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This was unfortunate, but I don't blame AirTran or any other carrier responsible for peoples safety. I blame Osama bin Laden and his terrorist regime. It was their actions that sentenced the worldwide Muslim community to this type of treatment.
5 adults, 3 children, obviously Muslim, get on a plane.
A remark is made about their seats (safer in the back, middle, whatnot)
Someone gets nervous, informs flight staff, pilot kicks them off.
I just read about 6 articles on this situation. It really didn't sound as if the conversation was all that suspicious. But I guess, if you're Muslim, you open your mouth on a plane and say anything, you become a target. It is sad the fear that is out there, and the fact that people are so fearful that they allow the fear to take over logic. I'd really like to hear from the passengers of the plane, those that heard the comments, to see if they all felt nervous or just a couple of them. But if someone is nervous, they say something, the ball gets rolling I can see how it can happen.
The problem for me though, is what happened after the family was taken off the plane.
Air Tran had Federal Martials remove them and detain them for the FBI. Fine.
The FBI clears them.
Does Air Tran put them on the next flight?
NO. They refund their money and say have a nice day, that they cannot travel Air Tran. Why? That is DISCRIMINATION. PLAIN AND SIMPLE. Discrimination. Why, after the FBI cleared them, did they not allow them a ticket on another flight?
Does a bus driver have the right to refuse passage to a person based on looks, religion, or any factor he or she chooses? Can a restaurant choose not to serve someone because they are Jewish? It's just wrong.
Once the FBI cleared them, they had to find another flight, and went on US Airways.
Imagine how humiliating that was for them. They get kicked off and aren't allowed to get on another flight. Now one of them is contemplating a law suit, and I don't blame him. Not because they were asked to deplane, but because they were not re-booked. It's discrimination.
The reason I looked this up on the internet is because I just caught it on CNN. I was shocked, because one of the men and one of the women looked familiar!!!
And it turns out, I met them and kind of knew the wife a little, because our husbands went to the same school. When I saw them on tv, I said to myself, that looks like Kashif and Inayet. I looked it up on the net, and low and behold it is them. I haven't seen them for about 9 years. But I can tell you that they were very nice people. Inayet was one of the sweetest people I have met, and that is not an exaggeration. She introduced me to everyone around, all the spouses of the students, so I wouldn't feel alone, and made it a point to invite me on one of the spouse's excursions because she thought I would enjoy it and wanted to get me involved (her husband was several semesters ahead of mine, so they left shortly after we arrived) Anyway, I have nothing but nice things to say about them. I am sorry this happened to them.
The thing that bothers me, too, is that people who are just afraid due to prejudice and ignorance can really cause trouble for innocent people. It's just sad that it's come to this.
It really is sad that everyone is so paranoid due to one's background. Had it been a white family, or Japanese and the same words were said nobody would have even gave it a second thought. I think they said what some of us think all the time. I sit near the back of plane because I feel it's the safest if the plane goes down. And I have seen previous accidents where the rear of the plane was intact. However silly it just makes me feel better.
While Americans are being paranoid for all the wrong reasons the real terrorist will slip right by. Nobody could look at these two men and see that they were Dr's and Lawyers and grew up here in the states. All they could see is that they were Muslim! Sad.
It really is sad that everyone is so paranoid due to one's background. Had it been a white family, or Japanese and the same words were said nobody would have even gave it a second thought. I think they said what some of us think all the time. I sit near the back of plane because I feel it's the safest if the plane goes down. And I have seen previous accidents where the rear of the plane was intact. However silly it just makes me feel better.
While Americans are being paranoid for all the wrong reasons the real terrorist will slip right by. Nobody could look at these two men and see that they were Dr's and Lawyers and grew up here in the states. All they could see is that they were Muslim! Sad.
You are absolutely right.
This is what makes me nervous about security at the airport in general. While we are all standing there in the security line, with our zip loc baggies of 3 oz. of hand sanitizer, carrying our shoes, real terrorists could be right next to us with a new plan that has not even been dreamt of by the TSA. It is scary.
I'm more disappointed in the Pilot and as far as I am concerned Airtran sucks! The Pilot should have been professional enough to go to the family and apologize after they were cleared and made them feel welcome to fly on his plane. He should have made sure they got comped for a future flight. I fly SWA!!
I know, it is understandable that the pilot should not fly if he doesn't feel safe, but when the FBI tells you it is a misunderstanding how is it legal for the pilot to say, OH, well, they are not getting on my plane, or for the airline not to put them on another flight?
I am just shocked by the blatant discrimination that occurred AFTER the passengers in question were cleared.
I would love to hear from other passengers on the plane, but i haven't found any quotes from other passengers.
I'd also like to hear from the two young girls that reported them. I hope sure that someone interviewed them to be sure they were really "scared" and not just stirring up trouble for an entire planeful of people.
I have never flown AirTran but I just heard that they don't use assigned seating? Is this true? If so, that explains a bit more why someone would be talking about the safest place to sit on a plane, because you might be discussing where you want to sit once you get on the plane, especially if a week and a half before there was an incident with another plane (denver)
This reminds me of when I was a young musician travelling around Europe in a beaten-up VW camper van. We were a bunch of scruffy kids in a brightly-coloured vehicle - so to the authorities we were OBVIOUSLY big drug smugglers, and therefore got stopped and searched at every border.... whilst the suits in their Mercedes-Benz were waved through.
It is just that they are "visibly Muslim". Very silly. There are Muslims that look more like American movie icons such as Steve McQueen and John Wayne. They would have no problems.
This trend is not good. There's also the new requirement for citizens or nationals of the VISA waiver program having to seek approval prior to traveling to USA. DHS: ESTA Authorization Required for All Visa Waiver Program Countries Beginning January 12 (http://www.dhs.gov/xnews/releases/pr_1226611203693.shtm - broken link)
Saw on CNN ticker today that Airtran has apologized, offered all nine refunds and free travel vouchers.
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