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.
Okay, pre-boarding notice would have been nice. I pay more attention to my bags when I travel than to other people. They used to ask if anyone was after your bags or wanted you to take theirs [as if!]
But I’d rather inconveniece 200 people than apologize for not doing so as the plane goes down.
You people act like airplanes are getting hijacked out of the sky left and right! Prior to 9/11 there have only been two notable hijackings of airplanes taking off from US airports: D.B. Cooper in 1971 and a Serbian national in 1979. Since 9/11 we have had no hijackings.
Statistically, you probably have a better chance of getting hit in the head with a meteor from space than being on a hijacked airplane taking off from US soil.
But let's just keep on being paranoid and inconveniencing other travelers because certain passengers appear to act suspicious. Too bad all those people missed their connecting flights and hotel reservations but we'd sure rather be safe than sorry!
Reminds me of a certain woman in a recent article that I read that went around following any Middle Eastern man she could find, taking notes and threatening them when they asked others for directions.
You have a Las Vegas mentality: “what are the odds?”
I hope we are never on a plane together. I dislike flying enough as it is.
Okay, that’s just ridiculous. We weren’t there, we don’t know what ‘odd behavior’ she refers to, and we haven’t heard any complaints from other passengers.
But thank you for pointing out that there are people more paranoid out there than this woman!
The lady did not have this information.
My odds are about 99.999999% that my flight is NOT going to be hijacked. I can live with those odds.
I also like to make my connecting flights which will be less and less likely if we allow hysterical people to ground aircraft every time 2 or more Arabs board the plane.
You said in post 33, and I quote:
“It’s also not unreasonable to assume they cannot speak english...isn’t it?
“When I and my business associates fly on foreign aircraft, in foreign countries, should we just not communicate with each other because we can’t speak the language?”
I answered in post 125:
“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.”
You were attempting to state that these individuals didn’t know English...looks like you’ve agreed with my conclusion that they did.
MJ,
This is a public board. What gets posted can be used by anyone.
Be my guest. I am a firm believer in profiling.
It is one of our defense mechanisms.
You know, the whole thing about making your connections is kinda moot, since the news has run so many stories about airlines NOT making their schedules.
Unless you fly my favorite: Southwest.
Nah... Lufthansa. They bumped me to First Class and fed me free beer all the way across the Atlantic. Why? I have no idea.
And FWIW, I've yet to miss a connecting flight. I have had to sprint pretty fast through the terminal a few times though!
They are used as aggressors in MOUT training stateside prior to deployment. You know,...the same way the US used SS and former Gestapo to train GIs before they landed at D-Day,....uh,...I think they did,...didn’t they??????
Go figure. (Psst, there are more of them here than many realize, and everybody is told they are good guys,...go figure,...again and again.)
Deep. Very deep, persuasive, thoughtful and knowledgeable. A credit to the clemenza clan.
Kudos!
And they wouldn't be doing that until they were in the air and it would be too late. Sure, the folks on Flight 93 fought back, but they died anyway.
If they don't like that someone objects to suspicious behavior, and no one can say it wasn't without knowing more details, they only have their religion to blame. They should do something about it themselves, rather than condoning the behavior by maintaining their silence.
When muslims themselves start making an effort to pull the *radical* ones in line themselves, then people would be less concerned with *suspicious* behavior.
In the meantime, you're solution in dealing with this lady is reprehensible. Is that your answer to everyone who behaves in a way YOU don't like?
Too stupid for words. I take it you’ve never traveled in your life. International travel often involves getting on many foreign carriers. Likewise, when passing through here, foreign travelers often board American planes.
You just don't know when to quit do you? I have $50 that says you wouldn't know the difference between a Middle Eastern language and an Asian language such as Hindi or Nepali. That's ok though, those people LOOK middle eastern too, so they deserve what they get.
OK
.
Dumb statements like this only bolster BOR's claim that FR is a hate sight. Way to go and thanks for your help!!!
I've been to Canada, the English speaking parts. It was nice. Someday I would like to go there again.
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