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.

Sounds badly mismanaged to me.

People here really do need to watch “I Swear” and have more empathy. The airline they subsequently travelled with made an easy reasonable adjustment to solve the issue and that is the sensible way of solving this. The airline allowed them to board first, then made an announcement explaining that he may shout this type of thing and passengers need not be alarmed. Other passengers were empathetic and understanding. Funnily enough when this kind of sensible approach is taken, it then reduces the anxiety which makes these kind of tics worse in the first place. I’m shocked so many agree with him not being allowed to board when there is such an easy way to solve this. It is a child with a disability.

😂Too right

OP, what you are talking about is bonkers. You cannot expect aviation security procedures to be ignored. Too bad but it simply means this person cannot fly. There are many things, many of us cannot do due to shot loads of reasons.

There are red lines that no disability can mitigate and this is one of them, it’s about security

Greater good is no longer cool.

Although I do feel for the family I also wouldn't want to be on a flight with someone shouting they had a bomb.

But that isn't the point, you can't say oh it's OK to ignore bomb threats because no one who had a bomb would announce it, can't you see where that would lead?

Well said.

I watched the families TikTok video where they were up in the airport duty managers face and barely allowing her to explain the rules and regs behind their decision. Public opinion sided with the airline, family did not expect this and have taken the video down (posted a link to another poster who stitched before it was pulled)

The child had actually said the word a few times in the airport and then up at the gate too - aviation law supersedes disability law and that’s that really.

Fully appreciate Tourette’s displays itself often by saying the exact opposite of what one should, there were some helpful comments in the video around being prescribed sedatives and perhaps melatonin to help relax them, very sad situation for the child involved.

vm.tiktok.com/ZNRnKkJ3T/

I’d value the safety of myself and family above being all encompassing with disability. 🤷‍♀️

How could it have been managed better?

I dont know if it's the same one as I don't do Tiktok but on Instagram the airport woman was a model of how to deal with such a situation

I hope her bosses got to see it before it was taken down, well done to her imo

In what way exactly?

Agree, as a mother of a 13yr old with Tourette's, I find the responses on this thread very very sad. Tourette's is a disability, and by it's very nature, inappropriate things are verbalised. The sufferer cannot stop or control this.

So many people still in this day and age just do not understand or have any compassion for Tourette's sufferers.

The staff could have, and should have handled this better, so as not to discriminate against a disabled child.

Even if you knew that the person was a child with Tourette's Syndrome?

It’s possibly one on the most misunderstood and judged conditions to have. What a shame

Surely you can see the distress and disturbance a bomb scare would cause?

A 13 year old boy with tourettes is not a bomb scare. This is literally how tourettes works.

Go and watch I Swear and have a think about it.

Yeah. I find flying under even the most perfect conditions terrifying if I was sat near someone shouting that out repeatedly during the whole flight I would end up having a panic attack myself. There will be lots of people on that flight with different disabilities to and their needs also need to be taken into account.

Funnily enough, having grown up in a civil war, I'm well aware. Been evacuated from manys a building growing up and took it in my stride to be honest, as it was our normal.

That said, an announcement to passengers of the child's condition to reassure them, and I'm sure that the majority would have understood. Although, based on the responses on this thread, slightly worrying that so many lack empathy and compassion for Tourette's sufferers.

This thread has made me so sad for my child with the condition.

What if an actual terrorist is on the same plane (this is what aviation security seeks to prevent) and everyone ignores shouts of bomb?

And if he did actually have a bomb? You're possibly opening up tourettes sufferers to being exploited by terrorists

I do understand your point of view, I'm terrified of flying myself and suffer panic attacks on planes. But I do think if passengers were made aware of his condition, then that would have helped to alleviate panic in others. Being scared of flying (which as I said, I am), isn't a disability, Tourette's is.

Oh wise up, ALL passengers go through airport security to check for explosives. A Tourette's sufferer does not get to bypass this.

But if they let him board the plane, he might have carried on … I’m not an especially nervous passenger but I wouldn’t want to sit near someone shouting bomb all the time. It would freak me out a bit I think!