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Are_grits_groceries

(17,111 posts)
Fri Aug 23, 2013, 02:35 AM Aug 2013

"Don't Fly On Ramadan" or "You’ll have to understand, when a person of your… background...."

(This is a very long read, but if you want an idea of what it's like to fall down the rabbit hole of TSADHSFBIATFCIA security, this will give you an idea.)

A couple of weeks ago, I was scheduled to take a trip from New York (JFK) to Los Angeles on JetBlue. Every year, my family goes on a one-week pilgrimage, where we put our work on hold and spend time visiting temples, praying, and spending time with family and friends. To my Jewish friends, I often explain this trip as vaguely similar to the Sabbath, except we take one week of rest per year, rather than one day per week.

Our family is not Muslim, but by coincidence, this year, our trip happened to be during the last week of Ramadan.

By further coincidence, this was also the same week that I was moving out of my employer-provided temporary housing (at NYU) and moving into my new apartment. The night before my trip, I enlisted the help of two friends and we took most of my belongings, in a couple of suitcases, to my new apartment. The apartment was almost completely unfurnished - I planned on getting new furniture upon my return - so I dropped my few bags (one containing an air mattress) in the corner. Even though I hadn’t decorated the apartment yet, in accordance with Hindu custom, I taped a single photograph to the wall in my bedroom — a long-haired saint with his hands outstretched in pronam (a sign of reverence and respect).

The next morning, I packed the rest of my clothes into a suitcase and took a cab to the airport. I didn’t bother to eat breakfast, figuring I would grab some yogurt in the terminal while waiting to board.
<snip>
Much much more:
http://varnull.adityamukerjee.net/post/59021412512/dont-fly-during-ramadan

I feel soooooo much safer with this clown cluster on the job.
Land of the free.....not so much

WTH are we doing???

9 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
"Don't Fly On Ramadan" or "You’ll have to understand, when a person of your… background...." (Original Post) Are_grits_groceries Aug 2013 OP
That's scary. And the scariest part is the last... TreasonousBastard Aug 2013 #1
Morons -- they couldn't even do a little illegal profiling properly. nt MADem Aug 2013 #2
Terrifying. limpyhobbler Aug 2013 #3
A stunning story defacto7 Aug 2013 #4
Chilling! nt Live and Learn Aug 2013 #5
A'merca post 9/11... Unknown Beatle Aug 2013 #6
The governmental clowns probably have immunity, but he should sue JetBlue. Jim Lane Aug 2013 #7
If you're not white, you already live in Nazi America. backscatter712 Aug 2013 #8
Rec! progressoid Aug 2013 #9

TreasonousBastard

(43,049 posts)
1. That's scary. And the scariest part is the last...
Fri Aug 23, 2013, 02:54 AM
Aug 2013

5 paragraphs.

There is no excuse at all for this behavior. None. And these people were not evil-- they were idiots. And that is the scariest thing of all. Evil is efficient and you may be even able to make a deal with it, but stupidity knows no boundaries.

 

Jim Lane

(11,175 posts)
7. The governmental clowns probably have immunity, but he should sue JetBlue.
Fri Aug 23, 2013, 06:14 AM
Aug 2013

He had a contract with them for passage, they breached the contract, and he lost money as a result.

There may well be something buried in their fine print that says they can breach the contract, without penalty, if the government clowns raise some kind of issue, but at least it would be a way for him to find out who said what about him.

backscatter712

(26,355 posts)
8. If you're not white, you already live in Nazi America.
Fri Aug 23, 2013, 07:26 AM
Aug 2013

Rights? What rights? The constitution doesn't mean shit if tyranny enforcement (we shouldn't call them law enforcement as they're breaking our highest law) can shit on your rights with impunity.

Fuck the TSA. They're nothing but a bunch of Gestapo scumfucks.

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