For the third time in his young life, a 7-year-old Florida boy recently had to check in with an airline agent before flying because his name is on the no-fly list.
Michael Martin, of Coral Springs, appears to share a moniker with a suspected or known terrorist, a mix-up that has snared several other children around the nation as well as high-profile officials like California Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez.
"He thought he did something wrong," said the boy's mother, Krista Martin.
Earlier this month, Martin was unable to print Michael's boarding pass from an AirTran kiosk at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, so she asked an airline agent if there was a problem.
"She made a funny face and said, 'Oh, he's on a no-fly list,"' Martin said.
Martin said she tells an airline her son's age when making flight reservations, but still has to seek out an agent when she cannot obtain his boarding pass online or at an airport kiosk.
"It's been happening since 9-11," she said. "I just think it's kind of ridiculous to put a 7-year-old boy on a no-fly list."
The Transportation Security Administration, which compiles the list, said airlines are responsible for automatically excluding children from further scrutiny. An AirTran spokeswoman said the only way an airline can clear children is to see them first.
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