A 9-year-old boy grabbed a car, got caught, was returned home to his mother, then ran away again and flew to San Antonio with a plane change in Phoenix before he was arrested, authorities said.

Investigators and Southwest Airlines officials were trying to determine how Semaj Booker, who was trying to get to his grandfather in Texas, made his way through security and onto the airplanes without any ticket.

Amazing....great security!! ;-)

Twice!

From what I read (who knows if it is true) this boy found a boarding pass at the airport and consequently used it.

But geez, doesn't this say something about our security, lol. And no, I am not really laughing. How in heavens name did this happen...????

Evidently this boy has a history of stealing cars and running away from home. Wish I had the news article to post.

But again, so much for our security at our airports, quite a joke actually.

Greeeeeaaaaaat.

And they're worried about my tube of hand cream.

I would think it would be fairly easy for a kid to walk behind a crowd through security. Everyone will assume he is with the family in front of him. Also, if the flight is not full, who would question him sitting somewhere on the plane?
I think there is a serious problem though if he is going to such great measures to get away. That family needs some help.
It does say that no matter how strict security is, we are all vunerable to some sort of terrorism.
I'm with beachgirl, let us have our creams back!

Well if Al Quaeda can recruit some small teenagers who look 9 or 10 years old, they'll be all set. It's now time to move about the country! Without a ticket!

Here's the actual news story

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/...18-flier_x.htm

Apparently the kid asked the ticket agent for a boarding pass (claiming he had lost his), got one under a false name, and went through security and onto the plane with the pass. Not bad for a nine year old who had never been to an airport before!

Wow-can you imagine what this kid will be like at 18 years of age?

He should go to sub-Saharan Africa to teach people over there how to do it properly. People over there have been losing their lives by hiding in wheelwells.

Jersey,

Sadly, in jail or dead.

Maybe he could grow up and become President!

Imagine what this kid could do if he would learn to channel his energies in a positive direction! It took a lot of guts, imo, at his age to do what he did. Thank goodness it was a troubled nine year old who exposed additional holes in our airline security and not a raging terrorist. Just when you think all the bases are covered...

I'm betting this kid is ganna be amazing!!!

I don't think it's too hard to fool a Southwest agent. I've noticed they barely check for seat belts and seat backs up on landing. Their training seems to be more focused on telling a good joke or singing a cute song.

the TSA should hire this kid, and just let him loose in various airports to expose security gaps.

This kid sounds like he has great potential. Hopefully whatever screwed up family situation he has can be resolved before it is too late for the kid.

I agree with the suggestion that TSA should hire him. There was a fellow I knew (very slightly) who hacked into the computer system where I worked. The network manager figured out who it was, and he was going to try to prosecute the hacker.

I suggested to our network guy that he make a deal with this electronic safe cracker: You tell us where our security holes are and we will not pursue legal charges.

I figured if this hacker could break in, so could someone else. Better find out where the holes are before somebody does some serious damage.

I'm still trying to figure out how they issued him a new boarding pass when he claimed he lost his other one. Didn't he have to give a real booked passenger's name? Can you imagine them not looking the name up on the computer before issuing a boarding pass -- or the computer spitting it out when the name wasn't a valid passenger? What am I missing here?

He gave a family last name. There was a passenger by that name on the flight. Whomever, asked him if he was "Franklin" (first name of the booked passenger.) He said he was. I'd love to follow his future career path!! What will he be...never mind, don't answer!

Oddly, judging from his arrival time in San Antonio, I think we were on the same flight Monday from Phoenix. Too funny. I had A boarding...if he was re-booked with a C, I never noticed him walking past me as I sat in row 4. He just blended in...a child, probably with his parents...