A Canadian record exec has changed his name in order to get off the TSA's no-fly list: he had his identity stolen and ended up spending one to six hours being questioned every time he boarded a plane:
"I was pulled aside in a room … and you have to wait your turn to finally be released," Labbé said. "An hour, an hour and a half, two hours, whatever it is after. Once I was caught in Miami like that for six hours.
"It's always the same questions, about if I've lost my passport, if I've been to Japan – I don't know why Japan, but in their file it was something to do with Japan."
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security wrote a letter to Labbé in 2004, saying he had been placed on their watch list after falling victim to identity theft. At the time, the department said there was no way for his name to be removed.
Although Labbé wrote letters to the U.S. department, his efforts were in vain, prompting him to legally change his name.
"So now, my official name is François Mario Labbé," he said.
"Then you have to change everything: driver's license, social insurance, medicare, credit card – everything."
Although it's not a big change from Mario Labbé, he said it's been enough to foil the U.S. customs computers.
Quebec man changes name to dodge relentless airport screening
(Thanks, Happy Mutant PaulR!)
