Here Be Dragons

Jasmine Kitty Rivera

From the boys of Fark, I bring you Phony 'Homeland Security' Agents Strip Searching Woman. Whereby:

WASHINGTON -- Over the past year, agents of the Department of Homeland Security Rapid Response Search Team have intercepted more than 320 suspicious female passengers outside airports and subjected them to thorough strip-searches before clearing them as possible terrorists.

There's only one problem: There is no Department of Homeland Security Rapid Response Search Team. The "agents" are bogus and the attractive young women who've obligingly removed their clothing for the humiliating searches have been hoodwinked, federal lawmen say.

"These guys acted so professional, I never questioned for a minute that they were real federal agents and I thought I was doing my patriotic duty by cooperating," says 27-year-old Eve Denforth of Queens, N.Y.

But the investigator says the well-organized ring may include as many as 60 men working at different major airports nationwide.

The well known patriotic duty to strip and be searched. 60 men? Well organised, and obviously onto a great scam.

"There were two other girls there -- and they both were pretty with nice figures too," says Miss Denforth, a lingerie model. "At the time, I figured that must have been the description of the lady terrorist."

Now aside from the fact that these guys have done well. "Hey hot chick, come over here" and it WORKED. The problem as I see it is that if these guys had been genuine and the ladies had actually had some doubts and questioned what was going on then they could well have found themselves in all sorts of shit.

Why? Because the goverment in now allowed to hold people, without charge, indefinitly without notification under the pretext of "suspicion of terrorist activities." So if these ladies had said, "no, don't think I will be stripping dodgy looking guy."

BAM! Instant indefinite inescapable prison for you. You must be a terrorist, otherwise you would help us out. The innocent have nothing to fear.

Ahahaha. So, both funny for only happening in America, land of the strange, and also somewhat scary as it illustrates how easily it is to corrupt fear and paranoia, and also for highlighting other issues of silliness.

The police when commenting on the matter gave the following suggestion:

"Before you undress, look closely at the person's badge and make sure it looks real."

Yeah, that sounds good. Hmm officer, your badge looks kinda crappy....

/officer "smacks you around".

Stink.

(BTW, Nic forced this entry's title upon me. Foisted even. However after posting this, it is a damn sexy title for a blog. If nothing else.)

Posted by luther at May 6, 2003 02:45 PM