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.

Would they evacuate for a bomb? In my workplace we were taught:- Fire, out! Bomb, stay exactly where you are until you are instructed otherwise.

It was mentioned that the family got a flight with another airline.
I'm curious to know which airline, how it was handled, & what happened on the flight.
Does anyone know ?

The mum posted in the original thread on her facebook an update that his tics - including the use of the word bomb- were ignored on the next flight due to an announcement and that passengers were understanding and empathetic.

But people get thrown off planes all the time for mentioning the word bomb. Are you saying that that should never happen because they clearly went through security and don’t have one?
I was on a plane where a man couldn’t fit his bag in the overhead storage. The cabin crew tried to help him. He joked to her “don’t worry I don’t have a bomb in there today”. He was escorted off that plane faster than anything. But he’d been through security. So clearly he didn’t have a bomb right? So he should have been allowed to stay on? It was only a joke after all…..

Again the difference here is the man you mention made a choice.

Tourette’s is no more a choice or controllable than you being able to stop yourself blinking.

And they had medical evidence - and they flew successfully with vueling despite him still tic’ing.

I’m not going to derail this thread but what you’re describing is the completely correct advice to evacuate inwards to an area usually stairwells or basements away from glass while a safe evacuation route is found if there is one. Manchester 1992 IRA bomb saw people evacuated away from the first bomb directly into the path of the second bomb.

That wasn’t the point. The person I quoted said that a person with a bomb wouldn’t be shouting about it and would have already have gone through security so clearly didn’t have a bomb. The man in my story was joking about it and had also been through security. Using the same rules he also obviously didn’t have a bomb. That was the point. I’m not saying allowances shouldn’t have been made for the boy or that he should have been refused travel. Just that you can’t use the fact someone mentions bomb or the fact they’ve been through security as reasons they definitely won’t have a bomb.

It’s entirely the WHOLE point

Many, many years ago I wore hats a lot. While in the US, I was asked to take off my hat. I (what I thought was) jokingly said, 'Why, do you think I've got a gun under it?'. I almost got arrested.

Words matter.

It’s not though. If security was strong enough that by being scanned alone was enough to 100% determine there was no bomb, why would anyone ever need to be refused to fly for mentioning the word bomb? The guy who made a joke only made it to one cabin crew member. No one else heard. There was no potential panic in the passengers. He was a business man in a suit. Who made a stupid joke. Maybe he has undiagnosed autism or ADHD that bad him say inappropriate things that he didn’t fully realise were inappropriate. Maybe he was just an idiot. He apparently was really apologetic after and was begging to be allowed to fly as he was off to a business meeting. And as the person I quoted pointed out, he’d been through security. He clearly didn’t have a bomb if that is apparently enough to be sure. So why throw him off?

He has TOURETTE’S. I’m not sure what part of that still isn’t computing but people are really starting to sound like they’re being deliberately obtuse at this point.

Thick as mince.

One of the common arguments seems to revolve around the supposed fact that airport security and airport security screening is so good it would have been obviously entirely reasonable to make an exception for the individual and allow them to travel regardless of comments.

What many maybe aren't aware of is one of the reasons the aviation system is as good as it is is because those that set the rules would rather eat their first born than start to allow exceptions from rules and protocols, reason being allowing exceptions from rules and protocols can maybe expose seams in processes that can be exploited.

As a result getting any sort of alleviation from some security rules and measures, even for vetted airside pass holders, can be impossible or close to being so.

Those rules and protocols can cover anything from words that should not be used airside to who is actually allowed to assess the intent of anything said, to lots more.

So if an overall change in the handling of Tourettes sufferers is wanted my advice, for what little it's worth, is to lobby the law makers, not continue to gripe about a single instance with a specific airline operating under the current set of rules.

Absolute fucking bollocks.

They’re after social media fame.

I may be wrong but I think the ‘don’t say bomb’ rule is a safety culture thing? If people are allowed to joke about bombs or shout ‘bomb’ quite regularly on planes then when there IS a bomb-emergency there’s a big risk of miscommunication and people ignoring or not taking it seriously.

As things are, if you so much a whisper ‘bomb’ in an airport, it’s taken seriously. That is a safety culture.

So while the tourettes thing is really upsetting, I can see why airlines don’t want bomb-talk normalised. it’s a thin end of a dangerous wedge.

“Do we then deny boarding for anyone with Tourette’s in case they shout bomb? Let’s extend that to autistic people who may have a meltdown and upset all the poor people around them.”

OP, we don’t deny boarding UNTIL the person with Tourette’s shouts “bomb” - but to ignore it would be to give a free pass to any terrorist who did have a bomb and could then claim they gave a warning. An autistic meltdown depends on the degree - someone doesn’t have to be autistic to get themselves into such a state about flying that boarding is refused. There’s a thread on Reddit about someone who was refused boarding because they had a panic attack. An air captain has the discretion to remove a passenger who is likely to have medical issues or whose distress is impacting on other passengers. Safety really does have to trump all other considerations.

If an overall change in the handling of Tourettes sufferers is wanted my advice, for what little it's worth, is to lobby the law makers, not continue to gripe about a single instance with a specific airline operating under the current set of rules

You're right of course, @nonames, but I'd be amazed if just one of the SM ranters and ravers bothered

After all it's simply not as much fun, and may even involve accepting that they weren't there so might just have missed part of the story

@itsjustthepricewepayif the family are just after social media fame, then brilliant! The more people understand Tourette and how difficult it can be to live with the better!
The dad was on the BBC Breakfast, and I’d advise anyone who has listed on this thread to take a look at the clip (Tourette’s Action have posted it on their Instagram) They also showed the dad talking to BA staff- I don’t see him
as being “in their face” but I do see a very exasperated dad of a child with a disability.
The dad did mention that his son was upset - of course he was. At the heart of this is a child whose whole life is a struggle, and yet grown adults on this thread are saying he should just never fly.

No they just want to make some money and attempted to humiliate and bully a young woman who was just doing her job in the process.

They did cut the video early so it’s possible others have seen the full video. I agree the part they did show did not look that bad however.

Agree.

The video they posted involved the dad getting all angry with the woman and threatening her, saying that they would be posting it all over social media and he says “this will go everywhere” or something along those lines, I can’t remember the exact quote. Basically telling her to do what he wants or she’ll be posted on social media. That’s blackmail and bullying.

I'm on BA's side. Good on them for following their rules.

@Lemonadess - it shouldn’t be about taking sides, it should be about how people with Tourettes and the aviation industry can ensure it’s possible for people with Tourettes can fly in the future without causing distress to anyone.

Personally I don’t think a blanket ban of people with Tourettes flying is the answer.

They can. They just can’t shout bomb.