Posted on 01/22/2007 6:43:06 AM PST by blam
Flight ban for anti-Bush T-shirt
The T-shirt featuring President Bush could offend, Qantas says
A passenger barred from a Qantas airlines flight for wearing a T-shirt depicting US President George Bush as a terrorist has threatened legal action. Allen Jasson said he was sticking up for the principle of free speech by challenging the decision by the Australian flag carrier.
Mr Jasson was stopped as he was about to board the flight from Melbourne to London last Friday.
Qantas said the T-shirt had potential to offend other passengers.
The T-shift features an image of President George W Bush, along with the slogan "World's Number One Terrorist".
'Principle'
The 55-year-old computer specialist, who lives in London, had encountered difficulties with the same T-shirt on an earlier Qantas flight in December.
After clearing the international security checks at Melbourne Airport, he reportedly approached the gate manager to congratulate him on the company's new-found open-mindedness.
At that point, Mr Jasson was ordered to remove the T-shirt after being told it was a security threat and an item which might cause offence to other passengers.
He was offered the chance to board the flight wearing different clothing, but refused.
"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," he told Australian media.
A Qantas spokesman defended the airline's decision, saying: "Whether made verbally or on a T-shirt, comments with the potential to offend other customers or threaten the security of a Qantas group aircraft will not be tolerated".
If any of these idiots really were defending free speech instead of just trying to be the biggest punk they could possibly be, I might have more sympathy for them.
The average 5 year old has more maturity that this idiot.
That's what is funny: this man's utter inability to comprehend that Quantas wants to get him (and the other passengers) from point A to point B with a minimum of fuss.
People like this should be put on a permanent no-fly list, not because of the shirt, but because they cause all sorts of grief for passengers who simply want to get from Point A to Point B.
An airline flight is not the place to be making a political statement.
I wonder what this dweeb would think if someone boarded with a T-Shirt with Tony Blair's photo and "Limp-wristed Limey" printed on it.
And, what? The other passengers on-board wouldn't exercise their "right of free expression" and visit upon this idiot every invective allowed in a polite society?
Captive in a confined space with 200-400 other people? I would have provided him with a few choice insults me-own-self.
"he reportedly approached the gate manager to congratulate him on the company's new-found open-mindedness"
the idiot was looking for trouble...typical example of a smug lefty
They sell this crap at all overseas international aiports it seems.
Good on you, Quantas.
more about this human turd
http://www.observationdeck.org/weblogs/?p=2008
and his e-mail
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