Abuse of power is abusive
Four days ago, I sent a couple of you guys (and my parents) an e-mail about some poor guy getting stopped in Heathrow Airport and being asked to remove his Optimus Prime t-shirt because it has a picture of a gun on it. The original link I found is here. Some of the commenters suggested he try to get the event publicized, and it looks like it worked! The Register and The Sun both published brief articles about this farce of airport security - and the responses have been appropriately enraged/embarrassed for humanity.
I mean, come on, people. How many things are wrong with this picture here? First of all, it is a FICTIONAL CHARACTER! Ignoring the fact that it is freakin' Optimus Prime, of all things - the heroic Autobot leader, the Good Guy - this thing isn't even real! The "gun" on the t-shirt looks like no real human gun I've ever seen. And then the dolts in security had to go and open their big mouths and allow this empty-headed drivel spew out:
"If a T-shirt had a rude word or a bomb on it for example, a passenger may be asked to remove it. We are investigating what happened to see if it came under this category."
I don't know whether to LOL or to weep for humanity. Since when has it been allowable to censure what people have on their clothing?? As long as it's not pornographic (which goes against public indecency laws), they have absolutely no say. The next time I fly (which will be in August), I am going to damn well make sure I have some sort of clothing with a gun - maybe I'll go buy my own TF tee. Because stupidity like this can simply not be taken sitting down.
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ETA#1: A commenter posted what was apparently the response of a government official:
"Terrorists were using coded t-shirts to signal other operatives to action. You will be happy to know that thanks to the diligent actions of our security services yet another terrorist atrocity has been thwarted. This incident outlines why we should increase the detention time for suspects to 40 days."
Oh, that's good to know! Not sure how valid the commenter's source is, but I thought it was worth mentioning, considering I wouldn't be surprised if something very similar, if not these very words, came out of someone's mouth.
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ETA#2: Okay, it just keeps getting better and better... This account from another commenter on The Register:
"This is too funny.
This happened to me at another London airport. It is probably an indication that the Transformers are real, and a real threat to our way of life and liberty and democracy and all that jazz. They will be stamped out!
I had a transformers LED keyring, given to me by my little nephew. Its gone through another london airport umpteen times. But at this particular airport, they said it was a LASER that would be used to BLIND someone.
Its a £1.99 LED keyring torch, given away free with the film.
Anyway, after much much bikering, they took the batteries out.
Obviously, that made it safer.
And yes, I was entirely random, so random that I was the only one in the entire airport that didn't need to use a sunbed to look tanned. That random.
I have to admit, they won. I no longer carry that keyring. I will have to stop wearing branded t-shirts as well. Just in case someone thinks the Nike swoosh is an arrow or that the Lacoste alligator means i am a cannibal. Bah.
IMHO Optimus Prime should save everyone else, and let us rot...that'll learn them."
Too bad the guy stopped carrying the thing around. But I for one would embrace our Autobot rulers, if they ever happen to show up! :D
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I mean, come on, people. How many things are wrong with this picture here? First of all, it is a FICTIONAL CHARACTER! Ignoring the fact that it is freakin' Optimus Prime, of all things - the heroic Autobot leader, the Good Guy - this thing isn't even real! The "gun" on the t-shirt looks like no real human gun I've ever seen. And then the dolts in security had to go and open their big mouths and allow this empty-headed drivel spew out:
"If a T-shirt had a rude word or a bomb on it for example, a passenger may be asked to remove it. We are investigating what happened to see if it came under this category."
I don't know whether to LOL or to weep for humanity. Since when has it been allowable to censure what people have on their clothing?? As long as it's not pornographic (which goes against public indecency laws), they have absolutely no say. The next time I fly (which will be in August), I am going to damn well make sure I have some sort of clothing with a gun - maybe I'll go buy my own TF tee. Because stupidity like this can simply not be taken sitting down.
************
ETA#1: A commenter posted what was apparently the response of a government official:
"Terrorists were using coded t-shirts to signal other operatives to action. You will be happy to know that thanks to the diligent actions of our security services yet another terrorist atrocity has been thwarted. This incident outlines why we should increase the detention time for suspects to 40 days."
Oh, that's good to know! Not sure how valid the commenter's source is, but I thought it was worth mentioning, considering I wouldn't be surprised if something very similar, if not these very words, came out of someone's mouth.
************
ETA#2: Okay, it just keeps getting better and better... This account from another commenter on The Register:
"This is too funny.
This happened to me at another London airport. It is probably an indication that the Transformers are real, and a real threat to our way of life and liberty and democracy and all that jazz. They will be stamped out!
I had a transformers LED keyring, given to me by my little nephew. Its gone through another london airport umpteen times. But at this particular airport, they said it was a LASER that would be used to BLIND someone.
Its a £1.99 LED keyring torch, given away free with the film.
Anyway, after much much bikering, they took the batteries out.
Obviously, that made it safer.
And yes, I was entirely random, so random that I was the only one in the entire airport that didn't need to use a sunbed to look tanned. That random.
I have to admit, they won. I no longer carry that keyring. I will have to stop wearing branded t-shirts as well. Just in case someone thinks the Nike swoosh is an arrow or that the Lacoste alligator means i am a cannibal. Bah.
IMHO Optimus Prime should save everyone else, and let us rot...that'll learn them."
Too bad the guy stopped carrying the thing around. But I for one would embrace our Autobot rulers, if they ever happen to show up! :D
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