# Blogger denied entry by DHS - "Blogging ain't a job" - Author: Joichi Ito - Date: 2005-03-19T14:53:54Z Blogger Jeremy Wright was denied entry to the United States and was strip searched by the US Department of Homeland Security. One of the reasons for the suspicion was that the officer didn't believe blogging was a profession. "Blogging ain’t a job," said the officer. (Maybe I should modify my last post about amateurs and blogging...) Jeremy has posted a followup entry which is sober and balanced. He quotes from memory part of the exchange with the DHS officer.Him: Why would you visit someone in the states you’d never met (I mentioned I was planning to visit several people whilst down there) Me: Well, I have met most of them, but I’ve talked to them dozens or hundreds of times online. Him: Do you have any of their phone numbers? Me: No, but I talk Him: You can’t talk to someone without a phone number. Stop lying to me. Me: No, really, I can talk from my computer to theirs Him: Don’t be a smartass. If you don’t have their phone number, and you’ve never met them, how can you have ever talked to them. Me: … (at this point I’ve learned that sarcasm doesn’t help, nor does answering questions he doesn’t want to hear the answer to) Him: So, you’re trying to tell me that you’re going to visit someone who you’ve never met, never talked to and who knows nothing about you? And I’m supposed to believe this?Good point about sarcasm. On my blog I talk tough about DHS and immigration, but in front of a DHS officer, I'm very polite and try to say "yes sir" a lot... Immigration is definitely not a good play to practice your sarcasm. via NevOn via Politech. --- #### Categories US Policy and Politics