Boy Says a Security Order Made Him Sick

New York Times ^ | Saturday, April 6, 2002

[JohnHuang2]

DENVER, April 5 — A 14-year-old Pennsylvania boy said he became ill on Sunday after security officials at Aspen Airport made him drink water he had collected from a creek for his biology class.

The boy, Elliot Gosko, said he was carrying a bottle onto the plane when he was told to drink some of its contents as a security precaution.

Elliot said the water made him nauseated and might have contained giardia, parasites that can cause life-threatening intestinal illness.

A Federal Aviation Administration official apologized to the boy and his family but said airport officials were only being careful in the aftermath of Sept. 11.

[JohnHuang2]

Saturday, April 6, 2002

Quote of the Day by livius by aculeus

[krb]

What a bunch of losers.

[js1138]

Scene from 12 Monkies: -- "They're biological specimins."

[riley1992]

It goes without saying that the FAA is made up of nothing but mindless morons. Having said that, though, was this boy flying alone? If he wasn't, why in the hell did his parents let him drink that?

[Samwise]

Great airport security policy. All passengers must consume part of their possessions in order to board. The lunatics are running the asylum.

[Prodigal Son]

Scene from 12 Monkies: -- "They're biological specimins."

That was the most chilling part of the whole movie- when he uncorked that phial.

I've got to go catch a plane in a few hours and I'm already getting agitated about what they may or may not approve of in my hand baggage.

[wattsmag2]

He'd better be glad it wasn't a urine specimen

[Samwise]

I've got to go catch a plane in a few hours and I'm already getting agitated about what they may or may not approve of in my hand baggage.

Don't pack any Draino.

[Prodigal Son]

Yeah, I hear you. The thing is my wife and I haven't flown since 9/11 and we're still in our old mindset when it comes to travel. We've always carried Swiss Army knives or other items of this sort before. Often we would take our own food because we hate airplane fare and use our own cutlery. I suppose that's a NoGo nowadays. Plus, most of the stories I hear of this nature are in the States and we're in the UK so I don't know what to expect. We laid out all our stuff from hand luggage to look at it, but we just have a hard time getting into that mindset of the security screener... I suppose we'll find out in a little while.

I'll be back posting in 3 weeks (time for a holiday).

[Cacophonous]

Well, sure. The news is rife about terorist acts committed by 14-year old carrying bottles of creek water. Hey, the Feds are in charge now...and we mustn't profile racially.

[eno_]

The press is SOOOO lame about these incidents. The right thing to do is to publish the names and pictures of the morons who made the boy drink the water. Unnamed spokesman? Bah!

[VA Advogado]

What a bunch of losers.

The kid is the loser, not the security people. I fly all the time and am always asked to sip from my coffee mug before being allowed past the check point. They did this prior to 9/11 too. Nothing like an ass carrying on gasoline or acid. If the kid didnt want to drink, he could have sealed and packed his stuff or left it.

[VA Advogado]

Well, sure. The news is rife about terorist acts committed by 14-year old carrying bottles of creek water. Hey, the Feds are in charge now...and we mustn't profile racially.

I'm sure the Israelis said that about the 14 year old girl with that big buldging (exploding) belt a few weeks ago. Just a kid. Let her pass.

[Siouxz]

We had a small problem a couple weeks ago, coming home from Florida. My mom had purchased a G.I. Joe doll for my son with all the guns, grenades, etc. We had it in a plastic bag in our carryon luggage. After it went through the x-ray, they checked the whole bag out, ran the wand up and down my mom, and the girl had to take the G.I. Joe bag to her supervisor to see if we were "allowed" to take it aboard. She came back and said they would let it through, but we should NEVER DO IT AGAIN. How pathetic. A 3" plastic gun belonging to a 7-year-old little boy. We felt so much safer as we boarded the plane. Duh.

[Twodees]

Sure, whatever you say. I'm a father and if any moron told my child to drink creek water collected as a specimen for biology class, the local hospital would soon have that moron moaning in the emergency room. Of course, your way is soooo much better. Just get on your knees and lick the shoetops of any snotball with an IQ of 80 who works for the government.

Somebody treats my child that way, I'll whip his ass and as many other asses as it takes to get at him. You can smooch up to them if you like. You're obviously not an American anyway, or a man either.

[AngrySpud]

There's a lot of morons in this story. Include the kid's family (if present at the time) for allowing him to drink the creek water.

BTW, the kid's nausea was not caused by the water itself, probably just a psycosomatic reaction. If the water were contaminated, it would be MANY hours, probably days later, before it made him sick.

[Tijeras_Slim]

One more reason to stop by the duty free store for some scotch.

[knarf]

Your reply is #15 and unless someone gets in before this, I'm # 16.

In all that time not one person has asked ... "What's a 14 year old Pennsylvania kid doing in Colorado collecting creek water for a (I assume) Pennsylvania biology class?"

"Bobby, your weekend eco-assignment is to fly to Colorado, get a sample of their creek water out there, and return with it and a three-page report describing the difference between creek water in Colorado and creek water in Pennsylvania."

"No prob, Teach. .... my dad's independently wealthy and I can hop on our family jet, get the sample and be back by Friday, examine the sample and write my report waaaay before class on Monday."

"You're such a dedicated student, Bobby."

"Billy ... you go to Columbia and bring back a sample of their Coca leaves and their Marijuana. Please determine if the THC content of the Marijuana is adulterated in any way by the time it gets to the US, and find out if the Coca has the same intensity as the crack that gets out in our streets here in the US."

You still have your street connections, right Billy?"

"Yes Ma'am."

"Good. OK ... if there are no other questions, class is dismissed. Oh .... one more thing ... girls, I still don't have your reports on the spermicidal effectiveness on the condoms found on the shelves in the supermarket as compared to the ones purchased at a pharmacy. You have just two more days before they're due. Let's get hopping on those comparisons."

"("Psst ... Janie ... when I get back from Columbia, how's about me n' you gettin' t'gether with some o' that coke? .... kewl.")

[Don Myers]

"The lunatics are running the asylum."

Don't fly.