The FBI wants police to be on the look out for people who have almanacs covering the United States when they are questioned for a variety of offenses, including routine traffic stops. The theory is that almanacs are sources of information about infrastructure, populations, and industries around the country and could be used to plan terrorist attacks.
I suppose the feds have a point. After all, almanacs contain loads of useful information about which states and cities house different industries and where tourism centers are. You know tough to find things like where Walt Disney World is, and where gypsum is mined, or who the important political leaders of the day are. Stuff that is easier to find on a website than it is to carry around the hefty tome that is the modern Almanac.
The FBI alert requested local police be on the watch for people with almanacs is downright silly, and could lead to a lot of abuse. An example: a student (lets call him Biff) is pulled over for speeding and the police officer spies an almanac in the back seat. The officer, having received the FBI warning, begins questioning Biff about his possession of the almanac, and Biff cops an attitude about it (or even doesn't have an explanation that the officer deems acceptable). Biff gets dragged off to jail for "questioning" based solely on his possession of the almanac. Biff has committed a minor moving violation, but now needs to spend money on an attorney to prove he had a legitimate reason to have an almanac in his car.
Sound like its a stretch? Don't bet on it. This could easily be an excuse for official harrassment of people considered troublemakers.
And its also a waste of time.
Posted by Chris at January 6, 2004 11:05 AM