TMI

I was a Freshman in college when my father told me this story over the phone. He didn't seem to think they did anything wrong, but this incident likely resulted in half my immediate family being added to an FBI watchlist.

My brother was doing a school history project on the Three Mile Island accident, which to the uninitiated was a nuclear reactor meltdown on the East Coast of the United States in 1979. My parents live fairly close to the island, which still houses an active nuclear power plant. The site actually bought the old Suburban I learned to drive in, to use as a work vehicle on the island.
My mother remembered they used to have a visitor center. While everyone else was in school she convinced my father to drive her there, with my two youngest brothers (who were just babies, too young for school), to look for it. This was in 2003.
You can guess where this is going.
Somehow she convinced my father to drive past a heavy assortment of no trespassing signs threatening military action, with increasingly threatening barbed wire fences.
Right up to the National Guard Command Post
They're met with a member of the National Guard, surrounded by other National Guardsmen, all armed with assault rifles. He motions them to lower their window, and my Dad complies. "Excuse me, Sir. This is a restricted area."
My mother casually leans over my father as if this is no big deal. "We're looking for the Visitor Center. I remember it used to be right here."
The guardsman blinks, before motioning to the others to keep a close eye on them. He then backs away, still watching them warily, to talk into his walkie talkie. Out from the building comes his command officer, also with an assault rifle with an additional pistol at his belt. My mother smiles excitedly. Surely this man will know the answer.
"Hi! Do you know where we can find the Visitor Center?"
"I'm going to have to ask you to step out of the vehicle."
He made them step out of the car, and pull out my brothers, and have everyone stand at the back of the van with the license plate vehicle while they took pictures. Then he sent her away with a warning to never come near another nuclear power plant or military installation, and informed her that the Visitor Center was now a National Guard Outpost since September 11th.
My mother's response?
"You could have just told me that."