Talk about Racism

[HellOnEarth]

Passengers refuse to allow holiday jet to take off until two Asian men are thrown off plane

By CHRISTOPHER LEAKE and ANDREW CHAPMAN 12:08pm 20th August 2006

British holidaymakers staged an unprecedented mutiny - refusing to allow their flight to take off until two men they feared were terrorists were forcibly removed.

The extraordinary scenes happened after some of the 150 passengers on a Malaga-Manchester flight overheard two men of Asian appearance apparently talking Arabic.

Passengers told cabin crew they feared for their safety and demanded police action. Some stormed off the Monarch Airlines Airbus A320 minutes before it was due to leave the Costa del Sol at 3am. Others waiting for Flight ZB 613 in the departure lounge refused to board it.

The incident fuels the row over airport security following the arrest of more than 20 people allegedly planning the suicide-bombing of transatlantic jets from the UK to America. It comes amid growing demands for passenger-profiling and selective security checks.

It also raised fears that more travellers will take the law into their own hands - effectively conducting their own 'passenger profiles'.

The passenger revolt came as Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary was accused of using the terror crisis to make money. Government sources say he boasted to an official at the Transport Department: "Every time I appear on TV, I get a spike in sales."

The Tories said the Government's failure to reassure travellers had led the Malaga passengers to 'behave irrationally' and 'hand a victory to terrorists'.

Websites used by pilots and cabin crew were yesterday reporting further incidents. In one, two British women with young children on another flight from Spain complained about flying with a bearded Muslim even though he had been security-checked twice before boarding.

The trouble in Malaga flared last Wednesday as two British citizens in their 20s waited in the departure lounge to board the pre-dawn flight and were heard talking what passengers took to be Arabic. Worries spread after a female passenger said she had heard something that alarmed her.

Passengers noticed that, despite the heat, the pair were wearing leather jackets and thick jumpers and were regularly checking their watches.

Initially, six passengers refused to board the flight. On board the aircraft, word reached one family. To the astonishment of cabin crew, they stood up and walked off, followed quickly by others.

The Monarch pilot - a highly experienced captain - accompanied by armed Civil Guard police and airport security staff, approached the two men and took their passports.

Half an hour later, police returned and escorted the two Asian passengers off the jet.

'There was no fuss or panic'

Soon afterwards, the aircraft was cleared while police did a thorough security sweep. Nothing was found and the plane took off - three hours late and without the two men on board.

Monarch arranged for them to spend the rest of the night in an airport hotel and flew them back to Manchester later on Wednesday.

College lecturer Jo Schofield, her husband Heath and daughters Emily, 15, and Isabel, 12, were caught up in the passenger mutiny.

Mrs Schofield, 38, said: "The plane was not yet full and it became apparent that people were refusing to board. In the gate waiting area, people had been talking about these two, who looked really suspicious with their heavy clothing, scruffy, rough, appearance and long hair.

"Some of the older children, who had seen the terror alert on television, were starting to mutter things like, 'Those two look like they're bombers.'

"Then a family stood up and walked off the aircraft. They were joined by others, about eight in all. We learned later that six or seven people had refused to get on the plane.

"There was no fuss or panic. People just calmly and quietly got off the plane. There were no racist taunts or any remarks directed at the men.

"It was an eerie scene, very quiet. The children were starting to ask what was going on. We tried to play it down."

Mr Schofield, 40, an area sales manager, said: "When the men were taken off they didn't argue or say a word. They just picked up their coats and obeyed the police. They seemed resigned to the fact they were under suspicion.

"The captain and crew were very apologetic when we were asked to evacuate the plane for the security search. But there was no dissent.

"While we were waiting, everyone agreed the men looked dodgy. Some passengers were very panicky and in tears. There was a lot of talking about terrorists."

Patrick Mercer, the Tory Homeland Security spokesman, said last night: "This is a victory for terrorists. These people on the flight have been terrorised into behaving irrationally.

"For those unfortunate two men to be victimised because of the colour of their skin is just nonsense."

Monarch said last night: "The captain was concerned about the security surrounding the two gentlemen on the aircraft and the decision was taken to remove them from the flight for further security checks.

"The two passengers offloaded from the flight were later cleared by airport security and rebooked to travel back to Manchester on a later flight."

A spokesman for the Civil Guard in Malaga said: "These men had aroused suspicion because of their appearance and the fact that they were speaking in a foreign language thought to be an Arabic language, and the pilot was refusing to take off until they were escorted off the plane."

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=401419&in_page_id=1770

Another score for the terrorists...

 

[Carter]

In summer of '02, I was coming back from California and there were a couple of Arab guys on my flight. One of which was seated right next to me. He started acting pretty strangely at one point during the flight and jumped up abruptly and went to the bathroom.
So I followed him. Don't know what I thought I could possibly do while he was in the can, but w/e

I guess I was being racist. Oh wells

 

[JokerNick]

I call myself a cracker

 

[Mr Sparkle]

"These men had aroused suspicion because of their appearance and the fact that they were speaking in a foreign language thought to be an Arabic language, and the pilot was refusing to take off until they were escorted off the plane."


LOL

 

[Darthphere]

Thats ****ing pathetic. "OMG, that mexican was talking mexican, hes an illegal immigrant, get him off the plane!"

 

[Wilhelm-Scream]

Racism is to this week as Homosexuality was to the week Lance Bass came out.

 

[Mr Sparkle]

talk about.....racism

 

[Leto Atrides]

Racism is to this week as Homosexuality was to the week Lance Bass came out.

This, the Youtube one, the Racial Bias thread, what the hell is going on?

 

[Mr Sparkle]

This, the Youtube one, the Racial Bias thread, what the hell is going on?

blah...so what? at least it's better some other days when it's boring as hell

 

[Darthphere]

I love this line:

"The captain and crew were very apologetic when we were asked to evacuate the plane for the security search. But there was no dissent.

No ****. Since it was your freaking irrationality that caused the whole thing.


Id sue if I were those two guys.

 

[MrScissorhands]

That's just sad... and pretty scary.

 

[kainedamo]

What's ironic about this, and I don't wanna sound like a conspiracy nut or anything, but I'm pretty sure this is what the government wants.

I've noticed a change in the media. And for awhile now Blair has been speaking more and more like Bush.

They want the public to be afraid. And they're succeeding.

It's a propeganda war. The aim is for people to justify in their minds that a war on Iran and other nations is a good thing, even if it's totally irrational.



How would you react to someone being a racist prick on a plane? I'd like to think that I'd speak out.

 

[Darthphere]

What's ironic about this, and I don't wanna sound like a conspiracy nut or anything, but I'm pretty sure this is what the government wants.

I've noticed a change in the media. And for awhile now Blair has been speaking more and more like Bush.

They want the public to be afraid. And they're succeeding.

It's a propeganda war. The aim is for people to justify in their minds that a war on Iran and other nations is a good thing, even if it's totally irrational.



How would you react to someone being a racist prick on a plane? I'd like to think that I'd speak out.

Yeah, whether or not its the government's or the terrorists agenda, theyve won. People are paranoid and afraid and pretty much this is going to happen more and more.

 

[Duende Verde]

Racism is to this week as Homosexuality was to the week Lance Bass came out.

Racism is the new gay.

 

[kainedamo]

In summer of '02, I was coming back from California and there were a couple of Arab guys on my flight. One of which was seated right next to me. He started acting pretty strangely at one point during the flight and jumped up abruptly and went to the bathroom.
So I followed him. Don't know what I thought I could possibly do while he was in the can, but w/e

I guess I was being racist. Oh wells

Yeah.

If I noticed someone being uncomfortable on a plane 'cause a Muslim guy was on it, the uncomfortable person would be the person I'd keep my eye on.

 

[Carter]

Yeah.

If I noticed someone being uncomfortable on a plane 'cause a Muslim guy was on it, the uncomfortable person would be the person I'd keep my eye on.

Er, yay for you

 

[kainedamo]

Er, yay for you. I think you're amazing and hot!

I know. I'm pretty great.

 

[Carter]

I know. I'm pretty great.

Not really

 

[kainedamo]

OTFWADLOLWAC!!!!!

Who the hell did that?? Seriously. Did you do that Carter? It's the first time I've seen that.

 

[Carter]

Er, I dunno who did it

 

[kainedamo]

Where did you first see it?

 

[Carter]

Somewhere in the "Once and for all" thread
Don't remember which page

 

[Mr Sparkle]

Racism is the new gay.

is that like "racism is teh gay"?

 

[kainedamo]

Somewhere in the "Once and for all" thread
Don't remember which page

I can't find the thread, you have a link?

 

[Carter]

no.


Wait, it mighta been in the Gamma Lounge now that I think about it.
But I don't remember which page