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May 31, 2007
I feel safe now
This whole tuberculosis (or as I like to call it, "consumption") thing is a total mess, isn't it? First, in what can only be described as piling on, the man who flew to Europe is a lawyer. A personal injury lawyer. He did this despite suggestions or orders (depending on who you believe) not to go anywhere, then took several more flights in Europe before finally flying back to Canada to evade health authorities in the USA.
But it gets better. After flying to Canada - supposedly because he feared for his life, though I'm sure the USA would've flown him back anyway - he tried to reenter the USA in Lake Champlain, NY. This is what then transpired:
Despite warnings from federal health officials not to board another long flight, he flew home for treatment, fearing he wouldn't survive if he didn't reach the U.S., he said. He said he tried to sneak home by way of Canada instead of flying directly into the U.S.
He was quarantined May 25, a day after he was allowed to pass through the border crossing at Champlain, N.Y., along the Canadian border.
The inspector ran Speaker's passport through a computer, and a warning — including instructions to hold the traveler, don a protective mask in dealing with him, and telephone health authorities — popped up, officials said. About a minute later, Speaker was instead cleared to continue on his journey, according to officials familiar with the records.
When asked about it, the border security agent shrugged it off:
The unidentified inspector explained that he was no doctor but that the infected man seemed perfectly healthy and that he thought the warning was merely "discretionary," officials briefed on the case told The Associated Press.
Oh great googily moogily. Now, my aunt works as a border patrol agent. (Hi, if you're reading. And I know you are...) She does good work. I can't imagine any of those guys letting something like that go by, but apparently I am wrong.
I've crossed the border into Canada many times, and before 9/11 I would say most of the border agents (both Canadian and American) were downright genial. But after 9/11, they toughened up a little bit. So either this guy was let go because the agent was incompetent, or because our man with TB wasn't named Mohammad. I suspect it was a little of both. Either way, it does not make me pleased with the state of our border security.
entry no. 864
Posted by oz115 at May 31, 2007 04:59 PM