Ordering VEG On A UK Flight May Make You A Terror Suspect

A new list of what the UK Government deems as potential “red flags” for terror suspects on plane flights has been revealed — and if you’re a vegetarian, you might want to stay home. Of course, I’m exaggerating on the last part — but seriously, “ordering a vegetarian meal” on a UK flight will cause you to be red flagged. This unusual association is the work of a top-secret computer system – tied into the airlines’ ticketing network – and making judgments about travel habits and passengers’ friends and family to decide if they are a security risk.

Hello, Big Brother! From the article,

All the information passengers give to travel agents, including home addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, passport details and the names of family members, is shared with an unknown number of Government agencies for ‘analysis’ and stored for up to ten years. ‘Suspect’ requests likely to cause innocent holidaymakers to get ‘red flags’ as potential terrorists include ordering a vegetarian meal, asking for an over-wing seat and traveling with a foreign-born husband or wife. The system will also ‘red flag’ passengers buying a one-way ticket and making a last-minute reservation and those with a history of booking tickets and not showing up for the flights.

Of course, before we go thinking that this Vegeterrorist label is unique to the UK, let’s not forget last year’s effort by the FBI to infiltrate “vegan potluck dinners” and bring down domestic terrorists. Yikes.