Sinn Fein leader Gary Adams is complaining about being on a US “watch list” and believes that what contributed to a delay he experienced this week while traveling in the country. I don’t think the list had anything to do with it.
Adams and his longtime aide, Richard McAuley, were delayed Friday from traveling to Buffalo, N.Y., for a meeting just hours after both Sinn Fein officials were guests of President Bush in the White House for St. Patrick’s Day. They missed the flight — and still were missing two suitcases when they returned Monday to Ireland.
“This is a nonsensical position we’ve found ourselves in, and we’re determined for it to stop,” McAuley said in a telephone interview from a car carrying him and Adams back to Belfast. “In one moment we’re in the White House and Gerry is having his photo taken with the president, … then a few hours later at the airport, you’re being pulled aside for this rigorous, ridiculous special screening.”
Adams is’experiencing something every US traveler is confronted with – long security lines, impromptu “screenings” and lost luggage.
Welcome to my world Gerry.
Related: In case you were wondering, airlines lost over 30 million bags in 2005.
He’s lucky he didn’t have a classic Buffalo snow storm to top it all off.