|
Flight ban for anti-Bush T-shirt
|
View this Thread in Original format
| star-traveller |
| quote: | Flight ban for anti-Bush T-shirt
A passenger barred from a Qantas airlines flight for wearing a T-shirt depicting US President George Bush as a terrorist has threatened legal action.
Allen Jasson said he was sticking up for the principle of free speech by challenging the decision by the Australian flag carrier.
Mr Jasson was stopped as he was about to board the flight from Melbourne to London last Friday.
Qantas said the T-shirt had potential to offend other passengers.
The T-shift features an image of President George W Bush, along with the slogan "World's Number One Terrorist".
'Principle'
The 55-year-old computer specialist, who lives in London, had encountered difficulties with the same T-shirt on an earlier Qantas flight in December.
After clearing the international security checks at Melbourne Airport, he reportedly approached the gate manager to congratulate him on the company's new-found open-mindedness.
At that point, Mr Jasson was ordered to remove the T-shirt after being told it was a security threat and an item which might cause offence to other passengers.
He was offered the chance to board the flight wearing different clothing, but refused.
"I am not prepared to go without the t-shirt. I might forfeit the fare, but I have made up my mind that I would rather stand up for the principle of free speech," he told Australian media.
A Qantas spokesman defended the airline's decision, saying: "Whether made verbally or on a T-shirt, comments with the potential to offend other customers or threaten the security of a Qantas group aircraft will not be tolerated".
|
Flight ban for anti-Bush T-shirt
And depicting Muhamed as a stupid cartoon character CAN'T offend.
What a bunch of morons. |
|
|
| LazFX |
| No matter what he was wearing, the airline has the right to refuse service..... so no big deal, plus it did not happen in the US so whats your point?? :conf: |
|
|
| Lilith |
| Don't have much love for airlines and anti-terrorism laws on airlines, but basically its their stuff and if you don't play by their weird rules you lump it. |
|
|
| Fir3start3r |
Idiocy on airlines isn't tolerated.
Why not just have a picture of the burning towers while he's at it....:rolleyes: |
|
|
| Lilith |
Well he was obviously out to take the piss having done it once before, get his 15minutes of fame and get about as close as most 55year old computer science guys will get to being a 'rebel'.
Probably write about it in his 'blog' when he gets home and have other like minded nut jobs throwing their moral outrage in about how 'the man' stopped them from going into a night club with sneakers on once. |
|
|
| Fir3start3r |
| quote: | Originally posted by Lilith
Well he was obviously out to take the piss having done it once before... |
That's the part that got me, hence 'idiocy'...
...and you're probably right!
Must be hard living in the body of an old man when you're really a cool anti-social teen rebel. :haha: |
|
|
| Lilith |
| True, just buy a convertible when the willie stops working and stop trying to save the rest of us from weird airline policies. :haha: |
|
|
| star-traveller |
I don't see you people defending the Freedom Of Speech here.
I recall seeing quite different opinions after Denmark's newspaper published Muhamed's cartoons. |
|
|
| MrSquirrel |
Freedom of Speech has no real bearing on this. An airplane is, in effect, a private club. The owners of that plane have the right to deny anyone for just about any reason they want. No matter how much people don't like it.
As a customer of an airline, you are agreeing to follow their rules. When I was young, you could not wear a t-shirt at all on most airlines. Most airlines have loosened their dress codes for paying customers.
MrS |
|
|
| star-traveller |
Hey, those 'private clubs' operates in a Democratic-like country, so they must obey its rules. If Australia allows people to express them self freely, they DON'T HAVE ANY RIGHT to forbid it.
Actially, I'm not suprised to see that kind of reaction at all. |
|
|
| DJ Shibby |
| quote: | Originally posted by star-traveller
I don't see you people defending the Freedom Of Speech here.
I recall seeing quite different opinions after Denmark's newspaper published Muhamed's cartoons. |
agreed... |
|
|
| Magnetonium |
EDIT: Sadly, the airline can do things like that, its their "private club", as some say. They can consider that a "threat" to security. Following the 9/11 attacks I've heard of funnier things people got kicked out of airplanes for.
All I can recommend is never use that airline again. And tell the guy to go around with his story. Maybe the airline will stop being political, and start putting customers in priority view. Airlines for good part are known for ty service, and poor treatment, especially since 9/11. |
|
|
|
|
