Man kicked off flight for Bush-bashing T-shirt

Team Infidel

Team Infidel

Forum Spin Doctor
ya got to love the folks down under.. good for you... lol

CANBERRA, Jan 22 (Reuters Life!) - 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."
 
The boy obviously doesn't know when to hold `em and when to fold `em. He has a lot of hard knocks coming in his life if he determines to stand on his principles alone.
 
The airline has just as much right to refuse serevice as he has to his freedom of speech in my oppinion. He need to learn to pick his battles.
 
Fox said:
Thanks God. There won't be ending for US Patriotism.
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Umm it was Australians dealing with an Australian I really don't think there was any "US patriotism" involved I suspect they just didn't want to take the chance that some overly sensitive passenger on the aircraft may get violent about it.

To show how far they go I had to replace/cover a shirt that said "I support two teams, New Zealand and anyone playing Australia" on a flight to Australia because it might cause offense.
 
The Cooler King said:
Qantas. Qantas never crashed.
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Even an unblemished record couldn't get me onto a Qantas flight they rate on a par with Air New Zealand for crappy long haul service, I tend to stick with United as bulk rate carrier and where possible Singapore Airlines or Cathay Pacific.
 
It's just the Qantas way of saying that sociopaths are not welcome on their flights.

These people may certainly exercise their freedom of expression. But if someone else decides to exercise theirs by punching them on the nose they would get all defensive. "I didn't do nuthin', and this bloke just ups and tries to punch my light out"

This is not the behaviour we want on our aircraft.
 
MontyB said:
Umm it was Australians dealing with an Australian I really don't think there was any "US patriotism" involved I suspect they just didn't want to take the chance that some overly sensitive passenger on the aircraft may get violent about it.

To show how far they go I had to replace/cover a shirt that said "I support two teams, New Zealand and anyone playing Australia" on a flight to Australia because it might cause offense.
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OH! Duh...sorry. So, I'm glad to hear that Australia helps USA. Does Australia has a freedom of speech like US has?
 
"Free speech" is a pretty rubbery term. It's a bit like free education, it depends on your interpretation of "free".

The theory and the practice are often poles apart.
 
Team Infidel said:
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."
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Be interesting to see what would happen if someone was offended by a T-Shirt which was Pro-Bush, and then asked Qantas to have the person wearing it then remove the offending T-Shirt, or disembark the Aircraft.

True, the Aircraft is property of Qantas, but if they choose such a slippery slope, what would happen if people feel threatened by those of different Religious affiliations? I know people who would given the choice rather not to fly with Muslims being on the same Aircraft, suppose someone wore a crescent moon symbol on a T-Shirt?

What if there was a Muslim on the flight, without a crescent moon symbol T-Shirt, and someone had a T-Shirt....
osama20crosshairs.jpg

... like that, and the Muslim found such offensive?

Freedom is a messy business to be sure, and I do not know if Australia has an equal protection clause, and I do not know what the laws in Australia concerning discrimination and such are, but I'm sure the Court can sort everything out.
 
major liability said:
You guys have no respect for freedom of speech unless the message suits you. You disappoint me. :sorry:
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True "Freedom" is nothing more than Anarchy unless certain limitations are put in place..... Yeah.... I know, then it is no longer freedom. But if anyone thinks they know of a better system you'd better tell someone.

The brutal truth is that there is no such thing as freedom, if we wish to live in a reasonably sane world there must be rules.
 
I think you are all missing the point.

He was wearing a very tight T-shirt ;-) and very tight pink shorts ;-), bound for Sydney ;-), whilst sitting in Business Class when collar and trousers are standard dress requirements in Business.
 
Padre said:
I think you are all missing the point.

He was wearing a very tight T-shirt ;-) and very tight pink shorts ;-), bound for Sydney ;-), whilst sitting in Business Class when collar and trousers are standard dress requirements in Business.
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Surely you do not find tight pink clothes on a male desirable Padre....
 
major liability said:
Rules against criticizing a public figure? How exactly does that contribute to our safety and sanity?
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Because different people are liable to interpret and exercise their freedom of expression in various ways. In the case above it was judged by QANTAS as being likely to cause a possible breach of the peace and therefore not advisable on board an aircraft.

Show me a country where this is not the case in practice.

It is clearly stated on the back of all QANTAS tickets that they reserve the right to refuse service to any person that they deem to be unfit.

If you can't see the reasons for this, I suggest that you have a lot of growing up to do.
 
Sounds like Political Correctness run amok.
Qantas wanting to make sure no ones feelings get hurt on the Flight.
 
It's not feelings that matter it's just that blood stains are hard to remove from the furnishings. Also there are better places to hold a brawl than inside an aircraftand airlines do have to provide a duty of care. Quite simple really.
 
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