Binman's(garbage Collector) St George bandana 'is racist'

The Telegraph ^ | 22 JULY 2007 | Nigel Bunyan

[radar101]

A black dustman has been banned from wearing a St George's Cross bandana because council officials say it could be regarded as racist.

ST GEORGE'S CROSS

Matthew Carter, 35, who was born in Barbados, used the headgear to keep his dreadlocks out of the way while he was on his rounds in Burnley, Lancs. He had done so for seven months before his photograph appeared in a local newspaper. A number of local people complained, and his superiors called him.

"I received a verbal warning," Mr Carter said yesterday. "They told me the St George's Cross was not allowed to be seen on any clothing we wear because it could be considered offensive and racist."

advertisementIan McInery, the operational services manager for Pendle council, defended the decision to discipline Mr Carter. He said: "We have made it clear to staff that they are not allowed to put stickers or flags on bin wagons or wear clothing which shows support for a particular team, group or country.

"We can't make one rule for one person and one for another. It's just a common-sense approach that we are sticking to."

Mr Carter still wears a bandana but one that bears the image of a skull and crossbones.

[lesser_satan]

Would they ban a Muzzy from wearing a crescent? I rather doubt it.

[Tax-chick]

"We have made it clear to staff that they are not allowed to put stickers or flags on bin wagons or wear clothing which shows support for a particular team, group or country.

That is really dumb.

If trash collectors here couldn't wear NASCAR gear, we'd have rubbish up to the rooftops :-).

[socialismisinsidious]

Mr Carter still wears a bandana but one that bears the image of a skull and crossbones.

Love Mr Carter's sense of humor.....it shows how far liberals have their heads up their butts. A cross is offensive but an symbol warning of death is fine.

[Tex Pete]

Guess I don’t remember which one of the Gospels it was where Jesus stated He was only dying for certain races.

Which races were they, so I’ll know which races should be offended?

[3AngelaD]

They can’t even support their own country in their own country. Does this mean all the St. George’s churches have to be torn down. What a gigantic bunch of crap.

[MarkL]

How in the world could that be considered to be "racist?" I'm convinced that %99.9998341 of the people who use that word don't have the "foggiest" idea of what it means... Speaking of "Foggy," take a look at the windscreen...

Mark

[John Jorsett]

Would they ban a Muzzy from wearing a crescent? I rather doubt it.

He ought to try it. If his supervisors banned it, they'd probably get their houses burned down by some of the more hotheaded practitioners of the Religion of Peace.

[Wil H]

The irony of this little story is that the PC Morons who came up with this edict are based in Nelson, Lancs..

Nelson?

There’s a name to piss off the the Spaniards and the French!

[Jabba the Nutt]

Mr Carter still wears a bandana but one that bears the image of a skull and crossbones.

Being from Barbodos, he could have real pirate in his blood.

[Oztrich Boy]

Would they ban a Muzzy from wearing a crescent? I rather doubt it.

Actually the analogy would be a Muslim waering a Star of David

[scrabblehack]

Is Matthew Carter not a Christian?

The article doesn’t give his reason for wanting to wear the St. George’s cross....it could be out of respect for England...You Brits out there, is this considered respectful?

[Oztrich Boy]

The article doesn’t give his reason for wanting to wear the St. George’s cross....it could be out of respect for England..

That would be my assumption. However in the PC multicultural world, expressing respect for England by wearing the St George's Cross is taken as being exclusionary to the many citizens of Airstrip One who do not feel English, having come from Ireland, India, Pakistan, Iran, Angola, Somalia, and ...er... Barbados.