Border agent ignored warning for TB traveler

[DinoDoc]

ATLANTA - A globe-trotting Atlanta lawyer with a dangerous strain of tuberculosis was allowed back into the U.S. by a border inspector who disregarded a computer warning to stop him and don protective gear, officials said Thursday.

The inspector has been removed from border duty.

The unidentified inspector explained that he was no doctor but that the infected man seemed perfectly healthy and that he thought the warning was merely “discretionary,” officials briefed on the case told The Associated Press. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the matter is still under investigation.

...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18960857/

This episode brings up several questions:

1) What kind of morons do they have employed as border agents?

2) Why isn't he facing criminal charges since he was warned not to fly by the CDC? Seriously, can you imagine being the person who sat in the next seat to that guy?

3) How many of his legal colleagues do you think he'll be meeting outside of social situations very, very soon?

[Wiglaf]

the poor inspector probably has TB now, go easy on him and stop your blaming. the good news is that he was on the no fly list. he had to drive into the city thus reducing the spread of the disease. i want you to realize TB is not our enemy. radical muslims are our enemy and if this gay was on the no fly list and had a muslim terror lineage there would be no discretionary warning it would be a GET THE **** ON YOUR ASS MTG STYLE

[Kuciwalker]

I Wiglaf

[Rufus T. Firefly]

DHS really is the worst agency ever.

[Dinner]

Re: Border agent ignored warning for TB traveler

Originally posted by DinoDoc

1) What kind of morons do they have employed as border agents?

the type of people who are willing to be stationed at points all around the US, who won't quit when they're told to move every couple of years, and who is willing to work for just $32k a year. It's a low paying job which has a lot of downside and few upsides beside pride in service. It's a hard sell.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Re: Border agent ignored warning for TB traveler

Originally posted by DinoDoc
2) Why isn't he facing criminal charges since he was warned not to fly by the CDC? Seriously, can you imagine being the person who sat in the next seat to that guy?

I think they are waiting to see if he lives. At a minimum its reckless endangerment. If anyone catches it and dies, he should go behind bars for a looooong time.

[Arrian]

Seriously, what an *******.

-Arrian

[Wezil]

Originally posted by Wiglaf
the poor inspector probably has TB now, go easy on him and stop your blaming. the good news is that he was on the no fly list. he had to drive into the city thus reducing the spread of the disease. i want you to realize TB is not our enemy. radical muslims are our enemy and if this gay was on the no fly list and had a muslim terror lineage there would be no discretionary warning it would be a GET THE **** ON YOUR ASS MTG STYLE

He still flew in addition to driving.

[KrazyHorse]

Re: Border agent ignored warning for TB traveler

Originally posted by DinoDoc
2) Why isn't he facing criminal charges since he was warned not to fly by the CDC? Seriously, can you imagine being the person who sat in the next seat to that guy?

A "warning" does not equate to a legal prohibition...

[KrazyHorse]

Re: Re: Border agent ignored warning for TB traveler

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
At a minimum its reckless endangerment

Really? If you think you might have a disease then it's reckless endangerment to walk around?

I know that there have just recently been a few successfully prosecuted cases where somebody who knew he had HIV had unprotected sex and passed the disease on.

Has there ever been one where somebody merely thought they might have a disease and who has been successfully prosecuted for infecting somebody else?

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by Arrian
Seriously, what an *******.

-Arrian

Yup.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Re: Re: Re: Border agent ignored warning for TB traveler

Originally posted by KrazyHorse
Really? If you think you might have a disease then it's reckless endangerment to walk around?

I know that there have just recently been a few successfully prosecuted cases where somebody who knew he had HIV had unprotected sex and passed the disease on.

Has there ever been one where somebody merely thought they might have a disease and who has been successfully prosecuted for infecting somebody else?

When he was in Italy he was informed he had the disease and they'd come get him. He cut his trip in Italy short, then flew to Prague. Then flew to Montreal and drove over the border because he KNEW he was on the no-fly list!

He was doing his best to evade because he knew he'd get flagged for a flight back to the states.

[KrazyHorse]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Border agent ignored warning for TB traveler

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui


When he was in Italy he was informed he had the disease and they'd come get him. He cut his trip in Italy short, then flew to Prague. Then flew to Montreal and drove over the border because he KNEW he was on the no-fly list!

He was doing his best to evade because he knew he'd get flagged for a flight back to the states.

Ah. I stopped reading after the part about him flying to Italy.

Why the **** would he do that instead of just waiting for the CDC to pick him up? It doesn't even make any sense. He went to additional expense and trouble for no benefit to himself I can see.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Border agent ignored warning for TB traveler

Originally posted by KrazyHorse
Why the **** would he do that instead of just waiting for the CDC to pick him up? It doesn't even make any sense. He went to additional expense and trouble for no benefit to himself I can see.

That'd be the $64,000 question.

[KrazyHorse]

It could be he wasn't really thinking rationally. He's getting married and at the same time he gets told that he's got a multi-resistant form of TB with a pretty high fatality rate (30 or 40% IIRC).

Maybe he just snapped.