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Home Front
Report: Terror System Flags David Nelsons
2003-06-18
David Nelson is not an easy name to have these days. Across the country men with this name say they have been pulled off airplanes, questioned by FBI agents and harassed when traveling by air.
Good God! They're profiling David Nelsons! Abdul Aziz Jihadi, however, reports no problems boarding.
It's probably an alias for Dicicco...
The nationwide dragnet for terrorists has caused the name to raise red flags on airline screening software, but some federal officials say the problem is essentially a computer glitch, the Los Angeles Daily News reported Sunday. David Nelsons in at least four states, including California, Oregon, Alaska and South Dakota, have reported getting stopped. Even the former child star of ABC-TV's "The adventures of Ozzie and Harriet," was stopped by a ticket agent at John Wayne Airport in December while en route to visit his daughter in Salt Lake City.
"Ozzie", huh? Sure that's not short for... "Osama"! Up against the wall!
Now a Newport Beach film producer, David Nelson, 66, told the Daily News that after airline ticket agents stopped him, two police officers quickly recognized him, and he was allowed to board his flight. "I don't think (terrorists) have the middle name 'Ozzie,'" he recalled telling an agent.
Yeah... that's just what they want you to think.
For other David Nelsons, the experience was more difficult. Actor David Nelson, 35, of Hollywood said that on a recent trip to Hawaii, a ticket agent at Los Angeles International Airport took one look at his driver's license and said, "Oh boy. Here's another David Nelson." Nelson said the ticket agent told him the name brings up a "red flag" for terrorists. A few months before on a New York-bound airplane, he had been told to exit the plane and was searched by FBI agents before reboarding. "When you get back on the plane, people look at you funny," he said. After agents requested to search him several times before the Hawaii flight, Nelson said he turned around and went home.
Just try getting up to use the can. People jump you and beat you to a pulp.
A so-called "no-fly" list was introduced after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and is meant to prevent potential terrorists from boarding planes. The TSA gets names from law enforcement officials and hands the list over to airlines to screen passengers. In April, Transportation Security Administration spokesman Nico Melendez said those on the no-fly list pose, or are suspected of posing, a threat to civil aviation and national security.
Nico Melendez? Hmmmmmmmm?
"We do not confirm the presence of a particular name of an individual on a list," he said. "It's security information that we just won't do." Melendez told the Daily News that the "David Nelson" problem is due to a name-matching technology used by many airlines. He said it's not the name but letters in the name that are randomly flagged by the software.
I also believe Mullah Omar was a big fan of Ozzie's show in the 50's before he went insane. Mullah Omar, not Ozzie.
But David Kennedy, director of research services for TruSecure Corp., a Virginia-based firm that specializes in intelligence security, said he thinks it's more likely the name is on the no-fly list. "I'm more inclined to believe there is a bad David Nelson out there they're looking for," he said.
Why didn't they tag guys named Ricky Nelson? He's the one who brought down a plane by lighting it up with his freebase pipe right? Sounds like Ricky's more of a threat to a plane then Dave.
Except that he's dead now. Maybe they're going after the leftovers?
Either way, since there is little to identify those on the list other than their names, it is difficult for many to get their names removed. In response, TSA has established a hot line for those who feel they were wrongly selected.
Hello? TSA? Yes, My name is Uday Hussein....
Posted by:tu3031

#11  "Lifetime Achievement" award from High Times?
Damned impressive to put that on you reume'.
Posted by: raptor   2003-06-18 20:21:22  

#10  jeebus! How much smoke do you have to partake in to get a "Lifetime Achievement" award from High Times?
Posted by: Frank G   2003-06-18 12:40:04  

#9  Google searched "David Nelson":
David Nelson Band, former member New Riders of Purple Sage, hung out with Jerry Garcia. Received Lifetime Achivement Award from "High Times Magazine". I'll bet DEA has him on their hit list which is why it showed up in the "no-fly" listing.
Posted by: Steve   2003-06-18 12:05:29  

#8  i guess its not time to shorten my name, huh?
Posted by: David Nelsonofsky   2003-06-18 11:41:38  

#7  "Paging Mr. Kafka. Please use the white courtesey phone..."
Posted by: mojo   2003-06-18 11:17:52  

#6  OK, I've seen this for weeks. Who is the David Nelson that they are really looking for?
Posted by: Chuck (not Taylor)   2003-06-18 11:13:39  

#5  David Nelson, isn't that the guy who plays acoustic guitar and doesn't pay taxes...??
Posted by: RW   2003-06-18 10:25:33  

#4  Oh. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! HA!
Posted by: Bad David-Nelson   2003-06-18 10:06:19  

#3  Bwahahahahahahaha!
Posted by: Bad Davis-Nelson   2003-06-18 09:15:43  

#2  Well this sucks.
Posted by: David Nelson   2003-06-18 09:09:23  

#1  Frank G: Dave's still in the process of figuring that out.
Posted by: tu3031   2003-06-18 13:27:39  

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