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Stupid passenger of the week - impersonates a federal air marshal

by Scott Carmichael (RSS feed) on Feb 27th 2009 at 10:30AM

When we travel, we all do something stupid at one point. It could be forgetting an important item of clothing, or something as simple as forgetting where you parked your car when you get back to long term parking.

But a passenger at Miami airport took stupid to a whole new level when he arrived at his gate past the departure time.

Yeah, many of us have probably been through this routine - you get to the gate, but the boarding door is closed and even though you can see the plane, the agents won't let you on board.

Normal people will be upset, some others might even go berserk, but this guy decided it would be a fun idea to pull a fake police badge and claim he's with the federal air marshal program.

Those magic words got the doors opened for him, and he was allowed on the plane. His plan would have been perfect, if it were not for 2 real marshals on the flight who kicked him off when they inspected his badge.

At that point, this idiot could have/should have simply left the airport, but he decided to vent at the airport bar, where he started to complain loudly about missing his flight. Which of course made it really easy for cops to arrest him.

He's being charged with impersonating a law enforcement officer, and I'm sure they'll find some other nice terror related charges to throw at him. I sure hope he enjoys riding the bus, because I doubt he'll be flying the friendly skies any time soon.

(thanks Emily!)

Check out these stories from the airport checkpoint!

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Volker Feb 27th 2009 11:47AM

psssst... psssst... last paragraph... law enforcement officer :)

Scott Carmichael Feb 27th 2009 1:45PM

HA! Thanks for the correction. I'll just call it a Freudian slip :)

Chuck Feb 28th 2009 6:36AM

That was a good read...and funny....thanks.
Chuck

adqjdlq Feb 28th 2009 7:03AM

Isn't it a federal offense to impersonate a federal agent of any department? I hope this idiot is fined and put in jail for a minimum of two years.

adqjdlq Feb 28th 2009 7:07AM

Federal Air Marshals are on planes for one reason and one reason only, which is to protect the passengers and the flight crew. The fact that this guy made a mockery of them is shocking.

ycav4424 Feb 28th 2009 7:18AM

A lot of our federal officials have been inpersonating someone else for a long time. The FDA comes to mind first.

jbjg242 Feb 28th 2009 8:12AM

idiot !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sarah Feb 28th 2009 8:27AM

Wish they would have shown a picture of the idiot. I am betting that I can guess what he looks like!

elizabethrydan Feb 28th 2009 8:45AM

I'm surprised they didn't arrest him straight away. He should have been handcuffed as soon as he showed that fake badge. As someone else pointed out, that is a crime. Mix stupid with alcohol and who knows what you'll get. He could have gone on to hurt someone if he'd been allowed to leave the bar.

Angiebaby Feb 28th 2009 8:58AM

He showed a fake badge and got on the plane, and all that happened was he got tossed off? Instead of calling it a (lucky) day, he went on to show his behind at the bar and end up in jail for impersonating a federal officer? Hmmm. This guy might be eligible for the Dumbass Hall of Fame.

Tim Feb 28th 2009 9:14AM

Was it a fake badge? Or was he really a cop and trying to "play" the SkyMarshall, just so he wouldn't miss his flight. But this still puts him him a precaurious position. Because if he's a cop, he's now out of a job for using his credentials in a false manor. And it's a Federal Charge. Someone said something about the FDA being a false arm of the government. What about the INS? Isn't it time that they pull a raid on the U.S. Capitol and arrest most of the crooks that were there the other night? I want to see all their tax records in full public view. We pay them!

Terri Feb 28th 2009 9:55AM

I am a flight attendant for a major airline and I would like to know why this guy wasn't arrested on the spot! I get so tired of passengers committing crimes on the aircraft and we call the police and when they meet the aircraft, they give them a talking to and then release the passenger with a slap on the wrist. This could have had horrible consequences for the crew and passengers on board the airplane. Law enforcement should have done their job and arrested this man. Protect us, that's your job!

Master Shake Feb 28th 2009 10:15AM

Yeah, JAIL FOR EVERYONE - that's the American way. In 2006 you had over 7.2 MILLION Americans who were either in jail, on parole, or awaiting trial. That's about 5% of the entire adult male population of the United States. More prisoners than any other nation in modern history. More than BOTH China and Russia COMBINED - but with only 1/6th of their combined population. Still the idiot American public isn't happy until everyone and anyone gets years in prison for the slightest infraction. Enjoy your police state, chumps.

Terri Feb 28th 2009 10:30AM

Ok, Master Shake, so do you not like to feel safe in your own home, backyard, car, when you travel or are you one of the criminals that should be locked up? I am not recommending that everyone be arrested for no reason; however, as a flight attendant and a former law enforcement officer, I can tell you first hand that people are almost always given chance after chance after chance before they are ever placed in jail. When on an aircraft, at 37,000 feet in the air is not where I want to be with a problem passenger. A problem passenger on the ground is almost always going to be a problem passenger in the air! This guy should have been arrested so that the next idiot knows he cannot get away with this. What he did was a crime! Our country is now so lienent with our laws that we have sex offenders living next door to us in good neighborhoods, terrorists crashing our aircraft, burglars breaking into our homes & cars for drug money. What happened to the days my parents & grandparents told me about being able to sleep out on the back porch swing in a cool breeze on a summer evening. Things are not looking good for my future grandchildren. So, yes, Master Shake, if you can't abide by rules and laws then you need to be locked up or move to another country.

No Feb 28th 2009 10:40AM

"Our country is now so lienent with our laws that we have sex offenders living next door to us in good neighborhoods, terrorists crashing our aircraft, burglars breaking into our homes & cars for drug money...What happened to the days my parents & grandparents told me about being able to sleep out on the back porch swing in a cool breeze on a summer evening"

You obviously have a warped sense of reality. What "happened" isn't that law enforcement has become more "lienient" (i believe you meant "lenient") but rather that the social fabric of this once great country is in a period of decay. The decay is largely due to the efforts of the loving government which you seem to believe is the source of our salvation. Putting more people in jail doesn't resolve why more people, as you have asserted, seem more inclined to commit crimes. Blaming individuals is easy, but looking at factors at a larger scale requires significantly more patience and a lot more wisdom. I don't want to live in a society that puts people into databases and catalogs our every move. It's the sheeple like yourself that will plunge us further into the belly of the beast. Know what you ask for before running into the arms of your loving government.