Harry Potter flies home...as carry on.

Not sure what the exact terror threat of this actually was - or was percieved as being.

The Associated Press

LONDON -- British author J.K. Rowling says she won an argument with airport security officials in New York to carry the manuscript of the final "Harry Potter" book as carryon baggage.

Had security agents not relented, she said on her Web site, she might not have flown, she said in a posting dated Wednesday.

"I don't know what I would have done if they hadn't — sailed home probably," she wrote.

The author had participated in a book reading for charity on Aug. 1 with fellow writers Stephen King and John Irving. Security was drastically tightened after Aug. 10 when British police said they had intercepted a plot to blow up U.S.-bound airliners.

"The heightened security restrictions on the airlines made the journey back from New York interesting, as I refused to be parted from the manuscript of book seven.

"A large part of it is handwritten and there was no copy of anything I had done while in the U.S."

Eventually, she added, "They let me take it on, thankfully, bound up in elastic bands."

J.K. Rowling Challenges Airport Security

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I'm going to assume that there's something not mentioned that would make the action taken sensible. As it is presented, I'm with Cheeze - I don't get it.

I think that, on flights to and from Heathrow around the time of the threat, no carry-on baggage was allowed at all. Which would include a book.

#1Elphie - thanks. If that's true, at least it makes sense - and interesting that she was able to override the restriction.

I find it equally odd that she would not have any "backup" of the manuscript. A bit dicey if you ask me.

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Craig - I know my memory is bad sometimes, but I seem to recall that someone stole her backup once from a safe - or safe deposit box or something...maybe she does not have one due to that incident. She must have this manuscript under her pillow at night! lol

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This is absurd. God damn terrorists.

Please. The woman has more money than she knows what to do with now. Why was she even taking a commercial flight and not booking her own jet to whisk her away.


Take a boat my behind!

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She had most of it backed up in her London computer. However, most of the parts she wrote while in the US were handwritten, hence no back-up.

jacob - I was saying that tongue planted firmly in my cheek

But truth is, getting home for her was never really an issue. If she couldn't take the commercial flight, she could have booked a charter...

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I was hoping you were Craig, but there are plenty of people on this board who were probably thinking the same thing, and the post was aimed more at them.

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"sorry but if it came out of my body, i aint puting it in my mouth! "

So - would you put it in your baby's mouth if not your own? I guess breastfeeding will not be for you then.

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And that makes it different......how?

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