Funny Article: UCLA Student Accidently gets on Bus to Tijuana, is lost for 6 weeks

I'll tell you one thing, I'm happy its a bRuin


http://www.dailybruin.ucla.edu/news/articles.asp?id=29935


THE DAILY BRUIN ONLINE 9/6/2004
[Online Exclusive] Missing student found, unharmed
By Menaka Fernando
DAILY BRUIN SENIOR STAFF
mfernando@media.ucla.edu

After close to six weeks of being considered missing, UCLA student Ahmad Arain returned to his Anaheim home unharmed late Sunday evening, family members said.

Arain's family members picked him up from the California-Mexico border after Arain contacted them and notified them of his whereabouts, said close family friend Shakeel Syed, adding that Arain had been confused and ended up in Tijuana, Mexico, by bus.

Though many of the details surrounding Arain's return remain unclear, family members said Arain is currently home and safe and that the family will release a detailed explanation of the situation early Tuesday.

University police released a statement earlier in the day Sunday indicating that Arain's family had contacted and notified the department that Arain had been located. The release also stated that UCPD plans to send investigators to Arain's home to decide whether further investigation is necessary.

Arain went missing July 23 when he took an MTA bus from his home, intended for UCLA. Police surveillance had shown that his last known location was a residential neighborhood on San Vicente Boulevard, about 6 miles from campus.

Family members had previously offered a $20,000 reward for any information leading to Arain's safe return.

If you are going to get lost somewhere, it might as well be Tijauna.

What a weird story. Thanks for the read Bobak.

He was probably only 'lost' for 1 or 2 days

Much like poor, young Arain I too "accidentally" ended up in Tijuana a few years back.

It was considerably more traumatizing for me though, I accidentally contracted ghonereah.

lolz - I used to go to UCLA, and this so doesn't surprise me. Perhaps the president will now consider making a working knowledge of the English language part of the admissions requirement, so their students can read street/bus signs. So glad I got out of that place ....

galfordo said:

So glad I got out of that place ....

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YOU'RE glad?

SouthtownKid said:

YOU'RE glad?

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Ecstatic, actually. Now all of the phony, Hollywood wannabees can have all that misery to themselves. I really do miss driving around town for an hour and a half to get a shitty parking spot though .... And that POS apartment that was over 2 grand a month for rent - man, I don't know if I'll ever stop missing that fucking dumpsite.

And now galfordo is in a city that had a forest of weed plants.

How can UCLA even compete with Duke?

Classes haven't even started yet, why was he heading to school so soon?

I think he knows exactly where he was going...

And I, for one, salute him for it.

PS:



PPS for Bobak: Thread titles says "6 days" ?

Eric said:

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It looks like the kid who's second from the left has shoes powered by nuclear fission.

Eric said:

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Yeah!

I actually knew the guy who came up with that shirt and (what was) fucla.com (now defunct after legal threats from the bRuins)

oh, and thanks for the fix, I made it

i live about 3 miles from the border, and mexico can be a scary place.

More juicy details:

http://www.dailybruin.ucla.edu/news/articles.asp?id=29936

THE DAILY BRUIN ONLINE 9/7/2004
[Online Exclusive] Questions surface on student’s presence in Mexico
Family suspects Arain had ‘temporary amnesia or blackout’

By Richard Clough
DAILY BRUIN SENIOR STAFF
rclough@media.ucla.edu

After disappearing more than six weeks ago, UCLA student Ahmad Arain has returned home to his grateful and relieved family.



The fourth-year computer science student was picked up by family members in Tijuana, Mexico, Sunday night after he sent them an e-mail indicating his whereabouts.

"We're ecstatic," said Sulayman Arain, Arain's brother. He said the six weeks had begun to take a toll on his family, shaking their confidence that Arain would safely return home.

"We thank God that everything turned out for the best," Sulayman said.

Arain's family does not know how or why he ended up in Mexico but they believe he may have suffered a mental breakdown. Arain visited with a physician Monday, the result of which led his family to believe Arain had "temporary amnesia or blackout," as he had not indicated whether he remembered how he got to Mexico, said Rafe Husain, Arain's uncle.

Arain is not terribly talkative, and his family is not pressing him on all the details of his disappearance yet, Husain added.

After being reported missing July 23, Arain survived with little food and no shelter for a month, drinking water from a hose at a Tijuana gas station, Sulayman said.

About two weeks ago, a Mexican family found Arain sitting at the gas station and brought him into their home, giving him food, water and clothes. When he regained his composure, he sent an e-mail to his family, Sulayman said.

Sulayman said his brother, who was noticeably thinner, had been dehydrated and is now relaxing at home.

"He's weak physically, he lost a lot of weight, but otherwise he's fine," Sulayman said. "He's happy to be home."

Sulayman also said Arain is not ready to discuss the ordeal publicly.

Sulayman said his brother will likely not be back at UCLA when classes resume for fall quarter Sept. 30 and will instead return "when he feels comfortable."

Arain's family had been offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to his safe return. The family gave the Mexican family an undisclosed amount of money, and Husain said Arain's family may give the Mexican family more money soon.

"The money we gave them was a personal gift," Sulayman said.

Arain's 21st birthday was Aug. 20. Sulayman said the family had not decided whether to throw a belated birthday party for him, but he said the family will have a party to celebrate his return home and as a show of appreciation to everyone involved in the search.

University police investigators, who have been conducting the search for Arain, will speak with Arain today "to see if there's any background that requires any other action from us" before closing the case, said Nancy Greenstein, director of police community services for the UCPD. She said the UCPD is gratified Arain has returned home safely.

Arain was reported missing July 23 after he failed to return home from an appointment with an academic adviser on the UCLA campus. Arain, who never arrived at the appointment, was last seen on surveillance footage that day exiting an MTA bus about 6 miles from the UCLA campus.

Arain's disappearance came as a surprise to his friends and family, who described him as "quiet" and "family oriented." They said it is unlike him to leave without telling anyone where he is going.

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With reports from Menaka Fernando, Bruin senior staff.

Oh man, that's a computer science major for you.

Lost without their computer.

Couldn't even figure out how to use a phone to contact his family, needs to send them an e-mail.

I have a feeling there will be a few jokes created in his honor.

Fight on, Ahman, fight on...

Arain's family does not know how or why he ended up in Mexico but they believe he may have suffered a mental breakdown. Arain visited with a physician Monday, the result of which led his family to believe Arain had "temporary amnesia or blackout," as he had not indicated whether he remembered how he got to Mexico, said Rafe Husain, Arain's uncle.

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heh....
mushrooms

Eric said:

Oh man, that's a computer science major for you.

Lost without their computer.

Couldn't even figure out how to use a phone to contact his family, needs to send them an e-mail.

I have a feeling there will be a few jokes created in his honor.

Fight on, Ahman, fight on...

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LOL!

Not only is that typical of Computer Science majors. But also the nervous breakdown in itself. You cannot be a CS guy without inflicting yourself some serious brain damage in the process. After hours and hours of programming your thought patterns start to become more and more alien till you become a machine yourself. Cyberpsychosis, anybody?

This whole thing sounds something out of...

"Born in East L.A."

As being stuck in Tijuana for something like six weeks.

This Computer Science major is, "Up in Smoke."

dakingofzumunda said:

This whole thing sounds something out of...

"Born in East L.A."

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I was thinking the same thing.

I mean, while they guy was Indian or Middle Eastern, in Tijuana he'd blend in at least a little. He probably had all kinds of wacky adventures trying to convince la migra that he was really supposed to be back in the US and no he didn't have any papers... There would be issues of (1) can you really speak english (if english was a second language he probably would have a problem) and (2) if he said "look, I'm not Mexican -I'm a Middle Eastern trying to cross the Tijuana border back into the US without any immigration papers" it definitely wouldn't go over well in this day and age.

Well, I guess it's good he got home after all that time and that.....uh, well......ah, fuck it!

MIAMI -30
FSU-27