Religion
Related: About this forumTo sit or separate?
http://www.economist.com/blogs/gulliver/2014/10/religious-belief-and-flyingOct 2nd 2014, 11:32 by B.R.
THE Guardian ran an interesting story yesterday on what it describes as the bullying of women flying with El Al, Israel's flag carrier. It reports that haredimultra-orthodox Jewsare disrupting flights by refusing to sit next to women, as prescribed by their religion.
The problem seems to occur when haredim book seats late and thus cannot control where, and by whom, they are seated. Should they find the adjacent seat occupied by a woman, the Guardian reports that they sometimes put pressure on her to move (occasionally even offering a cash incentive), even if she is seated with her family. When there is no free space, or the woman refuses to budge, the report continues, haredim sometimes refuse to take their seats, delaying the flight, as happened on a recent plane bound for Tel Aviv from New York.
[ ][One] passenger on the [New York to Tel Aviv flight] flight, named only as Galit, said ultra-orthodox passengers had suggested she and her husband sit separately to accommodate their religious requirements. She refused, but added: I ended up sitting next to a haredi man who jumped out of his seat the moment we had finished taking off and proceeded to stand in the aisle.
On a different flight, Elana Sztokman, executive director of the Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance, refused to accede to a request to move seats, triggering frantic negotiations, she said, between ultra-orthodox men and airline staff.
Remarkably, it seems it is left to the passengers to sort the mess out; El Al staff do not like to get involved. A petition has been posted on change.org demanding that the carrier stand up to this perceived harassment of women. Yet, El Al is not a normal airline. Perhaps more than any other flag carrier, it is the embodiment of a state. Israelis, often feeling under siege, turn to it for safety and reassurance. El Al, therefore, perhaps feels an obligation to accommodate Israels sizeableand fast growingharedi population. It may well prefer not to make too much fuss.
more at link
AtheistCrusader
(33,982 posts)Or so I am told.
Gelliebeans
(5,043 posts)for the whole flight. He should knock himself out! I wouldn't budge either. I can't see myself using that airline anyway because I don't have a burning desire to visit many of their destinations...that being said it might be a blast to be the girl with "cooties" just to upset the delicate balance of misogyny. Lol
cbayer
(146,218 posts)It seems that they could make accommodations easily at the time of seat assignment.
The article indicates that they don't want to upset this very conservative group, so they should make an effort to accommodate them.
Seems like a no brainer.
But, like you, I would not move
..
unless they offered me an upgrade, lol.
Gelliebeans
(5,043 posts)Where I could pop my head out from behind the curtain of first class and stick my tongue out :p
Oh and free miles...gotta get those free miles. Lol
cbayer
(146,218 posts)Yes, I will gladly move, lol.
If they also throw in a nice dinner and a couple of margaritas.
cbayer
(146,218 posts):cheers:
AtheistCrusader
(33,982 posts)Hell, I'd put the armrest up and stretch out across both seats.
"Mighty chivalrous of you, sir. G'night"
(The world is probably better off that I am not female.)