You could probably say that the Homeland Security folks aren't exactly a humor filled bunch:
Two British tourists were barred from entering America after joking on Twitter that they were going to 'destroy America' and 'dig up Marilyn Monroe'.
Leigh Van Bryan, 26, was handcuffed and kept under armed guard in a cell with Mexican drug dealers for 12 hours after landing in Los Angeles with pal Emily Bunting.
The Department of Homeland Security flagged him as a potential threat when he posted an excited tweet to his pals about his forthcoming trip to Hollywood which read: 'Free this week, for quick gossip/prep before I go and destroy America'.
After making their way through passport control at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) last Monday afternoon the pair were detained by armed guards.
Despite telling officials the term 'destroy' was British slang for 'party', they were held on suspicion of planning to 'commit crimes' and had their passports confiscated.
Leigh was also quizzed about another tweet which quoted hit US comedy Family Guy which read: '3 weeks today, we're totally in LA p****** people off on Hollywood Blvd and diggin' Marilyn Monroe up!
Federal agents even searched his suitcase looking for spades and shovels, claiming Emily was planning to act as Leigh's 'look out' while he raided Marilyn's tomb.
Bar manager Leigh, from Coventry, and Emily, 24, from Birmingham, were then quizzed for five hours at LAX before they were handcuffed and put into a van with illegal immigrants and locked up overnight.
They spent 12 hours in separate holding cells before being driven back to the airport where they were put on a plane home via Paris.
Welcome to Obama's America... where people who are real threats to the country are likely given a pass because of political correctness and bureaucratic ineptness and people like Leigh and Emily are detained and deported for telling humor-deficient jokes.
Hope and change anyone?
Crossposted at Wizbang.
Reminds me of coming back from a mission trip to Mexico a few years ago. I told all my riders to just answer Yes or No to any questions at the border.
US agent, "Sir, do you have over $10,000 in your vehicle?"
Chuck, "Man I wish!"
US agent, "Pull your car over there sir and everyone out."
Posted by: chuck aka xtnyoda | Monday, January 30, 2012 at 10:23 PM
Honestly, I have no problem with this. In this age of unfiltered, unedited communication it was bound to happen. These 2 claim it was British slang; if you read the comments at the DailyMail site, from Brits, it's not. And I don't buy their claim that TSA was actively "searching for shovels and spades". Really because the sophisticated x-ray scanners wouldn't have actually SHOWN them???
I think the TSA may have gone a bit overboard but ask yourself this: what if these 2 did intend to do harm to American citizens and the TSA just ignored the Homeland Security warnings. How would we all feel?
Posted by: Kris, in New England | Tuesday, January 31, 2012 at 09:29 AM
I've had an experience like Chuck's reentering the USA. I remember in the sixties and seventies, when hijacking planes became common, that jokes were not tolerated on airlines. I'm with Kris on this one.
Posted by: BroKen | Tuesday, January 31, 2012 at 11:01 AM