Horologists of the world take note that attempting to fly while wearing a watch that looks too odd may land you in jail:
Geoffrey McGann, 49, of Rancho Palos Verdes was taken into custody Thursday night after he tried to pass through airport security with an ornate watch that had switches, wires and fuses, according to Sgt. J.D. Nelson, a spokesman for the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department.
A bomb squad arrived within five minutes and determined there were no explosive materials in the watch, Nelson said. The checkpoint was closed while officers secured the area.
McGann was taken to Santa Rita Jail in Dublin where he was charged with possessing materials to make an explosive device, sheriff’s officials said. He was still in custody Friday night and could not be reached for comment.
What really gets me about this story is the fact the fucking bomb squad determined there were no explosive materials but the wearer was still arrested for possessing material to make an explosive device. That makes no sense. Scratch that, that makes less than no sense. What we have here is negative sense.
We do live in a world where a man can be held in a secret prison for possessing a very popular model of wristwatch (which I now own) so it shouldn’t surprise me that somebody can be arrested for wearing any other watch. But when the bomb squad says there are no explosive materials you would think the man would have been arrested for something other than possessing materials to make an explosive device. Perhaps he could have been charged for unwarranted lawful behavior or not disturbing the peace.