British Tourists denied US entry because of Twitter comments
About Peter LakePeter Lake hails from the Midwest, but is now living in Germany. He is a professional writer who spent many years honing his craft at a well known newspaper. Peter originally sent an article to us through the citizen journalist program and decided to stay. We are glad he did.
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Pic: Courtesy of the Daily Mail Online
Note to would-be US tourists: Be careful with your Twitter jokes before setting foot on our soil. Two Brits were detained and then sent back home after landing in Los Angeles last Monday, all because the Department of Homeland Security was unhappy with two tweets one of them had posted before the trip.
Leigh Van Bryan, 26, was first questioned about a tweet that read, “Free this week, for quick gossip/prep before I go and destroy America.” He explained that “destroy” is slang for partying, but apparently officials didn’t buy it, primarily because we are a nation of prudes.
They also suspected that Van Bryan and his companion, 24-year-old Emily Bunting, meant to disinter Marilyn Monroe, thanks to another tweet that quoted a Family Guy line: “3 weeks today, we’re totally in LA p****** people off on Hollywood Blvd and diggin’ Marilyn Monroe up!” Despite having the joke explained to them, officials actually searched through the tourists’ luggage for shovels and spades, the pair tells the Daily Mail. The two were handcuffed and interrogated for five hours, then placed in a cell where they were watched by armed guards for 12 hours. Their passports were ultimately confiscated and they were sent back home. The Mail has a picture of the deportation paperwork.
Sometimes I’m embarrassed to be an American.
Erin N.
January 30, 2012 at 1:45 pm
I…they…sigh.
RickRay
January 30, 2012 at 5:22 pm
A paranoid America ! What’s next? Don’t believe in god? You’re out of here!
Michael John Scott
January 30, 2012 at 6:36 pm
LOL. Yup. Pretty much it.
Bill Formby
January 30, 2012 at 7:01 pm
We are such pus****. I have said along we were fine with wars as long as they stayed in someone else s country but the first hint that a bit of it may be coming to our shores we become a bunch whinny babies who are afraid of our shadows. As horrendous as 9/11 was it was minor compared to the tragedies we have inflicted on other countries. Yet it was sufficient for Osama to actually accomplish what he wanted; to make Americans fearful in their day to day life.
Robin
February 4, 2012 at 6:04 pm
What worries me more than the misunderstood jokes is the fact that they were tracked down to Twitter. It makes me wonder if it would be better to register on Twitter with a fake name? If anything you say will be taken down and could be admissible in a court of law at some future date. Who was watching and reading those tweets and then attaching them to the flight details for this couple?
Anonymous
February 4, 2012 at 6:50 pm
I’m with Robin. Twitter? Twitter? If Orwell would have known about Twitter what a different book 1984 would have been.
M
February 7, 2012 at 11:50 am
The US prides itself on appearing strong, dominant, in control, but in reality it’s in the grip of fear.
It’s the classic story of elephants jumping at mice. What’s truly pathetic is the way power can be so easily abused and wielded indiscriminately by lardy, blinkered border agents. I assume the couple were not refunded the presumably expensive flight ticket over there?