Is one of these a terrorist?

The answer? No. But they're still stopped for "super security" checks because of their name: David Nelson.

Every time David Nelson of St. Petersburg heads to the airport these days, he takes along a book or magazine.

Reading helps him kill time while the airline determines he's not a terrorist.

Nelson, a 45-year-old consultant, is among dozens of David Nelsons in the United States who have been targeted by an apparent glitch in the computer software used to screen passengers. Even actor David Nelson of Ozzie and Harriet fame was detained in Los Angeles and allowed to proceed only after two police officers recognized him from the hit 1950s TV series.

The St. Petersburg David Nelson, who flies almost every week, says he has been pulled out of line at least 50 or 60 times since the screening system began after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

"I've lost count," he says. "It's a hassle for me personally, but on the other hand, I think it's wise what they're doing. It just takes some time to work the kinks out of the system."

After the 9/11 hijackings, the Transportation Security Administration introduced a "no-fly" list of possible terrorists and other suspects from names submitted by law enforcement agencies. The list is given to airlines to check against their passenger manifests.

The TSA, citing security concerns, won't confirm that a particular name is on the list, a spokesman told the Los Angeles Daily News. But, he said, the "David Nelson problem" is due to the airlines' name-matching software, which flags certain letters in a name.

Still, a Virginia security consultant thinks there's more to the story. "I'm inclined to believe there is a bad David Nelson out there they're looking for," he told the newspaper.

David Nelson the consultant says it's definitely not him. Yet whenever he checks in at Tampa International or another airport, he can expect a delay of 15 minutes or so while the ticket agent verifies his identity. Then Nelson is handed a boarding pass with a tell-tale row of S's on the bottom indicating he's subject to what he calls a "super security check."

"You have to have your bags searched and take off your shoes and be wanded," he says. One time in San Francisco, a ticket clerk even called over "an FBI agent or the police" before Nelson was allowed to board.

The hassle doesn't always end there. A few weeks ago, he had settled into his seat on a flight from Denver to Tampa when crew members approached him.

"They said, "Mr. Nelson, we're going to need you to step out on the jetway.' A guy out there wanted my Social Security number and address and driver's license number and everything about me. Everyone is looking at you like, what have you done?"

Nelson learned just this week that the TSA has set up a hotline for passengers who feel they have been wrongly targeted. He hopes to get off the "no-fly" list but in the meantime plans to stay calm through the security checks.

"You see people really complaining, but the wait is not going to be any shorter. Either you make it as pleasant as possible or as miserable as possible, so you might as well be pleasant."

That attitude can pay off.

"The airlines have been nice about it. They gave me a meal voucher one day, and once in a while they'll bump you up to first class."

- Susan Taylor Martin can be contacted at susan@sptimes.com

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