Man kicked off flight for anti-Bush T-shirt

SuzannePjam

At least he wasn't breast feeding.

Australian kicked off flight for anti-Bush T-shirt

Airline staff takes issue over message calling president ‘number 1 terrorist’

CANBERRA, Australia - An airline passenger barred from a flight for wearing a T-shirt labeling President Bush a terrorist has threatened legal action against Australia’s flag carrier Qantas.

Allen Jasson, 55, an Australian IT expert who lives in Britain, was stopped from boarding a London-bound Qantas flight at Melbourne Airport last Friday for wearing what the airline said was an offensive T-shirt.

Airline staff said the T-shirt of Bush with the tagline “World’s number 1 terrorist” could have upset other passengers and demanded it be changed for another.

But Jasson, who had earlier traveled on a Qantas domestic flight wearing the Bush T-shirt, said his right to freedom of speech had been infringed by Qantas.

“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,” Jasson told Australian media on Monday, adding he would seek legal advice.

Qantas issued a statement saying comments made verbally or on a T-shirt which had the potential to offend other travelers or threaten the security of aircraft “will not be tolerated.”

know1

How sad that people do not realize that free speech doesn't exist in private industry. An airline can remove you for whatever reason it wants to.

norm

Hey Qantas, do you think a terrorist would advertise that he is a terrorist?

jlew24asu

know1 wrote:

How sad that people do not realize that free speech doesn't exist in private industry. An airline can remove you for whatever reason it wants to.

i'm glad im not the only one who realizes this

SPEEDY MCCREADY

"i would rather stand up for the principle of free speech"

oh shut the fuck up.........

chopitdown

freedom to do something doesn't nec mean you won't have consequences to those actions. Sometimes a little common sense and courtesy should be employed by people in the exercising of their freedom.

jlew24asu

chopitdown wrote:

freedom to do something doesn't nec mean you won't have consequences to those actions. Sometimes a little common sense and courtesy should be employed by people in the exercising of their freedom.

another excellent comment. with freedom comes responsibility.

mammasan

know1 wrote:

How sad that people do not realize that free speech doesn't exist in private industry. An airline can remove you for whatever reason it wants to.

While that may be true, this is one stupid reason to remove someone from a plane.

small town beck

cutback wrote:

Hey Qantas, do you think a terrorist would advertise that he is a terrorist?

hahaha

So does that mean the next time I take a flight and somebody is wearing a Celine Dion tshirt or a Toby Keith one that they should be kicked off because I find that offensive :rolleyes: I mean sure I do find it offensive but if they want to wear that kind of crap who I am to say????

I do get that though free speech isn't related to an airline as it is private but it does seem more than a bit absurd to kick him off for that.

chopitdown

small town beck wrote:

I do get that though free speech isn't related to an airline as it is private but it does seem more than a bit absurd to kick him off for that.

to me it seems more absurd to not put a shirt on over it and get on the plane.

blackredyellow

know1 wrote:

How sad that people do not realize that free speech doesn't exist in private industry. An airline can remove you for whatever reason it wants to.

Not whatever reason... they can't remove you because of race, ethnicity, religion, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status or political affiliation.

That being said, this guy is out of luck.... I don't agree with him being removed, but I doubt that he has any legal recourse (at least he wouldn't in the US).

chopitdown

jlew24asu wrote:

another excellent comment. with freedom comes responsibility.

shhhhh...we don't like responsibility. We'd just rather act a certain way and have others adapt to it b/c it's our freedom to act a certain way.

SPEEDY MCCREADY

chopitdown wrote:

to me it seems more absurd to not put a shirt on over it and get on the plane.

not putting on another shirt...

makes this guy a complete moron.........

chopitdown

SPEEDY MCCREADY wrote:

not putting on another shirt...

makes this guy a complete moron.........

i concur

know1

mammasan wrote:

While that may be true, this is one stupid reason to remove someone from a plane.

I won't disagree with that.

know1

blackredyellow wrote:

Not whatever reason... they can't remove you because of race, ethnicity, religion, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status or political affiliation.

That being said, this guy is out of luck.... I don't agree with him being removed, but I doubt that he has any legal recourse (at least he wouldn't in the US).

Good point. I guess what I'm saying is I don't feel they even have to GIVE a reason.

small town beck

chopitdown wrote:

to me it seems more absurd to not put a shirt on over it and get on the plane.

I still find it absurd that you would be escorted off the plane for that, what if it were a pro-Bush shirt? Praising all of the death and destruction in Iraq? I guess it all depends on your perspective. It is interesting for certain to see how people react differently to such things. Very few things today wouldn't offend someone. Some people are just looking for something to offend them :rolleyes:

Collin

Think it's ridiculous. I think it's ridiculous they kicked him off and I think it's ridiculous he didn't put on another shirt.

blackredyellow

small town beck wrote:

I still find it absurd that you would be escorted off the plane for that, what if it were a pro-Bush shirt? Praising all of the death and destruction in Iraq? I guess it all depends on your perspective. It is interesting for certain to see how people react differently to such things. Very few things today wouldn't offend someone. Some people are just looking for something to offend them :rolleyes:

Yes, I agree it is absurd to be kicked off for something that may offend other passengers. Unless it's something obscene, you should be allowed to wear it.

I guess as a passenger it comes down to what is more important... getting to where you are heading or making a statement (that won't change anything) with your shirt. If I am going to the airport, I'd be more worried about getting to where I'm going.

chopitdown

small town beck wrote:

I still find it absurd that you would be escorted off the plane for that, what if it were a pro-Bush shirt? Praising all of the death and destruction in Iraq? I guess it all depends on your perspective. It is interesting for certain to see how people react differently to such things. Very few things today wouldn't offend someone. Some people are just looking for something to offend them :rolleyes:

and some people are looking for ways to offend. If it was pro-bush shirt that praised the death and destruction in iraq i hope he would take it off too. People shouldn't praise death and destruction.

jlew24asu

chopitdown wrote:

and some people are looking for ways to offend. If it was pro-bush shirt that praised the death and destruction in iraq i hope he would take it off too. People shouldn't praise death and destruction.

I was somewhat confused about his comment. being pro bush is one thing. but wearing a tee-shirt that praises death and destruction is another. I wouldnt want someone wearing that tee shirt either as I got on a plane.