Is your name on the no-fly list? Smith, Williams, Johnson, Hussein?

Here's an article that shows how utterly incompetent the people are who are behind the War On Terror.

We've all heard about the no-fly lists. But how many people know that the lists include such unlikely people as 14 of the dead 9/11 hijackers (of course, perhaps the USG know something we don't - perhaps they really weren't on those planes after all), Osama Bin Laden (and his extremely close relative Usama Bin Laden), Saddam Hussein... and a few very common names.

You might think of Robert Johnson as the long-deceased King of the Delta Blues. I do, but I'm like that... of course there are quite a few latter-day Robert Johnsons, and they're getting searched every time they fly, because they're on the list.

Bob help you too, if your name is John Williams (does the film score composer really get searched? I'd love to know) or Gary Smith.

Anyone out there with those names or who knows someone who's been searched?

[edit on 6-10-2006 by rich23]

Is there any way that we can get a copy of the list to see if our name is on it?

I'm not going to give any names, but a recently married friend of mine and his wife were going to move to the US (from Canada) so that my friend could study law. When they got to the border, they refused to let my friend's wife cross. No explanation given. I guarantee you she is not a terrorist :p Anyway, my friend ended up having to go to the States without her, since classes started, and the last I heard, she is still trying to figure out why the heck they won't let her into the country.

I realize it isn't specifically an 'airplane' case, but it is a fairly similar incident. I assume my friend's wife somehow got on some kind of 'naughty list' or something, or shares the same name as someone on that list. (her name is common enough that others surely have her first and last name) I guess we should be grateful they didn't dump her in Guantanamo or one of those 'secret prisons' they recently admitted to...

Originally posted by MBF
Is there any way that we can get a copy of the list to see if our name is on it?

How about the FOIA? I know the USG does its best to ignore it, but 60 minutes got hold of it: or you could always try the programme makers.

DragonsDemesne... perhaps your friend's wife should either go back to her maiden name, use her husband's name, or try the double-barrelled combination of the two. I'm not being flippant - I do sympathise with their plight, but the situation is so ludicrous that logical responses to it look absurd in cold print.

Or they could just NOT GO to the US... that would be my choice. I love Canada, and would happily live there, but wouldm't move to the US - there's just not enough money in the world.

The FOIA is an excellent tool, but I'm willing to bet that you're not allowed to know if your name is on the watch list. I'd also wager that using the FOIA to inquire about the list gets you added to it, given the other unfunny criteria that make one a terrorist according to this administration.

How long before almost everyone gets on that list?

How long before someone called "Bill O'Reilly" or "ann Coulter" gets on it? (That day can't come too soon for me...)

I wonder if i'm on a list? I get the 3rd degree in Amsterdam every time i fly from Kuwait to LAX.

Everytime it's the same questions....

"May i see your Passport, Identification, and contractor letter"

"Why are you in Iraq"

"How long have you worked in Iraq"

"how long have you worked for your current employer"

"when did u leave Iraq"

"How did you leave Iraq"

"How long were you in Kuwait"

"How did you get to the Kuwait airport"

"Who took you to the Kuwait airport"

"who packed and handled your luggage in Iraq and Kuwait"

"when was the last time you came thru Amsterdam"

"Thank you sir, please wait here while i confer with my supervisor"


And they fire the questions, one after another, hoping to cross me up, i guess.

When i get to the US, i normally just have to have my shoes x-rayed. Most of the time TSA people ask me how to go about getting a job in Iraq.

Is the name Gary Smith really on the no-fly list?
I have a work mate named Gary Smith here in Sydney.
Does that mean if he wanted to go on holiday in the U.S that he would be
turned away once her got there? That he wouldnt be able to get a visa here in OZ to go to the U.S to begin with??
Does anyone know how this works?
I'd like to find out a bit more about it before I scare the bejeezes out of him by
telling him about this.

Is the name Gary Smith really on the list? According to the article I cited, it is. The reason I put this on ATS is to see if anyone else knows anything about this, and if anyone else has any experiences worth relating on the subject. Check back again to see if anyone else knows anything.

It's the first time i hear about this article..
But a mate of mine recently came back from Holland.

And all I can say is that the times where you could visit the cockpit and have a look at the pilots are definately gone.

There you go.. lovely childhood memories..

A wonder they didn't say anything about that 7cm mini-screwdriver which my mate had in his backpack on the plane. I mean it would definately reach the heart if being thrusted multiple times against someone's torso RIGHT?!

Err.. Well. This sucks.

It would be a pain in the but to plan a trip and then get to the airport just to find out that you will not be allowed on the plane because your name is on "the list".

Do you think that if we go here www.tsa.gov... they would tell us if our name is on the list so that it would save us a trip to the airprot or do you think that they will just add our name to it?

I don't fly anywhere anymore.

- Money is too tight so we can't afford big vacations to fly places.
- It's too much of a hastle at the airport.

I guess I don't care if my name is on a no-fly list or not. I don't fly anyways.

Now there is another reason why I don't fly PERIOD!!!! I mean who knows if my name, or anyone else's fro that matter is on the "Do Not Fly" list. I'm with FlyersFan on this one, I really don't care whether or not my name is on that list anyway.

Yeah, cause we all know Osama Bin Laden, if he was alive, would be stupid enough to fly into the United States..

Wow..give me a break..

Our government is hilarious sometimes

The US Border at the Airport ask me there are 68 people on the NO FLY LIST with with the same name as yours. WHICH ON ARE YOU??? Needless they would not let me fly.
What do you do in case like this???