A California man may pay with prison time for a public display of affection on a plane.
Carl Persing was convicted Thursday of interfering with flight attendants and crew members after he and his girlfriend, Dawn Sewell, were seen "embracing, kissing and acting in a manner that made other passengers uncomfortable," according to a criminal complaint.
According to assistant U.S. Attorney John Bowler, Persing will likely serve jail time for the federal felony conviction, the Associated Press reports. He was convicted after a three-day trial in U.S. District Court in Wilmington, Va.
.......Persing's conviction is the latest example of how in the wake of 9/11 and new security regulations, many airlines have become increasingly vigilant -- perhaps even uptight -- about minor infractions. And many passengers realize they need to be on their best behavior when they take a flight.
......Although it usually covers serious criminal activity, the Patriot Act can apply to minor infractions on flights.
"You can't make any threatening gesture to an attendant because it does violate the Patriot Act," explained Slepian. "They don't want you getting out of your seat except to go the lavatory. The whole idea is to keep control. If you react to the attendant, you're going to get locked up."
.....One passenger on a Delta flight from Los Angeles to Salt Lake City was arrested for leaving his seat to go to the lavatory less than 30 minutes before landing (due to the incident, air marshals ordered all passengers to put their hands on their heads for the rest of the flight).....
Who is stupid enough to fly anymore? I didn't sign up for the Abu Gharab treatment as a citizen of a "free" country. This kind of horsecrap is what you get when Political correctness (we can't focus on the people most likely to be suspects)combined with authoritarianism (security through terror!).
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