Posted on 08/30/2007 8:28:09 AM PDT by Froufrou
A woman who complained that some fellow passengers spoke Arabic and "had odd behavior" prevented a Chicago-bound American Airlines flight from departing San Diego, police said Wednesday.
Flight 590, scheduled to depart at 11 p.m. Tuesday, left its gate about 11:15 but returned to the boarding area after the woman, who was traveling with at least one child, indicated she wanted to get off the airplane. The flight then was unable to make Lindbergh Field's 11:30 p.m. curfew for departures, said Irene McCormack, a spokeswoman for the San Diego Harbor Police.
The flight, carrying 126 passengers, was rescheduled for midmorning Wednesday and arrived in Chicago in the afternoon, an American Airlines spokesman said.
McCormack said it is unusual for planes to return to the gate. She said it's usually for medical and mechanical problems or a disturbance.
The woman first complained to the flight crew that four to seven men were possibly speaking Arabic in the boarding area. The woman added that they "had odd behavior." The crew decided to return to the boarding area because the woman indicated she wanted off the plane.
The American Airlines spokesman indicated the plane returned to its gates because of a dispute between passengers. The spokesman didn't provide details on the dispute.
A Transportation Security Administration spokeswoman said it returned because of "suspicious activity on board the plane."
Ahmed Rehab, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Chicago, was upset about the airline's actions. He said television reporters told him that six Iraqi Americans were detained after a passenger became uncomfortable with the men speaking Arabic.
"It is one thing to flag suspicious behavior, but to flag a global language? We are deplaning people for who they are, not what they do," Rehab said.
The Associated Press reported Defense Training Systems had hired the men to train U.S. Marines at Camp Pendleton in California.
McCormack said no one was detained in the incident.
FRiend,
I’m not sure what the offense was on #61. I did use the word moron earlier, but that was in reference to myself as I posted something without reading the last sentence in the article.
I live near detroit, epicenter of the Muslim culture in the US, so I’m fully aware of these issues. Personally, they should grow a thicker skin and start expecting incidents like this. It wasn’t them, but it was people from their culture who perpetrate the vast majority of terrorist incidents in the world.
I’d be happy with a nationwide ban on middle eastern travelers from Sept 1 to Sep 15, given a date is approaching with extra special meaning. Need to travel? Go Greyhound.
How long have you been traveling to a foreign business meeting without "learning the language?" I travel to Latin America, I speak Spanish. I travel to France I speak French.
My son travels to Korea, he speaks Korean.
Educationally challenged?
Thanks for that dhim talking point.
“It’s also not unreasonable to assume they cannot speak english...isn’t it?”
Actually, it is.
Their job is to train U.S. marines...presumably most of whom do not speak arabic. Also, we are told these men were Iraqi-Americans...live in the U.S....better than good chance they know English.
Can I please borrow your “talking points Arabic handbook” when you’re finished with it?
(this is turning into a funny day!)
Thanks!
Rehab, you need rehab.
God has given each one of us the desire for self-preservation. Part of that gift involves distrusting people who are different. People who are different are assumed to be a threat until some other action resolves the issue. The ability to profile is something we are born with. It is liberals and an environment of political correctness that wants us to ignore what god has told us to beware of.
The actions of the woman to provide the safest environment for her child were perfectly correct.
May I save that and use it for future reference? That was so spot on!
MJ
Your post reminds me of the Seinfeld episode where Elaine goes to a Korean nail salon and is convinced the staff is insulting her behind her back in Korean. Elaine then brings George’s dad to the salon (he speaks Korean) where he is reunited with his Korean sweetheart from his Korean War days....hilarious. BTW, they were insulting Elaine, lol.
“The land of the Brave is useless if combined by the “Land of the Ignorant”... Just saying.”
Great line.
I have a Nokia cell phone I bought in Dubai. It has Arabic letters on the keys. Maybe I should just go turn myself in to Gitmo right now.
Perhaps DTS will tell all future Iraqis to speak English while at the airport.
Speaking arabic at an airport will join other questionable behavior like you saying hello to your friend, Jack using the informal vernacular or rating a really bad movie by using a certain term.
I was using Arabic numerals the other day. Should I be worried?
However, the most likely explanation is that these guys have different levels of proficiency in English, so the easiest and best understood way to communicate is in their native language. Americans do it all the time in other countries, even Americans who are proficient in the other language.
I can relate to that... but on the opposite side of the spectrum... here in Japan, foreigners are looked down upon (not by all, but by many) for speaking “such a pure language that foreigners can`t comprehend what is meant, not what is said”(Japanese, of course).... not that I agree... I get amusement speaking Japanese to them... it puts them in shock/nightmare mode.. ;)
It is quite apparent by your post that you have not been properly indoctrinated yet in the school of fear the government has been building for the last few years. I recommend you spend more time watching Fox News. Then you may have a better understanding of what 'suspicious behavior' is.
My art teacher once had us use something called “gum arabic.” Should I maybe follow up on this?
I would assume that a language spoken by at least 1/5 of the world's population would be considered global. Just as I would consider Chinese and German global languages
I didn't know the whole world spoke it?
This may come as a surprise to you but the whole world doesn't speak 'Murican either. Is it now a prerequisite to get on a plane that you have to speak 'Murican? Any certain dialect? You know them Frenchies speak it with an accent...
Good for the woman.
Yeah good for her. She caused 126 people to be late to Chicago because she's been watching too much TV. Good for her.
There are an estimated 10.5 million native Arabic speakers in the United States, and these were apparently some of them. I really don’t think the events of 6 years ago are going to be repeated, not only have airline procedures changed, passengers are much more likely to sacrafice themselves than in the past. I have flown a lot both in the US and overseas, and you see a wide range of folks. I sat next to a guy coming home from Hong Kong one time that could have been Osama’s brother, I helped him fill out his entry papers; he was a Pakistani turkey farmer that was going to visit his brother’s turkey farm in Fresno and was a pretty nice guy. Try flying Emirates some time - it would make this woman’s head explode - half the people on the plane are (gasp) Arab, including the flight crew. I can’t go through life afraid of the boogie man.
Only an ignoramus would extrapolate personal limitations as universal.
I speak enough languages to assert that, yes, quite often they are!
Usually harmless enough, but nevertheless...
To the woman who complained: Good job! Better safe than sorry.
The religion of peaceniks should be banned from flying in groups larger than 2’s.
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