Canadian Man Changes Name to Avoid Watch List Hassles
A man in Canada has officially changed his name after being added to the Department of Homeland Security’s passenger watch list. But will he really be able to get around security just by changing his name?

According to an article on the USA Today website, Mario Labbé, an executive with a Montreal-based record company, told a Canadian news outlet that his Canadian passport triggers a red alert on the computers of U.S. customs agents every time he tries to board a flight to the U.S.

Labbé told the media that his name was added to the US watch list in 2004, and the DHS told him there was no way to have his name removed. Mario Labbé then officially changed his name to François Mario Labbé.

“Though that helps him avoid security hold-ups in the USA, Labbé says it also has forced him to change everything from his driver's license to his health insurance information,” the article says. “And while the CBC notes the man's new name is not a big change from his original one, Labbé ‘said it’s been enough to foil the US customs computers.’”

To read the full article, click here: http://blogs.usatoday.com/sky/2008/09/canadian-man-ch.html.