In a fun convergence of dumb social media behaviour and bureaucratic ineptitude, two idiotic Brits were detained by armed guards at Los Angeles International Airport for incredibly dumb (but totally harmless) tweets about “destroying America” and “diggin’ up Marilyn Monroe”.
Leigh Van Bryan and his friend Emily Bunting were held, because Leigh had (weeks prior) tweeted at a friend “free this week for a quick gossip/prep before I go and destroy America? x”. He claims it’s totally innocent British slang, but the Department of Homeland Security was unconvinced, noting that the Irishman had also “posted on his tweeted website account” that he was going to exhume Miss Monroe. That’s apparently a Family Guy reference, which doesn’t make it any less annoying. Naturally, DHS checked the pair for spades.
Everything about this is hugely stupid and annoying, and I’m totally OK with refusing entry to the US based on idiotic Twitter parlance. But it’s still a little amazing and a lot disconcerting that the DHS mess up your holiday because it never learned its context clues. [The Sun via Hacker News]
James Freud
Tuesday, January 31, 2012 at 6:10 AMHang on. The two Brits were “idiotic” and their tweets were “incredibly dumb” and apparently “annoying”, and (shakes my head) you’re “totally OK with refusing entry to the US based on idiotic Twitter parlance”.
Yet at the same time you’re saying it was “totally harmless” and “lot disconcerting that the DHS mess up your holiday because it never learned its context clues”?
ADHD much?
Sowhatmeh
Tuesday, January 31, 2012 at 6:47 AMAnd im still amazed people still want to go to america…
Teal
Tuesday, January 31, 2012 at 3:50 PMI used to want to go to America, then I took some intelligence to the face.
(Large amounts not required.)
Antonia
Tuesday, January 31, 2012 at 7:04 AMSo if one team slaughters the other at the super bowl will HLS arrest the murderers?
NOZ
Tuesday, January 31, 2012 at 7:51 AMThe world already hate americans…prob more for reasons like this. But better be careful what i say or if i got sometime ib the next decade they might setain and question me too!
Sean
Tuesday, January 31, 2012 at 8:41 AMHas no-one been through US customs and immigration? The default setting for them is that everyone who wants to enter the US is a war criminal terrorist who wants to destroy the country while simultaneously wanting to move their entire family there as an illegal immigrant. My wife’s lack of baggage and stated intention not to stay in the US when transiting through from the UK to Australia was once seen as deeply suspicious and potentially reson to deny her entry.
light487
Tuesday, January 31, 2012 at 9:00 AMTwitter or Tweeter? Evidence not admissible in court if you can’t even spell the service name correctly….?
Never wanted to go to America, still don’t.. it’s a mess over there. If I do ever have to go, for whatever reason, I certainly wouldn’t say I am going to destroy America.. :)
In context “Destroy America” could simply mean they were going to get totally plastered and have a right old party over there.. like “I’m going to kill this beer”.. meaning to drink it quickly…
Department of Homeland Security.. don’t you mean Department of Motherland Security?
Seriously….
*shakes head*
Andy
Tuesday, January 31, 2012 at 12:18 PMLawl, I read that too. I’ll get around to checking Tweeter after I use the emails. The instawebs sure has a lot to offer these days!
olearymo
Tuesday, January 31, 2012 at 9:05 AMwell, it’s ok because as the picture states, he didn’t say it on twitter but on ‘tweeter’. God, the courts/government can’t even get the names of things right?
James
Tuesday, January 31, 2012 at 10:30 AMDoes no one realized it’s more worrying that an ordinary person loke you abd me wrote something on twitter and it was flagged against that person? That’s like me writing on here I gonna kill the president (I’m not mr CIA ) and since I plan traveling to US next year I’ll now be treated as a terrorist? The some serious spy shit that this gets flagged in the first place.
James
Tuesday, January 31, 2012 at 10:32 AMI swore and I can’t spell – stupid iPhone… Sorry
light487
Tuesday, January 31, 2012 at 11:25 AMI think that was the point of the article.. to point out that something so innocent as this gets flagged and the author of it gets the boot.
Last sentence of the article: “But it’s still a little amazing and a lot disconcerting that the DHS mess up your holiday because it never learned its context clues.”.
Space2099
Tuesday, January 31, 2012 at 12:12 PMI guess some Americans don’t understand British Humour. Oh wait…. A Family Guy reference? I guess some Americans don’t understand American Humour.
chugs
Tuesday, January 31, 2012 at 3:20 PMlol
I am so going to destroy Iceland and dig up graves.
I wonder if i’ll be refused entry and in turn become a gizmodo article
Maniacal
Wednesday, February 1, 2012 at 1:53 PMHey it’s stupid they got detained and deported for saying that.
But it’s even worse that people make jokes/references like this and expect Homeland Security not to pounce on them. Everybody knows how fucked up the security is there yet they still make comments like that. Telling Homeland Security they are idiots is about as productive as telling a brick wall it should be glass.
LMAO….I say tough titties boys. You got owned. Thats going to be a good one to explain on their passport when travelling anywhere else.
Jamie
Wednesday, February 1, 2012 at 1:55 PMI hope DHS don’t monitor Gizmodo article comments or I’ll never be setting foot in the US again.