Flight Turbulence: Another Example Of Runaway Religious Accommodations | Americans United

[Panich52]

Anyone who uses modes of public transport should expect to encounter women. You may end up sitting next to one. If you aren’t willing to deal with that, don’t travel by these methods.

. ..

Seasoned travelers learn to deal with it. But here’s one thing I’m not going to put up with: giving up my seat or being moved to another one because a religious fundamentalist has decided he can’t tolerate sitting next to me.

Of course, I don’t have to worry about this because I’m a man. But lately, a lot of women have encountered this problem thanks to an ultra-conservative faction of Hasidic Judaism whose members have decided that they can’t sit next to women on commercial flights. Their antics are increasingly inconveniencing a lot of passengers.

As The New York Times reported last week, “A growing number of airline passengers, particularly on trips between the United States and Israel, are now sharing stories of conflicts between ultra-Orthodox Jewish men trying to follow their faith and women just hoping to sit down.”

The Times reported that several flights from New York to Israel were delayed or disrupted recently because Hasidic men would not take their seats. Sometimes other passengers will agree to a seat shuffle to accommodate these men, but more and more women are saying they aren’t going to do it. I don’t blame them. (It’s worth noting that not all Hasidic men feel this way. It’s just a tiny minority that refuses to sit next to any women except their family members.)

This is yet another example of religious "accommodations" run amok – and the unrealistic expectations these demands have created.

Read more »
https://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/flight-turbulence-another-example-of-runaway-religious-accommodations


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Religious misogyny may be more overt among Hasidic Jews, but it's alive, well, and in overdrive among RW 'Christian' radicals in the US.

[Arugula Latte]

1. Such b.s.

If these nutty control-freak zealots don't want to sit next to an icky-girl-with-cooties they can strap themselves to the wing.

[darkangel218]

2. I agree. nt

[snooper2]

3. fundies

[JustAnotherGen]

4. I wouldn't move

I simply wouldn't - he can move and try to find a 'middle seat' between to men.

I'm not doing.

He can sue me.

[ProfessorGAC]

8. Anybody Can Sue Anybody

But, there at least would be no grounds. The airline wants to make an accommodation? Tell him he can leave the next time the entire flight is only men. That'll take a while.

[Lizzie Poppet]

5. I could see myself getting into real trouble if this happened to me.

I make no small effort to check in as soon as humanly possible and get the seat I want (an aisle seat as close to the exit as possible). My first refusal to move will be polite. Beyond that, I'll be in Full Bitch Mode, believe me.

[drm604]

6. Suppose someone said that their religion forbids sitting next to someone of a diffferent race?

Would it or should it be tolerated? Of course not. Why is this any different?

If you want to go out in public then you have to accept that you'll be in public and that everyone won't bow and scrape to your beliefs, regardless of how deeply held or sincere they are.

If you can't do that then either don't travel, or charter a private flight.

[FLPanhandle]

7. No one should accommodate someone's religious beliefs

If someone wants to believe in silly shit, they are free to do so. However, don't expect the rest of the world to accommodate you.

[Nay]

10. Yep. If anything like this happened to me, expect me to be a real asshole

about it. I really hate being reminded daily that I'm half a human anyway, and by god, I'm not gonna get packed onto a shitty airplane and be reminded there, too.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

9. I was on a flight with one of these psychos years ago

As soon as the flight took off he ran to the back of the plane and sat in the bathroom and refused to come out. Eventually the flight attendants setup a cootie-free section for him and he was pretty ruthlessly heckled on his way down the aisle. I actually felt sorry for him, he was extremely young and didn't speak much english at all.

[darkangel218]

13. The flight attendents should have taught him the "cootie quits!" technique

Jk. It's a hopeless situation with these people.

[n2doc]

11. If they care so much, they should buy extra seats next to them

If they are too cheap to do that, they don't really care about their god so much.

[hobbit709]

12. Or charter a flight with an all male crew.

[justiceischeap]

14. Nope, not ever giving up my seat for one of these dudes.

He's the one with the issue, not me. He should be the one expected to find other seating.