'I'm Going to Destroy America and Dig Up Marilyn Monroe': British Pair Deported Over Twitter Jokes

Two British holidaymakers learned in January 2012 that American border security does not appreciate British slang, when a pair of tweets sent Leigh Van Bryan and Emily Banting straight into Homeland Security detention at Los Angeles International Airport.

Before flying to Hollywood from the UK, bar manager Van Bryan, 26, from Coventry, had tweeted: "Free this week, for quick gossip/prep before I go and destroy America?" Another post quoted a line from the animated comedy Family Guy: "3 weeks today, we're totally in LA p****** people off on Hollywood Blvd and diggin' Marilyn Monroe up!"

It didn't matter that in British English "destroy" was slang for partying hard, or that the second line was a cartoon reference. The Department of Homeland Security had flagged him on its "One Day Lookout" list after scanning passenger manifests. When the pair cleared passport control at LAX, armed guards detained them. Federal agents searched Van Bryan's suitcase for spades and shovels — taking literally the idea that Banting would stand lookout while he raided Marilyn Monroe's tomb.

What followed, according to Van Bryan, was five hours of questioning, handcuffs, a van ride with detained immigrants, and 12 hours in separate holding cells before the two were driven back to LAX and put on a plane home via Paris. A document handed to him noted he had admitted to posting both tweets.

The episode was funny until it wasn't. Nobody was charged with terrorism — they were simply refused entry — but the story became a cautionary tale of the social-media age: anything you post is potentially being read by someone who doesn't share your context, your slang, or your sense of humor. And some of those someones control the gates.

Sources

• Lost In Translation: Because Of Twitter Joke, Brits Denied Entry To U.S. — WEKU / NPR