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.

I agree a blanket ban on people with Tourettes isn’t the solution. But I’m not sure if there is an option that is guaranteed to not cause distress to anyone at all. This is the problem. The likelihood is someone will be distressed with someone shouting/the possibility of someone shouting bomb while on a plane. The level of distress it causes will vary. Some people will just be in mild distress the whole flight. Someone else may feel so distressed (especially those with severe anxiety or autism) they cannot board the flight. There is no easy solution here.

Nobody has suggested a blanket ban at all

I think the manager handled it brilliantly, kept her calm despite the dad's aggression and filming the whole bloody thing. The crew and ground staff who work for airlines have to put up with an awful lot of shite these days, more than ever.

It's just aviation safety law. Really sorry for the family but unfortunately disabilities do come with some things that can't be accommodated for. It's sad for them but they should really learn to come to terms with it and work around it, maybe by driving or getting the train abroad, or holidaying in the UK.

I can't really understand why they'd want to put themselves through this as the airport at the other end might be much less accommodating. They could very well end up detained by foreign police coming back.

There are devices people with Tourette's can use, like soundproof masks.

I saw the video of them shouting at the airport manager, the scale of this family's entitlement was through the roof and they were clearly trying to manufacture a viral moment.

Really difficult situation but I see why BA did what they did. And honestly, while I have real sympathy for the boy and his family, sitting on a flight for three hours while someone shouted about having a bomb (and perhaps other plane catastrophe related things) would make most passengers anxious.

I also thought Maria was astonishingly calm under pressure - no doubt she deals with a lot of tense situations. I hope she is celebrated rather than punished / hounded for her role in this story.

also this... the airline said that "Due to a number of contributing factors, the decision was made not to allow the group to travel on the flight" -- ie, the parents were behaving badly too and seemed unwilling to try and mitigate the effects of his bomb threats for other passengers or cooperate with the airline.

You can see this by how they're reacting in the video.

1% of people have tourettes as an upper estimate. Out of that around 15% at the most have the uncontrollable verbal tics

To think generations lived through two almost back to back world wars and nowadays most people (according to your post) would be anxious if someone with Tourette’s was vocalising ‘plane catastrophe related things’.

Is that really what most of society has become? A load of wimps.

During WW2 and in other wars people have been trampled to death while running to a shelter. Due to panic. Because there might be a bomb.

I'd feel unsettled if someone was repeatedly screaming "bomb" or other profanities on the flight.

Anyone remember the incident on Oxford street a few years ago where there was mass panic because of someone reporting they heard gun shots?

Yes.

Olly Murs tweeted from inside Selfridges and caused a massive stampede and an armed guard response.

Now imagine that, on a plane, with someone shouting bomb, in this political climate? When we’ve been warned about Iranian sleeper cells and our risk of terror attacks is incredibly high?! It’s a recipe for disaster.

I think the problem is people panicking. What if even a quarter of the plane panicked (either because they had forgotten/didnt listen to the announcement, got pissed etc.) - in the air it is a risk unfortunately.

Do you really think they’d announce over the tannoy - “Calm down folks, there isn’t a bomb”?
That would start a bloody stampede as well.

The very worst thing you can say on a plane is bomb.

I heard the Father doing the media rounds earlier and I got the impression he was looking for money out of this. Said that he went on another flight the next day and they were allowed to board first and then the Captain went out to the departure gate and told the rest of the passengers and not one had any issues and in fact people were clapping.

I wasnt convinced and tbh - I would have an issue travelling with this boy. I can get a Lanard myself for a few pounds. It means nothing much these days.

It’s literally the “and then everyone clapped” thing

@PropertyD

".. he went on another flight the next day and they were allowed to board first and then the Captain went out to the departure gate and told the rest of the passengers

I don't think that specific part of his story is impossible TBH.

I'd hazard a guess it's actually possible they might have got similar with BA eventually if, after due consideration and calm discussion, they'd been rebooked on a later BA flight. I suspect the Dad supposedly getting into the face of the ground staff member possibly removed that option.

It's maybe important to realise though that what the captain supposedly did on day 2 isn't the answer to this.. there are many airports and airport gates when that sort of intervention by the actual crew involved simply isn't possible.