Innocent until proven guilty' is not a presumption British Airlines is willing to make when it comes to sex offenders. The airline does not allow minors to be seated next to unfamiliar adult males, and now one man is accusing the airline of branding all men as sexual predators.
"I was made to feel like a criminal in front of other passengers. It was totally humiliating," said 33-year-old business man Mirko Fischer to the UK's Daily Mail on January 16th. Fischer says he was insulted when forced to separate from his 6-month-pregnant wife after being sandwiched between her and a 12-year-old boy.
The airline has a policy that children are not allowed to sit next to grown men who are strangers to them. British Airways cabin crew check the aisles before departure, ensuring unaccompanied children are not seated next to a man they do not know. Even if the child's parents are elsewhere on the plane, seats must be rearranged before takeoff.
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"This policy is branding all men as perverts for no reason. The policy and the treatment of male passengers is absolutely outrageous," he said.
This is not the first time British Airway's policy has come under fire. In 2001, the airline apologized to a business executive who was humiliated after being asked to move when he sat next to two unaccompanied children. In the apology, the airline said the policy was introduced "in response to customers asking us to make sure their children are not seated next to men. We were responding to a fear of sexual assaults."
"It's done with the best of intentions," the airline added...
Read more @ AOL Travel
why just men? :S
"How many people find fault in what they're reading and the fault is in their own understanding" Al Mutanabbi
The "all men are rapists and/or peados" attitude.
"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.
well, the child would after that... "hm... this strange person still wants to sit next to me when others - flight attendants are afraid of this happening... I wonder why? I want my mommy!"
(you get a similar thing on arab flights aswell, if a woman is somehow sitting next to someone other than a child parent or sibling, all hell breaks loose.)
"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.
talk about being sexist and generalising!
"How many people find fault in what they're reading and the fault is in their own understanding" Al Mutanabbi
A computer should be able to do a better job of seating children with their families and away from strangers, it clearly wasn't told about the policy, hence the uncomfortable moments without which I think men would also prefer to be sat away from other people's children. This is an example of where that policy needs some exceptions and some work but broadly it is a sensible policy.
I think also there was a time when air hostesses knew how to talk to people. I don't fly a lot but it's usually budget so I'm used to chav staff. I had a whole bunch of Ryanair chavs rearranging everyone on a small Fokker plane once, which was ridiculous especially since looking around the shifting of weight was irrelevant. Part of the problem is I had let someone laze over my seat while I took the empty row in front. I don't think a thin person moving forward a row to allow someone his space is going to make the plane crash, but chavs don't know that. Last summer though I flew BA and on one leg of the journey in particular the staff were making a very poor show of it, like barking at kids and dismissing enquiries, and that was a surprise. So the other thing is the staff need better training.
Back in my days, travel was first class or you stayed at home!
Joking, but I do think on many occasions the passengers do have some liability with the chaos. Have you been on a flight to an arab country? it is an eye opener.
and yes, I am sure many people would prefer to not be sat next to someone elses kids, but if it happens, they would also not want to be treated as criminals.
"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.