[Politech] Shop for a flight simulator game, get interrogated by police

From: Declan McCullagh (declan@private)
Date: Tue Jan 06 2004 - 10:42:28 PST

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    Date: Tue, 06 Jan 2004 11:43:22 -0600
    From: Jules Siegel <siegel@private>
    To: Declan McCullagh <declan@private>
    Subject: Question about flight simulator program brings visit from police
    
    
    -------- Original Message --------
    Subject: [drugwar] OT: Paranoia Watch
    Date: Tue, 6 Jan 2004 11:13:03 -0500
    From: Elmer Elevator <bobmer.javanet@private>
    Reply-To: drugwar@private
    To: <drugwar@private>
    
    Tuesday 6 January 2004
    Greenfield (Massachusetts) Recorder
    <http://www.recorder.com/Headlines/today_basic.htm#Item2>
    Question about flight simulator brings visit from police
    
    By VIRGINIA RAY
    Recorder Staff
    
    [Excerpt]
    
    COLRAIN -- An innocent inquiry to a Staples store clerk about a computer
    software program that teaches how to fly an airplane by instrumentation
    brought a surprise visit this holiday season to a local family from the
    state police.
    
    "At first, I felt a little angry and violated" about someone telling
    authorities about her inquiry, said Julie Olearcek, a 15-year Air Force
    Reserve pilot. "But now that time has gone by, I realize it may take
    someone like that, who's a little nervous, who may save the day."
    Olearcek's husband, Henry, is also a flier, currently on active duty,
    and frequently away from home these days.
    
    About a week before Christmas, Olearcek said the couple's 10-year-old
    son, who has flight simulation software and is keenly interested in
    learning to fly like his parents, commented that he'd have to wait until
    his dad retired to learn to fly by instruments. She went to Staples soon
    after and took her son to the office supply store, where he looked
    through the available software.
    
    "He was disappointed because there was military stuff, but it was all
    fighting stuff, so I asked the clerk, and he was alarmed by us asking
    how to fly airplanes and said that was against the law," Olearcek said.
    "I said I couldn't imagine that, but, because (the clerk) was a little
    on edge ... I left." But "what saves us, is people are paying
    attention," she said.
    
    
    
    -- 
    JULES SIEGEL Apdo. 1764 77501-Cancun Q. Roo Mexico
    http://www.cafecancun.com
    
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