Man playing The Clash, Led Zep hauled off plane as suspected terrorist.

[buttmunch]

A mobile phone salesman was hauled off a plane and questioned for three hours as a terror suspect - because he listened to songs by The Clash and Led Zeppelin.
Harraj Mann, 24, played the punk anthem London Calling and classic rock track Immigrant Song in a taxi before a flight to London.

The lyrics to both tracks made the driver fear his passenger was a terrorist.

More polls » The words of the Clash track begin: "London calling to the faraway towns, now war is declared and battle come down." And Led Zep's Immigrant Song goes: "The hammer of the gods will drive our ships to new lands, to fight the horde, singing and crying: Valhalla, I am coming!"

Mr Mann, of Hartlepool, Teesside, had boarded the plane at Durham Tees Valley Airport when the flight to Heathrow was stopped and he was arrested by police.

He said he was told he was being questioned under the Terrorism Act and his choice of music had aroused suspicions.

Mr Mann said yesterday: 'The taxi had one of those tape deck things that plugs into your digital music player.

"I played Procol Harum's Whiter Shade Of Pale first, which the taxi man liked. I figured he liked the classics so put on a bit of Led Zeppelin - Immigrant Song - which he didn't like. Then, since I was going to London, I played the song by The Clash and finished up with Nowhere Man by The Beatles."

Mr Mann said he was 'frog-marched off the plane in front of everyone, had my bags searched and was asked 'every question you can think of'.

He added: "It turned out the taxi driver alerted someone when I arrived at the airport and had spoken about my music. He didn't like Led Zep or The Clash but there was no need to tell the police."

Durham Police said the action was taken 'as a result of information received' and the flight was stopped before take-off.

dailymail.co.uk

The idiocy continues unabated.

[deckchick]

OMFG!

stupid should hurt

[buttmunch]

It should hurt as much as possible. How can anyone equate getting the Led out with terrorism. Send them back to the School of Rock, please.

[twitchy]

Three cheers for fear and paranoia!
Clash fan taken off plane(sun.co.uk) by ROBIN PERRIE
A PASSENGER was hauled off a jet as a suspected terrorist — because he sang a song by The Clash during a taxi ride. The cabbie rang cops after Harraj Mann belted out London Calling.
Harraj, 24, is the SECOND man to be quizzed because of lyrics written by the punk band.
In 2004 Mike Devine, 35, was arrested after the Special Branch intercepted an innocent text message about the song Tommy Gun.
It contains the words “gun” and “jet airliner”.
The London Calling hit warns that “war is declared and battle come down”.
The cabbie rang cops as Harraj boarded his plane at Durham Tees Valley Airport for a flight to Heathrow.
Mobile phone salesman Harraj — who was questioned for three hours and had to catch a later flight — said: “The taxi had a tape deck where you can plug in your MP3 player.

“I played London Calling and sang along before finishing up with the Beatles.
“After I got on the flight, two men in suits came on.
“I got frogmarched off the plane in front of everyone and had my bags searched.
“I’ve laughed about it, but my friends and family are furious.”
Chris Dobson, who is an expert on terrorism, said: “GCHQ computers listen to mobile phone traffic and pick out key words such as ‘bomb’.”


I'm taking some Clash and books on middle eastern history next time I travel!

[Grimmlok]

Who cares about civil liberties, when's the last time anybody thought about 9/11?

[darksithbunny]

Good lord. Arrested for his taste in music. Can I arrest some of the brats in my neighborhood then? Their Ludacris and rap music makes me think they are gonna blow the neighborhood up with that bass. Oh shit. I think my lung just collapsed! Damn terrorist.

[Grimmlok]

Freedom costs a buck o' five...

[Grimmlok]

Brown people is 'turrists

[UndercoverGator]

*hides her Clash T-shirt and CD right now*

[buttmunch]

God only knows how many files there are on some of us who post here.

[buttmunch]

yeah, kind of scary, eh?