Sort of (sadly) sums up the current level of percieved threat in the US right now.
Basically an enquiry at a branch of Staples about an instrument based flight sim caused a visit by a state trooper.
Excerpt below:
Question about flight simulator brings visit from police
By VIRGINIA RAY
Recorder Staff
[Excerpt]
COLRAIN -- An innocent inquiry to a Staples store clerk about a computer
software program that teaches how to fly an airplane by instrumentation
brought a surprise visit this holiday season to a local family from the
state police.
"At first, I felt a little angry and violated" about someone telling
authorities about her inquiry, said Julie Olearcek, a 15-year Air Force
Reserve pilot. "But now that time has gone by, I realize it may take
someone like that, who's a little nervous, who may save the day."
Olearcek's husband, Henry, is also a flier, currently on active duty,
and frequently away from home these days.
About a week before Christmas, Olearcek said the couple's 10-year-old
son, who has flight simulation software and is keenly interested in
learning to fly like his parents, commented that he'd have to wait until
his dad retired to learn to fly by instruments. She went to Staples soon
after and took her son to the office supply store, where he looked
through the available software.
"He was disappointed because there was military stuff, but it was all
fighting stuff, so I asked the clerk, and he was alarmed by us asking
how to fly airplanes and said that was against the law," Olearcek said.
"I said I couldn't imagine that, but, because (the clerk) was a little
on edge ... I left." But "what saves us, is people are paying
attention," she said.
