The other day, Seth Stein, an architect who is no stranger to travelling for his business, was mistaken for an Islamic terrorist and pinned to his seat onboard his American Airlines flight. He was pounced on as the crew and other passengers watched.
Mr. Stein, who was sitting down with a book and ginger-ale, was grabbed from behind and held in a head-lock, informed he’d been acting suspiciously. His pockets were searched. The individual who did this had apparently acted alone, as the captain had run a security check after being alerted. The individual, who claimed to be with the New York Police Department, has yet to be positively identified, but Mr. Stein was apologized to, and the officer had acted alone.
We are unsure as to whether he was impersonating a law enforcement official or not.
We must again thank Bruce Schneier and his blog for bringing this story to our attention.