man kept off United flight because of book
 

This is getting a bit spooky, and well beyond the kind of "security" offered by underwire bra checks -- now you can be kept off the planes for reading a book people don't like!

But I guess this is a warning for our next trips -- be careful what reading material you bring along, and don't forget that we're at war with Eastasia -- we're friends with Westasia.

He proceeded through the security checkpoint and sat down to read near his boarding gate. About 10 minutes had passed when a National Guardsman approached Godfrey.

"He told me to step aside," Godfrey says. "Then he took my book and asked me why I was reading it."

Within minutes, Godfrey says, Philadelphia Police officers, Pennsylvania State Troopers and airport security officials joined the National Guardsman. About 10 to 12 people examined the novel for 45 minutes, scratching out notes the entire time. They also questioned Godfrey about the purpose of his trip to Phoenix.

http://www.citypaper.net/articles/10....godfrey.shtml

Ok, so just what kind of book was this?

Here's a quote from the Philadelphia City Paper article referenced in the original post:

###BEGIN EXCERPT###

On the cover of the book, Hayduke Lives! by Edward Abbey, is an illustration of a man’s hand holding several sticks of dynamite. The 1991 novel is about a radical environmentalist, George Washington Hayduke III, who blows up bridges, burns tractors and sabotages other projects he believes are destroying the beautiful Southwest landscape.

###END EXCERPT###

Abbey wrote another novel, "The Monkey Wrench Gang," with a similar theme and "monkey-wrenching" has become jargon used by some of the more radical environmental protectors for their efforts to disrupt such things as logging or development projects.

And if you read the article, it says that the second time he tried to board, four security people leafed through his Harry Potter book for 20 minutes!

(He was ultimately refused boarding...)

This is nuts! Dude was told he couldn't fly for reading Harry Potter! That is one of the craziest stories I have ever read. What a perfect example of stupid security. Then after search after search, rescheduled to another flight, another search and then told he's banned from United? Things are out of hand.

This belongs under Sports Illustrated's "This week's sign of the apocalypse"

[This message has been edited by skofarrell (edited 10-19-2001).]

I hear that "Harry Potter" can actually be pretty scary! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

Things like this make me want to buy a copy of the Anarchist's Cookbook to bring on my next (non-business-trip) flight...

Pure insanity and harassment. Wonder how long before the lawyers get involved...

Why do I think there's a whole lot more to this story than hit the papers?

Mike

This is what happens when idiots are responsible for security.

The people involved seem concerned about whether they would be allowed to fly United again.

If it had been me, I'd never want to fly United again.

Let's see...

What other books could be construed as a security risk?

"1984" George Orwell
"Atlas Shrugged" Ayn Rand
"Fahrenhite 451" Ray Bradbury
"Word of Honor" Tom Clancy (depcition of 747 crashing into Capitol)
The Koran
Air charts
Flight Manual
Anything written in a language whose characters are little squiggles.

... and hundreds of others, I'm sure.

All this stuff wants me to get up and start yelling "GET A GRIP, AMERICA!" What a bunch of idiots we are becoming.

You could get pulled off an airplane for reading Edward Abbey? Geez. I guess I better leave my Dave Foreman books at home then too.

For some background ... Abbey's The Monkey Wrench Gang is generally credited with spawning Earth First!, which pretty much has its roots in Arizona.

[This message has been edited by letiole (edited 10-19-2001).]

Because you're more optimistic than I? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif