Are you planning to fly the unfriendly skies to attend the upcoming rally in DC to express your opposition to the Iraq war? If so, you should keep your protest shirts and other clothing with your political opinions well hidden in your checked luggage. Remember that you exercise your privilege to fly at the pleasure of our president and the vile gnomes that support him.
The latest victim of the flight fashion police is being widely reported in the British and Australian press. It seems an Australian citizen working in the UK was recently prevented from flying on two flights after going through the security screening for wearing a t-shirt that called Bush a terrorist. Quantas and Virgin Blue did not take kindly to someone jeopardizing air traffic safety by insulting our war criminal president. It is nice to see these foreign airlines stand up for freedom and do their small part to fight the “global war on terrorism.”
The details of this recent potential threat(along with a picture of the offender and his offensive shirt):
Allen Jasson today said he was defending freedom of speech through his insistence on wearing the t-shirt.
Mr Jasson, 55, an IT specialist living in London, is staying with his daughter in Melbourne after he was refused entry to the flight to London at Melbourne Airport on Friday.
Airline staff argued the t-shirt, which bears an image of the US president with the slogan 'World's number 1 terrorist', was a security risk or an item likely to upset passengers.
He was offered the chance to board the flight wearing different clothing, but refused.
The formal statement from Quantas summarize their concerns about clothing as terrorist tools.
"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".
Since the shirt was not loaded with explosives and did not have a razor blade hidden in the label, one can only assume the operative principle is that any left-leaning political sentiment might offend right-wing idiots. I wonder how far the thin-skinned policy might extend. Maybe all clothing containing political references and slogans should be banned as security risks or threats to the sensitivity of the small-minded. Why stop there? Can I object if someone is wearing a logo of the wrong sports team, college, or multinational media organization?
An update on the BBC siteindicates that Mr. Jasson has decided to take legal action against the airline.
It is nice to know that this kind of abuse cannot happen here in the home of free and land of the brave.
From October of 2005:
NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Southwest Airlines kicked a woman off one of its flights over a political message on her T-shirt, the airline confirmed Thursday, and published reports say the passenger will sue.
Lorrie Heasley, of Woodland, Wash., was asked to leave her flight from Los Angeles to Portland, Ore., Tuesday for wearing a T-shirt with pictures of President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and a phrase similar to the popular film title "Meet the Fockers."
The airline was quick to point out it was the not the political content that was the problem, it was the F-word. According to Southwest Air spokeswoman Marilee McInnis:
The airline's contract with the Federal Aviation Administration contains rules that say the airline will deny boarding to any customer whose conduct is offensive, abusive, disorderly or violent or for clothing that is "lewd, obscene, or patently offensive."
The only problem is that it is not true that the FAA has fashion police:
FAA spokesman Donn Walker told the newspaper that no federal rules exist on the subject.
"It's up to the airlines who they want to take and by what rules," he was quoted as saying. "The government just doesn't get into the business of what people wear on an aircraft."
No F-bombs on public transportation or in government buildings unless you are our Dear Leader or Vice Dear Leader.
From August of 2006:
Raed Jarrar, the Iraq Project Director for Global Exchange about his trip to the Middle East. But first he talks about how he was barred from boarding a flight at JFK airport because he was wearing a T-Shirt bearing Arabic script.
I made it back to the United States in a very easy way. In fact, the incident that happened in JFK was not related to my trip, because I went back to D.C. I spent a day in D.C. Then I took the bus to New York. I spent a couple of days in New York. There was an event there. Then I was supposed to take my airplane, my Jet Blue airplane from JFK to Oakland in California last Saturday. So I went to the airport in the morning, and I was prevented to go to my airplane by four officers, because I was wearing this t-shirt that says “We will not be silent” in both Arabic and English. And I was told by one of the officials that wearing a t-shirt with Arabic script in an airport now is like going to a bank with a t-shirt that reads, “I am a robber.”
Here are some simple rules you should follow to avoid a confrontation with the fashion police while traveling on public transportation.
Flight Fashion Etiquette In A Fearful Democracy
Forbidden:
Please do not insult Our Dear Leader.
Please do not insult war as foreign policy.
Please do not include any unflattering pictures of Our Dear Leader, his family, or members of his esteemed cabinet.
Please do not include words that might sound like profanity, especially in reference to Our Dear Leader.
Please do not include any words or letters in Arabic, Farsi, or any other strange language that might scare a supporter of Our Dear Leader.
Please do not include slogans or symbols from religions other than Christianity.
Please do not include profanity unless directed towards members of the opposition party.
Permitted: Flags, patriotic slogans, military symbols, praise for Our Dear Leader, his family, or members of his esteemed cabinent.
This shirt by Casual Disobedience with the phrase “I am not a terrorist” in Arabic is strictly forbidden. I wonder if DailyKos apparel would offend anyone except a denizen of RedState or LGF? Oh well, Fokk them if they cannot take a joke.
Update: After putting this diary together, I found that I had overlooked another diary on the Quantas incident by retrograde. Check it out.