# Kept off a plane for carrying a book? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 19, 2001, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kept-off-a-plane-for-carrying-a-book/88519 "2001-10-19T23:47:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2001, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kept-off-a-plane-for-carrying-a-book/88519/1 "2001-10-19T23:47:37Z")
Naturally, airport security is paramount right now. But I’ve got to admit, this seems excessive to me: According to [this article](http://www.citypaper.net/articles/101801/news.godfrey.shtml), 22 year old Neil Godfrey was kept off a United flight from Philadelphia to Phoenix because he was carrying a copy of [Hayduke Lives,](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0316004138/qid=1003533760/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_3_1/002-5076236-8488061) a **novel** about a fictional environmental terrorist. The cover art shows a man’s hand holding a bundle of dynamite with an attached timer. Does anyone think that any reasonable person should assume that reading this novel makes someone a threat to security somehow? (The book was examined for 45 minutes, which should have been adequate to determine that it was a harmless work of fiction.) What next? “I’m sorry sir, you can’t fly. The Bukowski novel in your bag suggests to us that you may drink too much and become a nuisance.” :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2001, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kept-off-a-plane-for-carrying-a-book/88519/2 "2001-10-20T00:30:37Z")
Maybe if it was a really _bad_ book. “Okay, this is a hijacking! Everyone do as I say! I’ve got a copy of Britney Spears’ autobiography, and if you don’t do as I say I’ll start _reading aloud._” Some books, the pilots of the plane would voluntarily crash the thing into a building if you actually did that. ---
**Author:** ![Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ebca7d/32.png) [@Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Violet)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2001, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kept-off-a-plane-for-carrying-a-book/88519/3 "2001-10-20T00:46:55Z")
Unfortunate incident, but there seems to be a dispute about the guy joking about a bomb. I understand that people carrying on bottles of water are asked to take a sip. Not a time to joke by falling on the floor. Seriously, I recently flew and I did consider what book to bring and what jewelry to wear. Didn’t want any delays in traveling. ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2001, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kept-off-a-plane-for-carrying-a-book/88519/4 "2001-10-20T16:39:44Z")
Maybe he was carrying a **concealed** book. ---
**Author:** ![Demise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/34f0e0/32.png) [@Demise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Demise)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2001, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kept-off-a-plane-for-carrying-a-book/88519/5 "2001-10-20T16:58:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by tracer \* > \*\*Maybe he was carrying a **concealed** book. \*\* There should be a law! ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2001, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kept-off-a-plane-for-carrying-a-book/88519/6 "2001-10-20T18:26:57Z")
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**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2001, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kept-off-a-plane-for-carrying-a-book/88519/7 "2001-10-20T19:42:31Z")
> [@](#): > > Maybe if it was a really bad book. > > “Okay, this is a hijacking! Everyone do as I say! I’ve got a copy of Britney Spears’ autobiography, and if you don’t do as I say I’ll start reading aloud.” > > Some books, the pilots of the plane would voluntarily crash the thing into a building if you actually did that. **MEBuckner** , that information was not supposed to be released to the public yet. Some gentlemen from the Company will be visiting you soon. 😉