The more he talked, the more upset the security folks became, Nick Allard reports. Their luggage was checked and rechecked, and they were quizzed by security.

When they were finally cleared to board, Allard wrote in an e-mail, the head of the security detail said: "We do not appreciate your Hamas headgear." Green apparently is a Palestinian "color," Allard speculated, and the vaguely Arabic Nats logo might have been mistaken for an extremist emblem.

"What the Nats have done this season is almost unforgivable," Allard notes, "but they are a long way from being mistaken for an organization capable of terrorizing the eastern division much less the Middle East. It's tough being a Nats fan. Home or away."

Edit: Misread the story. It's an Israeli agent, not a TSA one. I apologize.

How does the TSA fit in with the linked (and quoted) story?

Try reading the article again, it was Israeli security. And since baseball isn't as popular in Israel chances are the security people wouldn't know the difference between the logos for the Nationals and theRed Sox.

and the Red Sox.

Now that is a terrorist organization! :D

the head of the security detail said: "We do not appreciate your Hamas headgear."

Obviously, he's an Orioles fan. :D

Obviously, he's an Orioles fan. :D

Replace "an" with "the" and I think you'll be correct.

TSA's new slogan:

hey, we're not the only ignorant ones in the world!!

Also, "vaguely Arabic" logo? It's a letter W. http://www.westviewbaseball.org/Westview_Logo_nationals_1.jpg

According to Wiki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamas), that styled 'W' in your link looks very similar to the س in the name Hamas. :eek: Just add the coincidental color green and you too might be mistaken for a tewwowist. :eek: OTOH, the official colors of the Nats are Red, Navy Blue, Gold, White. Where did the green come from?

According to Wiki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamas), that styled 'W' in your link looks very similar to the س in the name Hamas. :eek: Just add the coincidental color green and you too might be mistaken for a tewwowist. :eek: OTOH, the official colors of the Nats are Red, Navy Blue, Gold, White. Where did the green come from?

Where did the green come from? Moldy from spending too much time in a gym bag?

And the rational terrorist assigned to diversion duty is going to call attention to themselves by wearing a hat to waste security resources, while the real ones fly under the radar.

Why, we should ALL wear Hamas hats if it resulted in a rational response. Less attention should be the result.

Oh, but Israeli security is sophisticated, so the hat-wearers get extra harassment because they might be used for diversion AND for being the mule. So the real bad guys again fly under the radar.

Interesting what happens when security is allowed to profile people. No evidence of smartness ensues.

And the rational terrorist assigned to diversion duty is going to call attention to themselves by wearing a hat to waste security resources, while the real ones fly under the radar.

Why, we should ALL wear Hamas hats if it resulted in a rational response. Less attention should be the result.

Oh, but Israeli security is sophisticated, so the hat-wearers get extra harassment because they might be used for diversion AND for being the mule. So the real bad guys again fly under the radar.

Interesting what happens when security is allowed to profile people. No evidence of smartness ensues.

There's a reason why El-Al does not get hijacked. As for Israeli security not recognizing the hat as that of a baseball team, lets remember baseball is not a major sport in Israel. They don't know who the Washington Nationals are and even I couldn't figure what team the hat was from.

I can see a TSO having the same problem with an Israeli wearing a soccer shirt from his favorite team coming through a U.S. checkpoint. Soccer is not a national sport in the U.S. unlike baseball.

And the rational terrorist assigned to diversion duty is going to call attention to themselves by wearing a hat to waste security resources, while the real ones fly under the radar.

Why, we should ALL wear Hamas hats if it resulted in a rational response. Less attention should be the result.

Oh, but Israeli security is sophisticated, so the hat-wearers get extra harassment because they might be used for diversion AND for being the mule. So the real bad guys again fly under the radar.



You have obviously never flown out of TLV. One person wearing a Hamas hat (assuming it had been one and not a baseball cap) would get additional questioning from one of many Security people there. This would in no way divert attention from other passengers.

Moreover, if Security suspected that he might be being used for a diversion, they would be even more careful than usual with everyone else. After all, there is no reason for a diversion unless something is being planned.

I thought Israeli security was supposed to be the best in the world?

And the rational terrorist assigned to diversion duty is going to call attention to themselves by wearing a hat to waste security resources, while the real ones fly under the radar.

Why, we should ALL wear Hamas hats if it resulted in a rational response. Less attention should be the result.

Oh, but Israeli security is sophisticated, so the hat-wearers get extra harassment because they might be used for diversion AND for being the mule. So the real bad guys again fly under the radar.

Interesting what happens when security is allowed to profile people. No evidence of smartness ensues.

+100. And you just flunked your TSA test -- this kind of sense and logic must be kept out of the organisation.

Moreover, if Security suspected that he might be being used for a diversion, they would be even more careful than usual with everyone else.

If the resources are already in place, why not be more careful as part of the usual procedure? If the resources do not exist, then some diversion of resources (e.g. manpower) will occur. Either you waste resources and have thousands standing around (not to defend that agency), or you divert resources to investigate those near a suspected diversion (thereby weakening security elsewhere and thereby enabling the diversion tactic).

Of course you could just ignore the fiscal and mental well-being of those you are protecting and delay flights by many hours. Doing this means the resources are paid for by airlines and passengers.

Of course the diversion technique could be designed to delay flights to further some other nefarious plan: jamming more people into a confined area, for example.

After all, there is no reason for a diversion unless something is being planned.

A diversion could be for its own sake (e.g. to test its effectiveness).

N.B.: This is a comment on security in general, not LY; I have never flown into or out of TLV (land crossing only).

There's a reason why El-Al does not get hijacked.

Statistics? How many fatal hijackings and bombings have there been in the last 50 years? A few dozen?

Yes, I am fully aware of LY's relatively unique situation. My point is that the lack a statistically improbable event is not evidence of much of anything. Saying that El Al's extra security has an effect without providing evidence other than a lack of hijackings/bombings is essentially meaningless. Of course then there are examples such as the unwitting bomb-courier Irish (?) GF of a Palestinian terrorist (I don't recall the details).

Interesting what happens when security is allowed to profile people. No evidence of smartness ensues.

I am as unimpressed by the "I can peer into the depths of your soul by the way you move your eyebrows in the checkin line" but let's not take this too seriously. My irony-o-meter detects exaggeration for comic effect and whiff of after-dinner brandies permeates the whole anecdote.

The problem came about because the Israeli agent assumed that the only explanation for it was it was a hat supporting Hamas, while the US guy assumed that the Israeli knew it was a baseball team.

And despite all the questioning etc, those basic assumptions never actually got checked at any time. If the US guy had said 'I'm wearing it because I support the baseball team' instead of getting all wise-assy, then perhaps it might have got cleared up sooner?

I've done Israel security - you don't mess around, you don't crack jokes, you answer their questions exactly and precisely. If you don't do this, your searches are more likely to take longer and be more intensive - as this guy found.

According to Wiki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamas), that styled 'W' in your link looks very similar to the س in the name Hamas. :eek: Just add the coincidental color green and you too might be mistaken for a tewwowist. :eek: OTOH, the official colors of the Nats are Red, Navy Blue, Gold, White. Where did the green come from?

I've got one of those green hats, too. The Nationals gave them out at a game last September 17th as a "half-way to St. Patrick's Day" promotional item.

I've done Israel security - you don't mess around, you don't crack jokes, you answer their questions exactly and precisely.

Jenbel, I always crack jokes with Israeli security (especially the pretty agents). It has never caused me a problem and I get through very quickly.

Of course, they might just be trying to get rid of the Dirty Old Man who is hitting on them. :(

Where did the green come from? Moldy from spending too much time in a gym bag?

I'm with you! If you're wearing the team logo, you should wear the team colors. BTW, my youngest loves his Navy blue 'Nats gear.

Jenbel, I always crack jokes with Israeli security (especially the pretty agents). It has never caused me a problem and I get through very quickly.

That was exactly my experience. The cute agent and I joked about how the only Hebrew I knew was what I learned in Hebrew school, while she was somehow able to determine that my wife speaks fluent Hebrew even though Mrs. mikeef hadn't opened her mouth. That dude(tte) was on the ball.

The whole OP incident was a wonderfully funny incident of international misunderstanding. I only wish I could have seen it. The only really scary thing in this thread is planeluvr's clearly pro-Yankee tendencies.

OT: And if there is any question that God is a Boston sports fan, please re-watch the last couple minutes of MNF from last night.

Mike

Jenbel, I always crack jokes with Israeli security (especially the pretty agents). It has never caused me a problem and I get through very quickly.

Of course, they might just be trying to get rid of the Dirty Old Man who is hitting on them. :(
And you are 'Israeli Israeli'.

As a non-Jew, who spoke very limited Hebrew (and didn't own up to what I could speak, as it was useful for finding out what I was about to be asked on the occasion I got the security trainee)... the rules are a little bit different.

And you are 'Israeli Israeli'.

As a non-Jew, who spoke very limited Hebrew (and didn't own up to what I could speak, as it was useful for finding out what I was about to be asked on the occasion I got the security trainee)... the rules are a little bit different.

Actually, having admitted to speaking some Hebrew is probably what would have gotten you more questioning. The agents are looking for things that are out of the ordinary (even on the positive side). A Scottish gentile who speaks some Hebrew would be one of those things.

(A Dirty Old Man flirting with a pretty young woman is not particularly out of the ordinary.)

I've told these two stories before on FT, but they illustrate very well what I mean:

For most foreigners, it is about 5 minutes. For someone who appears to be out of the ordinary (even in a positive manner) it will take longer.

Examples: A friend was flying FCO-TLV and she was a very unusual passenger for that flight. She was a black, female, American Air Force Lieutenant Colonel with NATO Intelligence credentials. Obviously, she does not fit the profile of a terrorist but she also was not your typical passenger. Before she was allowed to board, she was asked if anyone in Israel could vouch for her. She gave them my name and telephone number and they called me to verify that I knew her.

The same thing happened with a FTer. She was coming to Israel for a Meet that I had organized. Although American, she was flying in from Istanbul and El Al security found it strange that she would go to Israel for three days. Again, they called me to verify her identity.

When El Al is not completely satisfied with the passenger (and this does not happen very often) not only is the passenger searched but (as in the case Richard Reid, who later became the famed would-be shoe bomber) he has a security officer as his seatmate for the entire flight.

Where did the green come from? Moldy from spending too much time in a gym bag?
St. Patricks day cap? I have my Green Red Sox cap for that day.

A Dirty Old Man flirting with a pretty young woman is not particularly out of the ordinary.

And Dov should know. :D:p:D

And Dov should know. :D:p:D

I've seen pics of women in the IDF. If the security people look anything like that, they'd have to drag my @ss out of the airport. :D

I've seen pics of women in the IDF. If the security people look anything like that, they'd have to drag my @ss out of the airport. :D

They do. Seriously. I'd recommend a trip to TLV, although you should probably check with Dovster if, when they ask why you came to Israel, your response should be, "Some people I met on an internet bulletin board told me that Israeli women with guns are really hot."

Mike