Ian Turner Last Update
- 2nd Jul 2005
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Ali has asked me to provide the SEO community, who have all been so worried about Ian, a press release to let everyone know what actually happened in New Orleans/Atlanta that made Ian go missing.
He changed hotel due to the air conditioning system that was keeping him awake and he wanted a good night sleep after the conference and pub con before his flight home. He booked into the Monaco Hotel a few blocks away from the Park Plaza on the Saturday. Unfortunately this hotel wasn’t much better so he didn’t get his good night sleep as planned. He arrived at the airport drained from the conference week and the lack of sleep.
To make matters worse the flight was delayed to Atlanta meaning that he would miss the connection to the UK, plus the weather was bad. The flight to Atlanta was apparently very turbulent and Ian is a bad flyer and afraid of heights at the best of times.
This culmination of circumstances made Ian have, what can only be described as, a panic attack on the plane as it landed in Atlanta. The actual details here are quite vague and Ian is unsure of the whole events.
What did happen though was that he left his personal belongings on the plane (passport, wallet, laptop, coat) so subsequently he was arrested by the local police inside/outside the airport. Subsequent to this and the fact he had no ID on him he was detained in the local jail.
It has taken the past few days for the local police to sort this out with Homeland Security and the British Consolate and having no ID on him was a big problem. But as soon as he was traced to the jail and his identity was proved, we were able to get funds to him (thanks to Keith) which enabled the passport to be sorted for Ian.
He is currently at the airport hotel awaiting a flight home and has got some of his personal belongings back.
Ali has asked me to say how much she has appreciated all of the support that has been given to her and her family this last week which has enabled her to keep strong to cope with this frightening situation of not knowing what had happened to Ian.
She would like some quiet time when Ian gets back to the UK and we should respect her wishes. Once Ian has recovered from this ordeal I am sure that he will thank the community personally for everything that you have achieved.
I would personally like to thank the whole SEM community, Keith Hazelden - the man on the ground at Atlanta, Chris R, ThomasB, NickW, Danny Sullivan and Brett Tabke. I’d also like to thank the search engine reps Tim Mayer and Matt Cutts for their help.
My part in all of this started when Ali stickied me on Tuesday to ask if I’d seen or heard from Ian as he wasn’t home yet. This started the threads appearing on the forums to try and find him. I have been in communication with Ali through all of this offering advice and support, as well as helping his business partners in the UK with client issues on the SEO side of things (honest Tim & Matt i’ve kept it clean!).
Lets hope this is the end to the saga….
DaveN
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All hail DaveN!!
So glad that he’s ok. Now maybe they both can get some sleep!
What would suggest as a respectable time period to leave before we start taking the piss?
Thanks Dave - good job.
NFFC’s comment is funny though.
Hey Dave - I get it - you thought that Ian had taken the pics of you on the plastic bull - and then taken your clothes? Hey - a jokes a joke….
Seriously - I’m pleased this ended with Ian being alive and well! Hey - SEMPO even sent me a ‘where’s Ian?’ email here in Australia!!
Thanks for the update Dave.
NFFC - couple of weeks?
Good work, Dave!
However, this whole thing makes me wonder: What about that “one phonecall” - is that just in Hollywood that works or what happend to that?
If I loose my wallet and passport at the next conference in the US could I risk ending up in prison too for days without being able to notify my family and friends - and the comunity?
It seems that the US is a very dangerous place to travel these days :)
great job, guys.. you really pulled this together and got results in a hurry… your next assignment, should you decide to accept it, — global warming.. : )
Don’t go back there again, people put things in your drinks for fun, innit.
Fritz Von Georgia on my mind !!!
Really happy to have a positive end to this story - thanks for your role, Dave, in helping coordinate the search!
Technorati’s top 10 searches as of 2 July 2005:
1. “Ian Turner�
2. “Sandra Day O’connorâ€?
3. “O’connorâ€?
4. Supreme Court
5. “Live8�
6. “Tom Cruise�
7. Ipod
8. “Live 8�
9. “Google Earth�
10. “Bobby Brown�
Ian, you’re more famous than Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor and waaay more famous than Tom Cruise! You’re well loved. Glad to see you home.
grnidone
(I used to be a mod with you…)
hmm..not sure why those quotes didn’t show up…
Sounds a lot like “the terminal” with Tom Hanks. Glad to hear he’s on his way home now.
Good Show Dave!
What a great community!
Great reaction from the SEO/SEM community on this. Ali, I hope you get some rest and relaxation after all this. Make Ian take you both somewhere quiet and peaceful. :)
Thanks for the background info, DaveN.
Thanks Goodness for that!
Glad to hear you are safe Ian!
Bravo! Dave. A job well done on your part. We all truly appreciate the background info and whole story - this will serve as a good lesson to others among us who may be skittish on planes.
Congrats to Ian & Ali, as well. Enjoy your well deserved rest.
I’m glad it has worked out well in the end. Ian, welcome back to the UK!!!
DaveN you’re a star! Well done, all around.
Great work everybody! I’m so glad Ian is safe :)
Firstly, I too am very grateful, Dave et al. — thank you! and love and sound sleep to Ian and Ali.
Secondly, Mikkel, I don’t know the Hollywood tradition, but in US crime literature The One Phone Call must be to — your lawyer. I’ve never read of a phone book being offered; if you are a law-abiding citizen in a strange city seems you’re out of luck!
Adelaide
“Yes thats right Mr Turner we have a Dr Evil waiting to see you”
hehehehe
I doubt terrorists are allowed a phone call. At the moment anyone who even looks at an aeroplane is a terrorist in the states :)
Whew! I’m sticking to Canada :)
Weird.
Next WMW conference in a free country please!
Note the person over at WMW whose friend lost her passport on a flight to the UK. Same result — she was detained.
On planes, it pays to be calm and have your ID.
Scary laws in the US allow people to go “missing” for days. Thank you Patriot Act, thanks GWB. I guess we exported so much “freedom” to the rest of the world we left none for us.
I’m so happy everything worked out! Been out of town for the weekend and had no access. Such a relief to find everything is OK. Good work guys.
I tought these things happened only on movies..welcome back Ian
I hope this pannic attack was a one off, it is a hard think to live with.
I’ve been arrested for bogus reasons (expired Texas, valid Arizona license while visiting Texas). Charges were dropped but it took a week and 1/2 for people to realize I was missing (I am a loner) and another 5 days to figure out where I was. Court dropped all charges; charged me $500 in ‘court fees’.
I’ve been labeled a terrorist. The thing is, you don’ have to be charged with a crime to be “labeled” a terrorist. You don’t even have to be suspicious. Since ti is a *label* (as opposed to a “charge”) you have no criminal rights (such as attorney, phone call, plea of innocence, etc) just like if you are *labeled* an “enemy combatant” you have no POW rights.
Our country is really fascist and as of July it’s gotten a lot worse. Name me one of the Bill of Rights that hasn’t been obliterated? Owning a few low-powered guns is all that remains.
You no longer own your house…and yes, eminent domain proceedings have started on my 95 yr-old grandmother’s house. They want to put a CVS pharmacy on it.
It’s too late for America because no one cares and those that do won’t go the distance when push comes to shove.
Draw a line in the sand and defend your side of liberty to the death. That’s your only hope now.
so has any enterprising movie rep bought the rights yet:)