AP:
The Senate Judiciary Committee has heard this morning from one of its own about some of the problems with airline “no fly” watch lists.
Massachusetts Democrat Ted Kennedy says he had a close encounter with the lists when trying to take the U-S Airways shuttle out of Washington to Boston.
The ticket agent wouldnt let him on the plane. His name was on the list—in error. After a flurry of phone calls, Kennedy was able to fly home, but then the same thing happened coming back to Washington.
Kennedy says it took three calls to Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge to get his name stricken from the list. The process took several weeks, in all.
In a statement released this morning, Secretary Ridge acknowledged the error and issued an apology to the ham-headed Massachusetts Senator, noting that Kennedy “was supposed to be placed on the ‘no-driving-over-water-with-low-level-campaign-staffers-while-pickled-on-gin’ list,” but that “such a list doesn’t really exist, so, y’know, we kinda just had to improvise.”
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h/t Bill
So if I’m on the list, I’ll have to call Tom Ridge three times to get removed from it?
That’s outrageous.
Kennedy shoulda walked, it would do him some good!
On the other hand, what’s it take to get on the list–maybe it wasn’t in error after all.
susanna posits that it’s no accident. one of her posters notes that hamhead buys a coach ticket, then sits himself in first class (one way or another, I’m assuming). So what glorified waitress wants to be the one putting bighead in his place and make the papers the next day. hence, somehow, he finds himself on the list, and airlines don’t have to deal with him.
Wow. Simultaneously the best and the worst person that could have happened to.
It was a clerical error. Unofficial spokesmen for al Qaida are not to be treated the same as full-time members.
It was the “No Fry” list that he was supposed to be put on.
Oh. It was the No Cry list, not the No Fly list. Apologies for the error. Apologies for the 4 decades of error.
Kennedy put on a list of people who threaten our national security?
Ya’ know, Mineta has taken a lot of heat, but he should be applauded when he gets one right.
Maybe he should give up on commercial airlines and fly private aircraft?
He can get lessons from his nephew.
I’m afraid the nephew is indisposed at present.