An anti-war protester who was refused boarding on a Qantas flight to London because he wore a provocative T-shirt has issued a challenge to the airline to fly him home dressed the same way.
Allen 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.
Mr Jasson was told he could not fly last Friday from Melbourne Airport while wearing a T-shirt that said US President George Bush was the world’s number one terrorist.
It was not the first time Mr Jasson had been told to remove his T-shirt. On December 2, a security guard at London’s Heathrow Airport told him, “You won’t be flying with that on”.
A Qantas spokesman said: “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.”
Good thing we don’t have Dvorak Uncensored t-shirts, eh?
So the guy wears the same shirt when he flies every time, just to get a reaction?
Why is it a good thing we don’t have Dvorak Uncensored t-shirts? I don’t get that statement. This is a tiny little blog that nobody pays much attention to. Why would such a shirt be a problem to wear at an airport? Now, a picture of John on a shirt – yeah. that should be forbidden on flights. We wouldn’t want to frighten the children, would we……
^^ Agreed. And please John, for goodness sake, hire a web designer.
I just have one question: where can I buy that T-shirt?
The guy’s just a stupid war protester so why should anyone give crap? No different than all the silly people and their cute little signs during ‘Nam.
#3
LOL!
And you thought the gold star died during WW2…
Whats wrong with the site design? its better than a lot of other blogs out there
8. I think its the use of WordPress thats bothering everybody. I post from 4 different computers and it treats all differently. On (1) I get the annoying “slow down cowboy” or “too many unlock attempts” and on the others it just posts without ANY grievances, doesnt even ask for the code, its a little perplexing.
Gee, I wonder if my “No, I will not fix your PC” T-Shirt would be offensive as well.
All he has to say is “That’s not George Bush! It’s just a bad photo of a shaved Osama bin Laden… shame on you for even thinking it is the glorious freedom fighter George Bush!!! You must be a Democrat trying to destroy America!!!” and he could get away with it.
Similar to the John Gilmour’s ‘suspected terrorist’ button. He was seated on the flight already, then back to the gate to be removed. He was unwilling to remove the button and he canvased his fellow passengers who did not feel threatened by him etc. Interesting cases each of them. I don’t think the airlines need to accomodate these requests, it really is their call. I don’t think they are obligated to take your money and fly you in whatever condition you show up for the flight.
#1 – Yes… and hat’s off to him. I wish i had that sort of time. Fighting the corrupt system is infinitely more interesting than helping your mom with her technology phobias.
But then, fighting the man doesn’t pay the bills…
#12 – I’d agree, if they weren’t common carriers. Turning down an otherwise well behaved passenger deserves some negative publicity.
Whether this guy is a foolish publicity seeker or not, his message is not particularly provocative. It’s just political. If the airlines also refuse to carry passengers with pro-Bush shirts and buttons, it would be just as stupid but it might not t taste as sour. Anybody know if it’s a blanket prohibition against political statements on shirts?
Ok, we’ve proved unto, yae, the hundredth, thousandth
generation, that airport security doesn’t have a sense
of humor. If he had a t-shirt saying “Bush is the
Number one Bad Guy” or something, this wouldn’t
even be happening. Airport security doesn’t have any upside
in even allowing the word “terrorist”, and airlines sure
don’t have a fiduciary gain by publicizing the word.
I think that they should fly him back in the wheel-well,
cruising mostly at 35,000 feet.
#15 – So the problem wasn’t the anti-Bush sentiment, it was his use of the word “terrorist”?
It still seems pretty stupid to me. But if you’re right, at least it would equally stupid to anyone silly enough to put “terrorist” on his tee shirt.
I could wear out a DU shirt around here without anyone ever taking note of it. They’d probably just figure it was another damned ersatz cowboy singer.
I really have to go get that “God Bless American Freedom” in Arabic script for when I fly in the US.
I would be ‘offended’ at someone wearing a tshirt SUPPORTING the war in Iraq .. would that passenger be removed for offending me? I doubt it.
QANTAS is willing to ban based on their opinion. Not a proud day for Australia.
OOPS … the middle line of my post got lost. I meant to say: Australians who believe in ‘freedom of speech/opinion’ should show up in large numbers wearing such a shirt . I wonder just how many passengers QANTAS is willing to ban based on their opinions.