Boy with Tourette’s denied boarding after bomb remark

[TamanTun]

I was just thinking about the news article about the 13 year old boy who was denied boarding after shouted ‘bomb’ at the gate. His parents had warned the airline in advance, he had his diagnosis letter on him and was wearing a sunflower lanyard. Imagine a world where others would understand and be supportive in a case like this rather than what happened. The family had done everything they could to avoid something like this but yet it did happen. Why can we all not be more accepting? I suppose it comes with educating others and does depend on the situation.

@itsjustthepricewepay @KilkennyCats

As mum and mil to pilots and cabin crew I'm very confident saying what I have.

I'm clear that airlines have to put safety first and that a person with Tourette's shouting 'bomb' would not be able to fly. It's not sensible of the charity to be arguing against this, although it is sensible to be arguing for greater understanding of Tourette's.

Agreed. They’re doing more harm than good with that statement.

You have no idea if he was tic’ing or not on the next flight

report my post and ask Mumsnet how to check

Again - and for probably the last time as I’m sick of repeating it and as you work in some form of airport role I believe so perhaps you can clarify - if they had thought there was the slightest chance of him really having a bomb or a genuine threat was being made they’d have evacuated the entire airport.

Tourette’s won’t override everyone else’s need to feel safe, shocked the parents thought it would.

I didn't think the Tourettes statement was that bad TBH, but maybe slightly optimistic in places..

The CEO was right to a degree in that some of what happened will have been driven by protocols that have come from.outside the airline- specifically from Westminster, (UK law such as the Aviation Security Act, and maybe the Air Navigation Order) plus output from DfT....so it's not really a case of the way this was handled simply being down to big bad BA or BA Staff.

Where I think they might be being optimistic is in thinking a fix to this might just mean rewriting protocols....by all means stive for that but the security specialists are probably going to push back on some ideas.

The other issue, and this is an airline one, is afdressing the concerns of nervous passengers (and maybe others) who might find an inappropriate tic upsetting....and it's no good telling people to just woman up or man up, that won't wash The airlines are.going to have to find a way of handling this that works for the majority.of their passengers.

Come on, given your expertese you wouldn't expect me to answer that, would you - even if I knew the answer?

Because you know the answer.

I think this is as much about his own protection as anything else. In a lot of countries he would be arrested at gunpoint if he said bomb in an airport and could be locked up for years with no thought of his diagnosis. If he said it here, there's a good chance he would say it again abroad. I remember someone saying it in an American airport years ago and being told it was a federal offence and they'd be locked up if they didn't shut up.

I think this is as much about his own protection as anything else. In a lot of countries he would be arrested at gunpoint if he said bomb in an airport and could be locked up for years with no thought of his diagnosis

That's actually a very fair point, @30degrees

For all our faults, most in the UK at least try to understand, but there are places where they don't - or if they do understand they don't care.
IME the family's destination of Spain are reasonably enlightened, but I wouldn't want to assume the same of some of the developing holiday hotspots elsewhere

Maybe, maybe not, but I'm not going to discuss that sort of detail on an open forum, or by DM for that matter...

I'm thinking the another reason or the main reason for not letting him board is that all it takes is a really annoyed person who doesn't understand Tourettes to start kicking off on the plane if the boy (through no fault of his own) continually keeps shouting out bomb.

Then you have the scenario of a big argument starting & getting physical, something you don't want in a aluminium tube packed with passengers at 38,000ft.

Personally the boy wouldn't bother me as I know he can't help having a neurological disability.
Unfortunately many people don't understand or refuse to understand.

Edit:typo

I’ve never dm’d anyone on this forum. Your post intimates I’ve tried to contact you outside of the main forum. That isn’t correct and I’ve reported it for review.

Actually I intimated no such thing, I was making clear I wasn"t up for discussing security details via any channel (with anybody).

But it's Mumsnet trainset so feel free to report away.

Actually, that is the way your post reads, whatever you now claim your intention was.

i’ve just seen the full video. Straight away the parents are jumping to “you’ll be going full national, this video will go everywhere”

Ok...fair enough if that's the way it reads it certainly wasn't the intention....

It doesn’t at all and I don’t know why the other poster is so upset at the suggestion they might message you on a platform that allows you to do so!

It doesn’t at all and I don’t know why the other poster is so upset at the suggestion they might message you on a platform that allows you to do so!

How is that any different to the whataboutery of those who are anxious flyers or unwilling to
listen to or accept an announcement about the tics?
None of these comments change the fact that the child was allowed to fly with that exact reasonable adjustment with no issues on an alternative carrier which proves there is a solution.
Also are people watching the same
video? The parents were not aggressive or abusive- they were calm but very clearly understandably upset. Parents of disabled children face barriers and discrimination constantly. Why wouldn’t they question it? They did everything right. They followed all procedures in advance. The tic was happening the whole time they were at the airport. The comments about the parents’ behaviour or it changing for the next flight have absolutely no basis in fact. Or the compo parents comments- that’s an utterly ridiculous thing to say. They just wanted fair treatment. As for the comments suggesting the boy then altered his behaviour by that next flight are just utterly ludicrous and completely ignorant about Tourette’s. The people acting like he may actually have had a bomb are ridiculous. He’s a child and has been through rigorous security proceedings. I despair at the ignorance and intolerance shown here. Again, I will reiterate that people need to watch “I Swear”. This poor boy and how he must have felt. He will be carrying shame and stigma all his life and why? Because people can’t use a bit of common sense and rational thinking? I can only hope this attention leads to a change in protocol.

Agree with all of this. This thread makes for very depressing reading. I cannot for the life of me fathom the logic of those saying ‘well he could have had a bomb’ - no he couldn’t, no more than anyone else. Shouting bomb doesn’t mean you have a bomb ffs. I get that it could be uncomfortable and stressful for other passengers but there are many things that make flights uncomfortable and stressful - obese people, screaming kids, drunks. They have picked on a kid with a disability, a condition he can’t control and didn’t ask for.

The comments about the parents’ behaviour or it changing for the next flight have absolutely no basis in fact

Haven't they?

As I've made clear I wasn't there for the first flight never mind the second so don't pretend to know, but I wonder what makes you so sure?

But they do.

The mum has posted the video of the dad immediately threatening the manager at the airport and she’s miraculously got a brand new TikTok account with the bio “Tourette’s awareness”.

interesting that they managed to fly the next day without the kid shouting bomb, isn’t it?