Re: 6 Muslims sue US Airways
I am all for security. how is asking for belt extenders or sitting in different areas or taking over other empty seats provocative behavior. ppl do it all the time.
You read some versions of what happened and I read others. What actually happened is not known for a fact atleast publicly. There are only competinng depositions and news reports. Therefore I will go by what the airline says, because it is a security matter and I will give them the benefit of the doubt and say that the airline acted in the best interests of my safety as a passenger. This is not a civil rights matter, it is a security matter given the potential security threats to civilian populations. The airline says that it denied them seats based on security issues, never mind what the FBI said. If it had been a blatant profiling issue in such a high profile case, the government would have come down hard on the airline. This has not happened.
It is not upto me to detemine if asking for seat belt extenders, boarding out of turn etc is a security threat in itself. If I see it as one, I will mention it. If I were to see passengers behaving in ANY manner that I think is a potential danger to me I will report them. The airline can take the matter further as they see fit. If I am still not satisfied, with thier response I can choose not to fly with that airline.
I liken it to being on a neighbourhood watch. If I see suspicious persons loitering around, I will call the police. I have no proof that these persons are just taking a walk or actually casing out my and other houses. It is upto the security agency to determine what to do further. Thier decision will be based on thier expert knowledge. I give the airline my hard earned money for thier expertise in securely transporting me from A to B.
Frankly as a business owner myself, I understand why the airline did not want them to board the next day. Too much controversy and too much bad publicity. Too much unnesscary scrutiny. The airline was in its rights to deny them service as a security and business problem.
Why is my life and that of others, held hostage only to others protestations of civil rights?