chollie

Quite possibly, yes.

The question about the parking possibly could have come from looking at Google maps.

I've done the same thing once with a picture (just something torn out of a magazine). The very fact that I hadn't unpacked, moved in, the quirky reason I had for putting it up - yes, there would have been no mistaking it if I had come home and the picture had been gone.

chgoeditor

I assumed the parking thing came from Google maps.

Looking at this guy's picture, I'm guessing that I'm 10-15 years old than he is. And I acknowledge that my memory seems to play more tricks on my in my 40s than 20s. But I have definitely had the experience of thinking, "I have to do XX," and then I envision myself doing XX because I've done it recently or done it frequently, then minutes or hours or days later I think, "Didn't I do XX?" only to realize that, no, I just thought about it.

Given that he just moved out of an apartment, it's probably safe to assume that he very recently took the picture off of the wall. Particularly if he's exhausted, I wouldn't be surprised if he later realized that he'd thought about hanging the picture and envisioned himself hanging the picture but hadn't really hung the picture.

petaluma1

Yes, which is why he was held for so long.

chollie

I don't find that plausible.

1) I've done almost exactly the same thing in the same circumstances - taped a single magazine page to a wall - in an otherwise unfurnished, unmoved-into apartment. Not remotely similar to the way I normally hang pictures (tape), not what I put on my walls (ripped out magazine pages), not something I do very often (move).

2) He did it as a matter of Hindu custom - he taped a photograph to his bedroom wall.

Yes, I think it very likely that his apartment was entered and searched. In part, to verify that what he told them was true - no one else in the apartment, just moved in, not even unpacked. The picture is no doubt in a file somewhere covered in fingerprint powder, being held as 'evidence'. Given the circumstances (no furniture, not unpacked), if it had fallen on the floor (possibility if it was just taped up), he'd have spotted it pretty easily.

studentff

I find this fairly plausible, that the otherwise absurd delay/stalling was to allow time to gain essentially illicit access to his apartment. They may not have broken in; they may just have intimidated the landlord or a building super into letting them in.

Every single fed and LEO who could be in this position needs training on the false positive rate of TSA ETD machines. How many thousands (tens of thousands? hundreds of thousands?) of false positives have there been where the passenger was carrying no explosives (heart meds and hand lotion do not count as explosives) and had no ill intent. To use a TSA ETD as probable cause for anything other than questioning the sanity of TSA is absurd.

GUWonder

The government does enter apartments under false pretenses and/or with landlord assistance, but taking things from them requires cover of approval from someone with own-access to the place, a blatant violation of law, or special approval of sort. This came up a lot around DC-area apartment buildings, including ones occupied by US Senators, US House Reps and even some Cabinet Secretary-level office holders.

The religious picture may have been removed by painters or others involved in a relationship with building management to prepare/complete preparations for a new occupant even after the occupant has taken possession.

:D!

If he hadn't really hung the picture, it would still be somewhere in his apartment.

SeriouslyLost

I'd say it's especially shocking for anyone with a basic knowledge of basic knowledge.

Unfortunately, in Pax Amerika, basic knowledge about anything outside the realm of "white, xtian, US" is essentially zero. I honestly wouldn't expect any other outcome.



(I got back from Easter Island today. The immigration officer asked if I'd been through Eygpt or Israel. Because, you know, Easter Island must be in the Middle East somewhere & controlled by one of those two, right? The depth of ignorance in the US is genuinely astounding. )

petaluma1

Come on. Easter, the Holy Land and it's proximity to Egypt. </sarcasm>

When my son went off to college 27 years ago, he was appalled to find out that other students couldn't find NYC on a map - and that was before he'd determined to be a geography major.

gooselee

I pretty regularly meet people, often in their late-20s or older, who are proud of the fact that they:
a) haven't ever wanted or had a need to travel north of X or west of Y (where X and Y are within 200 miles of where we're standing)
b) know that there are 52 US states because everyone forgets to count AK/HI (or better, 53 because didn't you know PR is actually a state?)
c) both.

The ignorance can be astounding, but more disturbing is the level to which some of these statements are made with such conviction and pride. I can at least give someone a little bit of credit for being able to acknowledge that they just don't know about something.

gobluetwo

Or maybe the guy is embellishing significantly and making things sound worse than they actually were.

http://boardingarea.com/flyingwithfi...-ramadan-nope/

gooselee

Ruh roh.

ajthegreat

The saying goes to take it for what it's worth. While I think this guy may have escalated the situation I completely believe the bones of the story based on my past experiences (setting off the explosive test, both my brown self and in another instance a traveling companion, white middle aged female standing at a whopping 5'0).

You're treated like a complete criminal, threatened with not being able to travel, and only afterwards, in both instances, was I told it happens all the time. (In my case I was very calculated in my words and actions as to not escalate the situation).

GUWonder

"While much of what this Bengali-American experienced and reported is a direct result of the ETD alarms at JFK, it’s doubtful that everything he experienced was a result of ETD alarms and nothing more. It’s doubtful that all the blame for this situation rests on him, but the authorities involved certainly have an incentive to try to sell that story (to blame him) and find people to re-sell it for them too. This blog is doing a good job of that. Sources in the government like to contribute to those who will — wittingly or otherwise — play their game for them."


Sounds like the Team TSA may be playing a game of the sort I mentioned above.

Team TSA embellishing significantly and making things sound worse than they actually were? That wouldn't be a surprise.

mikeef

Question: If the guy is not FWB, does he get noticed by a BDO? I'd like to hear more about this suspicious behavior.

Wow, he mixed up the NYPD with the Port Authority PD? He must be lying.

I have no doubt that the passenger got pissed and let them know it on multiple occasions. Gee, he must be a terrorist, not a guy whose rights are being trampled.

Wow, the guy hasn't had anything to eat or drink and he didn't answer every question exactly the same way? How shocking.

Hmm, wonder why he thought he was interviewed by the FBI. Maybe because every other organization with initials short of the EPA needed a piece of him?

The truth, of course, lies somewhere in between what he said and what all the "authority" figures said. But what is the latter group going to say? They have every interest in making this guy seem dangerous.

I really hope this one ends up in court.

Mike