May 18, 2009 Book ban - double plus ungood
In Merrie Olde England, land of the Magna Carta, a grandmotherly woman has her paperback novel confiscated because it has (gasp) a picture of a gun on it.
As Mrs Burgess placed her Robert B Parker novel, A Triple Shot of Spenser, onto the security tray she had it snatched away from her because it ‘might upset passengers’ on the plane. It had the image of a handgun on the front.
‘I must have looked stunned, as I am past my half-century and not perhaps the most obvious terrorist,’ said the Royal Bank of Scotland clerical worker. ‘I honestly thought they were joking. It seemed so silly. I was half way through merrily reading my book.’….
A spokesman for BAA said: ‘In certain circumstances, a passenger carrying an item which features an image or slogan that could be perceived as aggressive may be asked to cover it up or remove it. Security officers are advised to use common sense when making these requests.’ - Jersey (UK) Online
BAA might consider working up some common sense retraining seminars - I don’t think the current approach is working. I’d suggest they thumb through 1984 except I’m afraid they’d view it as a treasure trove of policy suggestions.
Another account says she got the book back with - surprise - some thoughtcrime-type conditions:
Reader Comments (4)
All that I can say is, "wow".
I'm going to Ireland in about three weeks. I guess I'll have to choose my airplane book very carefully.
Dear god help save us from these fools!
I suppose that includes any James Bond book (with original cover - he always posed with a gun), any war books that have tanks, jet fighters, explosions depicted on the covers......what else? Oh yes, no books about plane crashes with a picture on the cover of one crashing!!!!
I suppose chemistry reference books are out of the question as well.....you could be boning up on how to make a bomb!
Ok, I am not kidding, I flew out of Burbank in March, and the concession stand was selling an energy drink called "Sniper" with an image on it as though you were looking through a rifle cross-hairs.