toomanybooks

(From the OP) My wife has emailed me a lengthy discussion of what happened. Here are the salient points. You should be aware that my son has some problems with verbal communication and sometimes acts weirdly, but is scrupulously honest and very rarely lies or makes things up.:

"We both had to use the restroom in the airport - ones that we have used many times over the last 10 years (in the Southwest gate area near Max and Erma's). We go over the rules. Go in, do not talk to anyone, do not goof around, do your business, wash your hands and come right out. Usually I say if you need me yell - I did not say that today. Also we have talked for years about strangers and danger... I went to the womens' room and was back out in front of the mens' room (they are side-by-side) as fast as possible. As I stood there two young men, perhaps in their early 20s, were walking out saying "Let's get out of here.... that was weird."

I called for [my son] - no answer.

I called again - he said yes. Then he came out pulling his Star Wars suitcase.

I asked what had happened in the bathroom - specifically if he was goofing around, acting like a Jedi or something. He said no, he was not. I asked if he had said anything to the men, he said no, not much really, so I asked what had happened.

He told me that he had gone in a urinal standing up because that is what men do. He was done and washing his hands. Then two "teenagers" came in; he called them thugs - I was not sure if
this was accurate at first... He said that they wanted to rob him. I questioned this. So then he said that one of the guys told him to go with them into the handicapped stall to get candy. He said that he read their minds and could tell that they wanted to trap him and rob him so he looked at the guys with an angry face and shook his head no.

Then he made a stronger angry face (bared teeth, wrinkled nose), shook his head from side to side like a crazed wild animal and growled at them. He said that they thought he was going to explode and go nuts so they left. And either before they left or just after, I am not sure which, he yelled, "I'll get you thieves and your little dog too." This must be the point at which I saw the guys leaving the bathroom.

I called [toomanybooks] on my cell and he suggested we report it to the police. The officer talked to me and then he talked to [my son], who told the story well, and described the young men as best he could. It was noteworthy that he got the hair, approximate ages, and lack of glasses easily and then after being asking about distinguishing marks (tattoos, scars, mustaches, etc.), he said 'No, they did not have any macho markings - they were just plain guys who wanted to trap me and steal my stuff.'"

So there you have it. It's certainly possible my son misinterpreted the situation, but I think it unlikely he would have made up the part about the candy, which sounds pretty nefarious on the face of it.

CLE police took my wife's phone number but she has heard nothing further, roughly 12 hours later.