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Air Marshals Place Innocents on Secret Watch List

An anonymous reader writes "The Denver Channel 7 News reports that federal air marshals are operating under a quota for reporting a minimum number of suspicious travelers which is resulting in innocent people being placed on a secret government watch list. From the article: 'These unknowing passengers who are doing nothing wrong are landing in a secret government document called a Surveillance Detection Report, or SDR.'"

29 of 571 comments (clear)

  1. No wonder by MECC · · Score: 5, Funny

    It was posted anonymously...

    --
    "We are all geniuses when we dream"
    - E.M. Cioran
    1. Re:No wonder by MECC · · Score: 4, Funny

      Makes me wonder if that's how GWB's brain cell works.

      Spread calm, spread fear, spread calm, spread fear - oops gotta pee - spread calm, spread fear...

      --
      "We are all geniuses when we dream"
      - E.M. Cioran
    2. Re:No wonder by Andrewkov · · Score: 4, Funny

      Have you considered the fact that your dad might indeed be a terrorist??

  2. Secret government list? by Weaselmancer · · Score: 4, Funny

    Well, I wouldn't call it a secret anymore.

    --
    Weaselmancer
    rediculous.
  3. Good thing.. by ackthpt · · Score: 5, Funny

    Good thing I'm too broke to fly.

    --

    A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
  4. Obvious solution.... by MagicDude · · Score: 5, Funny

    The marshalls should just put everyone under the age of 5 on the "no fly" list. Marshall's meet their quota, and the flight is much more enjoyable for everyone else. Everybody wins.

    1. Re:Obvious solution.... by Dr+Tall · · Score: 4, Funny

      So 20 years from now everyone between the age of 20 and 25 will be on the watch list? You're letting the 26 year-old terrorists win.

    2. Re:Obvious solution.... by cashman73 · · Score: 2, Funny

      Put everyone with a cell phone on the secret watch list, too. That should put just about,... everyone,... on the list. ;-)

    3. Re:Obvious solution.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Won't somebody think of the terrorist children?

  5. Re:IT? by idontgno · · Score: 3, Funny

    YRO would be too suspicious. Let's not make their jobs easier, eh?

    --
    Welcome to the Panopticon. Used to be a prison, now it's your home.
  6. From the Marshall's Journal by Aqua_boy17 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Just got my ass chewed out for being under quota. Gotta keep my eyes open. But look ,over there, by the window. That frail old lady kind of looks suspicious to me. Got kind of an evil look about her. And what's that in her hands? OMG - Holy crap - knitting needles!! Quick, take her down she might just be trying to knit....

    (wait for it)


    AN AFGHAN!

    --
    What if the Hokey Pokey really is what it's all about?
  7. Re:WTF by rumblin'rabbit · · Score: 2, Funny
    So the Denver news is now a reliable source of information?
    Indeed, perhaps the Denver 7 news reporter was under a deadline, and just made stuff up.
  8. oblig. 1984 reference by cvd6262 · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Innocent passengers are being entered into an international intelligence database as suspicious persons, acting in a suspicious manner on an aircraft ... and they did nothing wrong," said one federal air marshal.

    2006.07.25 DenverChannel malsaid "unorthodox" as "suspicious". rectify.

    --

    I'd rather have someone respond than be modded up.

  9. Re:WTF by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    What is truly remarkable that the article uses the word suspicious, the summary uses the word suspicious and yet you still spell it suspitious more than once.

    Please stop showing the world how lousy our public school system is. I thank you in advance for your cooperation.

  10. Wrong focus by Kesch · · Score: 5, Funny

    I think these guys are spending too much time looking for possible terrorists and not enough time on the real threats.

    Like snakes.

    What I'm really scared of is mothaf*cking snakes on mothaf*cking planes!

    --
    If this signature is witty enough, maybe somebody will like me.
  11. Re:I'd rather be safe than free by Amouth · · Score: 2, Funny

    Bush that you???

    --
    '...if only "Jumping to a Conclusion" was an event in the Olympics.'
  12. Re:WTF by butterwise · · Score: 1, Funny

    Yeah, them damn hicks out west don't know squat.

    Excuse me, but we "hicks" are in the south, not west, thank you very much.

    --
    If a baby duck is a "duckling," why would anyone want to eat "dumplings?"
  13. MOS: 31V by Tony · · Score: 2, Funny

    But seriously, could being in the US Army qualify? You have training which might be considered threatening? Maybe not, might depend on what you did in the Army. Demo expert? Hand to hand combat? Maybe your are considered an asset to the bad guys?

    I was a 31V, cross-trained as a 31C. That is, I field-serviced two-way radios, and I did a little training as a RATT operator (radio teletype, for long-range communication). If the bad guys need a handset on a PRC-77 or their RC-524 replaced, I could do it. Not that I would.

    --
    Microsoft is to software what Budweiser is to beer.
    1. Re:MOS: 31V by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      "If the bad guys need a handset on a PRC-77 or their RC-524 replaced, I could do it. Not that I would."

      Hang on a second - I thought you did do it. You did say you worked for the US Army, didn't you?

  14. Re:Bullshit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    He should be on the list. Just yesterday he threw his ball into my yard and WALKED ON MY GRASS TO GET IT! Then HE DID IT AGAIN!!!!

  15. Re:The gov't ruining innocent peoples lives by soft_guy · · Score: 2, Funny

    I have a relatively common anglo name (like John Doe)

    Were you in the band X?

    --
    Avoid Missing Ball for High Score
  16. Re:Guy I know is on the list by nasch · · Score: 2, Funny

    LOL a pilot on the no-fly list! That is so rich!

  17. Re:IT? by StikyPad · · Score: 4, Funny

    Strategic Data Report
    26 July, 2006

    Agent: StikyPad
    Subject: mrxak

    Individual was seen on Wednesday July 26, at approximately 0619 making suspicious inquiries regarding the nature of data categorization and storage. The subject posed as a "concerned reader," and asked what appeared to be harmless questions, however informants have stated that he may, in fact, have been planning to submit his own stories to improper categories. Surveillance indicates that this is just the beginning of a massive campaign of disinformation and misinformation designed to thwart intelligence collection and law enforcement capabilities -- clearly a grave threat to national security.

    It is further believed that "mrxak" may actually be an alias, however his true identity has yet to be discovered. Subject must remain under continued observation at all times.

    NNNN


    Haha.. made quota!

  18. Re:The gov't ruining innocent peoples lives by Potor · · Score: 3, Funny

    I didn't know that Anonymous Coward was a relatively common anglo name. Clearly, though, with a name like that, the cowboys will hate you.

  19. Re:It's not so bad... by BalanceOfJudgement · · Score: 3, Funny
    Maybe somebody ought to crack the lottery and share the money with those burned for trying to save the world?
    If I came into that kind of money, I would buy 10,000 acres in the middle of nowhere, build my own little town/city and invite everyone who wants to live free, to live there.

    Oh, and build a secret army while I'm at it for when the Feds come accusing me of voluntarily leaving paradise, because NOBODY leaves paradise. Everyone should be a happy little Borg.
    --

    We are the fire that lights our world.. and we are the fire that consumes it.
  20. Re:Fahrenheit 451 by ultramk · · Score: 2, Funny

    Obviously this does not apply to an Air Marshall who gets drunk and falls asleep on the plane but is the guy on the De Moines to Bend Oregon run going to find as many suspicious people as the guy on the NY to Boston run?

    Sorry, but having stayed in both cities, I can categorically state there there is no valid earthly reason to be in either Des Moines, IA or Bend, OR. Obviously there's something truly fishy going on.

    m-

    --
    You catch enchiladas by picking them up behind the head and holding them underwater until they don't kick anymore -VeGas
  21. Re:Easy Solution by Peyna · · Score: 2, Funny

    It's not their fault there's so many people named Anonymous Coward. You could just login.

    --
    What?
  22. all relative by elmurado · · Score: 2, Funny

    I'm glad I live in China...

  23. You must love the terrorists by Ohreally_factor · · Score: 2, Funny

    Anyone who opposes these watch list quotas hates freedom and productivity!

    --
    It's not offtopic, dumbass. It's orthogonal.