Be carefull what you tweet (post)

**John Ferris** · #1 2 Feb 2012

Two British tourists were barred from entering America after joking on Twitter that they were going to 'destroy America' and 'dig up Marilyn Monroe'.
Leigh Van Bryan, 26, was handcuffed and kept under armed guard in a cell with Mexican drug dealers for 12 hours after landing in Los Angeles with pal Emily Bunting.
The Department of Homeland Security flagged him as a potential threat when he posted an excited tweet to his pals about his forthcoming trip to Hollywood which read: 'Free this week, for quick gossip/prep before I go and destroy America?'

Read more: Emily Bunting and Leigh Van Bryan: UK tourists arrested over 'destroy America' Twitter jokes | Mail Online

**Dodger** · #2 2 Feb 2012

Such is the reward for being incredibly stupid .

**Grey Beard** · #3 3 Feb 2012

I think this is just another example of America's failure to understand other cultures. The tweets did not mean literally blowing up America, etc. They meant they were going to have a good enjoyable, wild time on holiday in America.

Even the lingo is quite different between Ireland and the UK and indeed between different parts of the UK itself. America seems to fail to understand that life exists outside their own narrow country boundaries.

Grey Beard

**Tourider** · #4 3 Feb 2012

Yet another example of America being so up itself. I seem to remeber americans contibuted a lot in the past to a charity called NorAid but that was OK.

**John Ferris** · #5 3 Feb 2012

My point is watch what you post.

It's not just the USA if you post " one time I got arrested for --"
you will not get into the USA or Canada.
Also if you post that you are going "work" to pay your way through the USA and Canada you may not get in.

**coolblackbird** · #6 3 Feb 2012

to USAnal as if they are going tell them i feel sorry for yanks who have to put with such morons in there own country. lets destroy england with lawnmowers

it starts here who's with me:

the lawnmower

**markharf** · #7 3 Feb 2012

I'm no fan of my own Homeland Security department, which often appears to have far too much money and power without enough compensatory common sense....but I have to say that if I go to the Canadian border just 20 miles from my house and tell border control personnel that I'm there to drink and raise hell, I'd expect to be turned back. It's not a mysterious thing. They get to decide whether they want me in their country on whatever basis they choose, and even if I really am planning to drink and raise hell, I'm not likely to bring this to their attention. That's pretty basic.

The issue of Homeland Security using bots to patrol the internet looking for suspect postings is a bit weird, I'll admit. Predictable, however; even defensible, if you consider that it's part of their job description to identify threats to US security. Might as well get used to it. In fact, I'd be surprised if you told me European governments are not doing something very similar. Britain, for example, always seemed to take the threat of terrorism far more seriously (and more competently) than the USA. Do they not monitor whatever communications they are able, looking for threats?

Mark

**Dodger** · #8 3 Feb 2012

ECHELON has been monitoring all worldwide electronic communications for over 50 years .
It's a US,UK,CAN,AUS,NZ computer surveillance network that picks up "threat" words in communications and flags them for further investigation .
Thats how terrorists are caught .
It may also give the border officials pre warning of individuals who want to go to the US and cause trouble .
I would be astonished if there weren't several other security programs in place as well .

As Charley Boorman found out ,border officials don't take shit from any idiot who makes stupid comments ,even though they might think it's a great joke at the time .
And why should they ?
You might think that they are "up themselves" but they have a serious job to do and making an example of this particular individual will deter others from being equally idiotic so that the officials can concentrate on more serious threats .

**RussG** · #9 3 Feb 2012

'It got even more ridiculous because the officials searched our suitcases and said they were looking for spades and shovels. They did a full body search on me too.

Damn those Americans are smart. Who’d of thought you could hide a shovel there?

**markharf** · #10 4 Feb 2012

Smart enough not to take too literally what I read in the British tabloid press even when they're not pretending to quote this particular tourist.

Now, where's the appropriate smiley guy?

enjoy,

Mark

**Walkabout** · #11 4 Feb 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by markharf

Smart enough not to take too literally what I read in the British tabloid press even when they're not pretending to quote this particular tourist.

Now, where's the appropriate smiley guy?

enjoy,

Mark

You've got the Daily Mail summed up accurately.

ad more: Emily Bunting and Leigh Van Bryan: UK tourists arrested over 'destroy America' Twitter jokes | Mail Online

Looking at the expressions on their faces, I would think any border authority would turn them away

(there, I found some smileys).

**Dodger** · #12 4 Feb 2012

Anybody who wears shoes like that should be turned back at the border .

**RussG** · #13 4 Feb 2012

Please don’t take this the wrong way but people (in the UK) forget that Americans are actually foreigners. We may speak a similar language but after that the similarities start to diminish. So add together some dumb English people with some half witted security staff and it’s not going to end well.
On a serious note I’m afraid that despite having spent some good times in the US I doubt if I’ll return because of this type of nonsense. Land of the free?

I’d of actually chucked him out for being in possession of a stupid haircut

Oh and the Daily Mail is not a tabloid. It’s a quality, intellectual publication

Russ