Narrative:

On jul/xa/98 I was traveling with my family from a vacation, tpa to msp to sfo. They had confirmed tickets and I jump seated as a B747 first officer for the company I work for as a pilot. We checked in and my children, ages mid to late teens, wanted to shop, so I went to the gate 1 hour early so I could apply for the jump seat. 1/2 hour before the flight, the children went through security and my son pointed to the explosive picture on the security chkpoint in tpa and casually, in a low voice to my daughter who was in front of him, said 'look at that bomb picture, how could that fit in a bag?' then the security police asked him what he said and he said it again to her and she said she was going to call security and call the police! I was called at the gate to give them our names and addresses for a report. We barely got on our flight and I explained to the captain and the gate agent what had transpired. They all said it was ok and a misunderstanding by security to take it so seriously. I never thought to brief my children (almost adults) not to upset security and my son now knows that you can't even casually mention the word 'bomb' around security like that. He really didn't know it was wrong and didn't mean anything by it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PASSING THROUGH SECURITY THE SON OF AN AIRLINE PLT MAKES A COMMENT REGARDING THE BOMB POSTER AND IS HELD BY SECURITY WHILE POLICE ARE CALLED. THE PARENT IS CALLED AND SON IS CLRED TO GO THROUGH AND BOARD.

Narrative: ON JUL/XA/98 I WAS TRAVELING WITH MY FAMILY FROM A VACATION, TPA TO MSP TO SFO. THEY HAD CONFIRMED TICKETS AND I JUMP SEATED AS A B747 FO FOR THE COMPANY I WORK FOR AS A PLT. WE CHKED IN AND MY CHILDREN, AGES MID TO LATE TEENS, WANTED TO SHOP, SO I WENT TO THE GATE 1 HR EARLY SO I COULD APPLY FOR THE JUMP SEAT. 1/2 HR BEFORE THE FLT, THE CHILDREN WENT THROUGH SECURITY AND MY SON POINTED TO THE EXPLOSIVE PICTURE ON THE SECURITY CHKPOINT IN TPA AND CASUALLY, IN A LOW VOICE TO MY DAUGHTER WHO WAS IN FRONT OF HIM, SAID 'LOOK AT THAT BOMB PICTURE, HOW COULD THAT FIT IN A BAG?' THEN THE SECURITY POLICE ASKED HIM WHAT HE SAID AND HE SAID IT AGAIN TO HER AND SHE SAID SHE WAS GOING TO CALL SECURITY AND CALL THE POLICE! I WAS CALLED AT THE GATE TO GIVE THEM OUR NAMES AND ADDRESSES FOR A RPT. WE BARELY GOT ON OUR FLT AND I EXPLAINED TO THE CAPT AND THE GATE AGENT WHAT HAD TRANSPIRED. THEY ALL SAID IT WAS OK AND A MISUNDERSTANDING BY SECURITY TO TAKE IT SO SERIOUSLY. I NEVER THOUGHT TO BRIEF MY CHILDREN (ALMOST ADULTS) NOT TO UPSET SECURITY AND MY SON NOW KNOWS THAT YOU CAN'T EVEN CASUALLY MENTION THE WORD 'BOMB' AROUND SECURITY LIKE THAT. HE REALLY DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS WRONG AND DIDN'T MEAN ANYTHING BY IT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.