non-activists on no-fly list

[Ignoramus]

I'm having a debate with mein girlfreund about the risk of leaving things to be data-mined in emails. So, I thought I had read about people being on the no-fly list that were non-politically active and free of a criminal record. But I don't remember specifics.

The best example I've come up with so far is John Shaw a retired Presbyterian minister. But, I haven't read anywhere that he was not politically active. Also, being a minister is also something that could be considered flaggable I suppose.

I also read a post here from someone who's s/o was on a no-fly list, but since it was posted here, that leaves a connection to political activity.

So, do you know that that John Shaw guy was not an activist? Or do you have a better example of seemingly falsely flagged people on a no-fly list?

[amazona]

1. Edward Kennedy

Someone named Edward Kennedy is on the list and anyone with similar names can be stopped or refused boarding. This is how Senator Ted Kennedy was several times stopped from boarding a plane. Clearly he is a politician, yet it seems equally clear that his being on the list came from having a common name rather than from his well-known political activities.

Anyone named David Nelson has been aware for quite awhile now that they need to allow plenty of extra time at the airport or they may be refused boarding if there isn't time to give them extra search.

You can ask at the "flyertalk.com" forums for people on the no fly list. Most are business travelers and it's clear that they are there mostly because of mistaken identity or similarity of their name to a name on the list. One man was told he was placed on the list because he irritated a Delta gate agent. There are lots of stories at this site, which is primarily for frequent flyers.

The conservation movement is a breeding ground of communists
and other subversives. We intend to clean them out,
even if it means rounding up every birdwatcher in the country.
--John Mitchell, US Attorney General 1969-72

[uppityperson]

2. I've irritated screeners too, wonder if I'm on the list

First I dared tell them that my son had accidentally left a pocketknife in his carryon bag and they missed it (was told it was good they didn't find it because they would've confiscated it, missing the point there).

Then I dared ask them to pass my hearing aid batteries over and not run them through the x-ray machine as this would fry them as it had the last 2 times I'd flown (told it wouldn't fry them, no one else had ever complained and what was I trying to do?) so please could I talk with a manager (glare, big sigh, stomp off).

Then I post here too.

[amazona]

3. you would know if you were

If every time subsequent to the incident, you were either secondary'd or refused onboard if there wasn't time to complete a full search of you and your belongings, then you could probably assume that you had irritated the wrong person and had a notation put in your record.

In the flyer's case I just read, the gate agent TOLD him that he was going to put the notation in his record, and the next time he flew (which was on another airline) the screener (who knew him from his many other business trips) apologized for having to search him and confirmed that a notice had been placed in his record.

Note in the case described it was not an irritated SCREENER but an irritated GATE AGENT who placed the man's name on the list. A lot of people can put your name on that list, I guess. Onboard staff, gate agent, check-in agent, screener...a lot of people can potentially get you in trouble.

Posting on a website is the least of your worries.

The conservation movement is a breeding ground of communists
and other subversives. We intend to clean them out,
even if it means rounding up every birdwatcher in the country.
--John Mitchell, US Attorney General 1969-72