Girl jailed over bomb "joke"

[Brian Turner]

Is this over the top from the American authorities, or is it a very real and justified action?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/s...re/3412123.stm

excerpt:

A British woman is being held in a US prison after she joked with an airport policeman that she was carrying a bomb.


Shropshire student Samantha Marson triggered a security alert as she waited to board a British Airways flight from Miami back to Britain.

The 21-year-old from Bridgnorth was asked what was in her rucksack and told officials she had a bomb. According to the arrest report, Ms Marson placed her bag on the belt at a security check, telling a Transportation Security Administration screener: "Hey be careful, I have three bombs in here" - before allegedly repeating the joke twice more when confronted by officials.

She was taken into custody and within hours appeared before a judge who remanded her to Dade County Jail.


Ms Marson - who is due to appear in court again on 6 February - will be released on bail if she can come up with a £2,700 bond. Sergeant Joe Wyche from Miami Airport Police told BBC Midlands Today that officers were left with no choice but to arrest Ms Marson.

"Before 9/11 we took it seriously - after 9/11 there's no room for kidding or joking, if that's the person's intent, so it's taken in a serious manner.

[altyfc]

I don't find it that OTT. She said it three times, and said she had three bombs, not just one. Pretty stupid in the light 9/11.

Aaron