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And Finally Beef Of The Week
CMU Beef Of The Week #41: Jedward v Heathrow
By Andy Malt | Published on Saturday 30 October 2010
We’re always told to avoid any attempts at comic relief when we go through airport security. “Don’t make jokes at customs”, people say, holding eye contact with a look of fear and deadly seriousness. “Those guys have no sense of humour”.
This claim, it seems, is completely and utterly wrong. It’s just that airport security guards, whose job it is to stand around pretending to look for bombs all day, while needlessly confiscating shampoo, have developed a sense of humour that might initially be less obvious to the casual, mildly intimidated observer.
This week, The Sun claimed, Jedward made a formal complaint against security guards at Heathrow who, they say, have been “bullying” the pop twosome every time they pass through the airport.
A source told the tabloid: “They always pull the twins in for extra screening just to pick on them and try to look big in front of their mates. Then last week, the same guy who usually taunts them pulled Edward in and was joined by three mates. There were four big oafs standing laughing at a nineteen year old kid”.
It’s not entirely clear how far the guards were willing to take this joke – the distance between a pat down and a full cavity search is a long way in comedy – although a statement from airport operator BAA does seem to confirm The Sun’s accusations: “Nothing excuses the behaviour. We have spoken to the staff members concerned”.
So, really, better advice than not making jokes as you make you way through airport security would be to not base a career on silly haircuts and singing out of tune.
This Beef Of The Week comes from this edition of the CMU Weekly. Subscribe to the CMU Weekly here.
