The Society for Neuroscience's annual meeting is the largest of its kind, drawing 25,000 of the world's brain biologists. Among them, Thanos Tzounopoulos of Portland who in a black suit, got to the airport two hours early Sunday to travel.

The neuroscientist and assistant professor at Oregon Health & Science University checked in, used the restroom, called his wife twice and then sat in Portland International Airport reading scientific papers for more than an hour until Flight 572 to San Diego was called.

He was in Seat 19C, the meeting agenda on his lap, awaiting the 2:41 p.m. takeoff when a ground-based Alaska Airlines employee boarded and asked him to step outside.

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http://www.oregonlive.com/news/orego...3426924100.xml

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"Yes, but at least mine will be found in a first class seat." -- Peattie and Taylor

Yet another example of our escalating paranoia. We cannot continue to permit such behavior under the guise of security. Since the police were not called, the only logical conclusion for the airline's action was to pacify the paranoid passenger(s). It appears the professor's identity and the purpose of his trip could have been easily verified. Why do passengers wait until everyone has boarded to voice their concern regarding the suspicious passenger? Didn't they notice him while waiting in the boarding area? Somehow I'm not surprised Alaska Air doesn't want to meet with him and his attorney.

I'm wondering when I'll get kicked off a flight, this is getting so strange. For example, before we get airborne, it's always hot in the cabin. Will someone notice I'm sweating and say, hey, he's sweating so he might be a terrorist?

Jack Walsh, spokesman for Alaska Airlines, based in Seattle, said the airline is merely tightening procedures that most passengers welcome.

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Sounds like a load of crap to me!

Time to PLEASE stop this nonsense!

So now we're at the point where passengers can essentially force each other off aircraft? Hmmm...I wonder if this is a way to free up that center seat...

You know, I've been really tolerant that in these times of uncertainty and adjustment to reasonable caution, that many innocents will be unjustly trapped in a net not meant for them. But this is so far beyond the pale that it defies understanding. Seems the airlines are a long way from defining "reasonable caution" if I have the power to throw someone off the plane because they seem contemplative.

This is the same nonsense as the National Guard guy bullying the freelancer about taking pictures in an airport ... and keeping a guy off a plane because the security guys essentially didn't like the book he was reading.

It's ludicrous.

If an airline has a question about a passenger, run him through the scanners two or three times -- wand him extensively, have two employees hand-search his carry-ons. But when he passes those tests, it's pointless to keep him off the plane: The airline has investigated thoroughly, and disproved its suspicions. Case closed.

Continuing to throw away our liberties, common sense and integrity in a misguided stampede for "security" is self-defeating.

This has gone too far! Salem witch trials 2001!

Along the same line, if everyone in F looks suspicious, can I score an operational upgrade when they're all thrown off?




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"Yes, but at least mine will be found in a first class seat." -- Peattie and Taylor

This is certainly a form of BLATANT discrimination. Unless someone is doing something illegal or endangering the safety of other passengers or flight crew, there is no logical reason that someone should be escorted off a flight merely because another passenger had a whimsical "bad feeling."

Should I have this same "bad feeling" whenever a grossly overweight person sits next to me in Coach? Or when a mother with a crying kid kicks the back of my seat?

If it is really necessary to detain a person on the whim of a passenger, the whole flight should be detained while the person is "re-screened" and briefly interviewed by a security officer and then allowed to reboard otherwise it will lead to people abusing the system.

I lived in Oregon for over 30 years and now live in Los Angeles. It is unfortunate that there are so many xenophobic people living in Oregon because it is such a beautiful state with many very caring and intelligent people. This has also been an on-going problem with INS officers working at the Portland airport. Foreign tourists have complained bitterly to the U.S. State Department that they are harassed by PDX INS agents (highest % of complaints of any airport).

Although I dont know the particulars about this incident it sure rubs me the wrong way. The Port of Portland and Alaska Airlines are doing themselves a huge disfavor by telling international visitors and foreign-born nationals to stay away!




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Jim Wilkins

Fortuntely, PDX has paid the price and has lost all long-haul international service.

You're just lucky it's not summer, or you'd be out!

This hits close to home. I've just returned from the same conference, although fortunately not through PDX. I hope the fact that I routinely put my steel-shanked shoes through the x-ray to prevent the alarm going off doesn't qualify me as suspicious. Neuroscientists can be an eclectic-looking bunch, but most of them are harmless.

So if we (elites) report all those suspicious looking FC PAX, do we get to u/g into their seats before the plane leaves?

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EWR CO Gold

What happened to the professor was simply incredible. AS owes him a huge apology.

I feel like we are in some communist country where youe can be reported by a neighbor who evesdrops on you. Any one of us could have gone to the bathroom, made a couple of urgent calls, and looked pensively into the air while reading a difficult book. Better yet, maybe someone just wants my aisle seat!

The accused should have had the right to face the accuser.