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’d rather they did this than ignore it and something awful happen.

There is a difference, absolutely. One shows intent to carry out an act of terror. The other is a word, which on it's own, is just a word.

The other 200 DON’T KNOW that. And even if they were forewarned could still be distressed.
People aren’t made of steel you know!

What a sad situation, I do feel for the family. That said I think if he had vocalised like that during the flight there would be a risk of panic. I also think he could have been at significant risk of harm from other passengers. Alcohol, stress of flying etc can make for a potentially volatile situation. I can just imagine some boozed up wannabe heroes deciding there was a threat that they needed to deal with in the air irrespective of any tannoy announcements etc.

In some instances, discrimination is entirely appropriate. For example, it’s entirely appropriate to not allow men into women’s toilets. It’s entirely appropriate to not allow adults on junior sports teams. It’s entirely appropriate to not allow able bodied people to take part in a wheelchair rugby match.

It’s entirely appropriate to deny boarding to someone whose actions could cause extreme distress on board an aeroplane at 50000 feet. Sometimes, the rights of the other 350 passengers override the rights of just 1.

Ok you rationalise that from your living room.
Sat on the plane leaving for your jollies? In an airport with armed guards wandering around (in some airports)?
No, try, yes really try, to put yourself in the feet of the hundreds of passengers.

But your trying to justify it with reasonable adjustments

It’s really difficult!

He genuinely can’t help it and if he’s not allowed to say it then of course he’s going to.

But also if he said that in the air and people started to panic, it could have been incredibly dangerous.
People panicking, going into fight or flight mode thousands of miles up in the air - could be disastrous.

I would argue they do know that. Or they should if they had any ounce of intelligence. What if it was a younger child than 13? What if an 8 year old shouted bomb? Would people still claim that they genuinely thought it was a terrorist attack in progress? Where a child wearing a disability lanyard and seated with his parent was uttering the “threat”? Why the fuck would someone think he actually had a bomb on him?

Surely S a parent you tell your child not to shout that?

I’m sorry but if I’m on a plane and someone says that I don’t give a shit about what lanyard they’re wearing or anything like that. I want them removed.

The fact that some people are trying to say that shouting bomb at highly bombable place is just totes fine, just a word, is mindboggling tbh. But not unexpected on MN.

‘Fire’ is also just a word, but if you shout it in a crowded theatre it may well cause a riot.

I appreciate you want to protect your son, but the unfortunate circumstances of being stuck in an airplane with a person shouting what sound like threats, mean that difficult decisions have to be made.

It’s not ok to make everyone else uncomfortable just so one person gets what they want.

They now know never to take him on a flight again.

Oh yeah sorry I forgot that those with Tourette’s can control their tics if their parents tell them not to do it.
Thats ludicrous that you’d want someone removed for saying a word when there isn’t any danger to any person on board at all.

You know, people wouldn't necessarily think it's the child having bomb.
Bomb shout is rarely sounded by people who actually have them nd are deploying them, but by others who see them or hear them.

Or they might, if it were known that that meant usual security rules don't apply?

YOU were the one comparing the two. I just suggested how it could be handled in terms of the underlying cause being a disability. I don't know the airlines disability policies.

But hey, just ban ALL disability sufferers, will that make all of you happy? Fuck them, eh?!

I don’t care. Don’t go on a plane then. Why should hundreds of other people be forced to suffer that?

Even on your argument, you’re assuming people have an ounce of intelligence? They are called the GENERAL public you know. Average/below average/above average.

Glad to hear the parents have realised the public is not on their side.

"forced to suffer that"? Really? You seriously have NO CLUE what Tourette's syndrome sufferers go through, every single day of their lives. Your ignorance repulses me.

Probably though the airline's concern isn't that he may have a bomb, but the panic caused if it sounds like he's seen a bomb?

Some poor kid in his wheelchair because he’s lost a limb ain’t going to be terrifying a plane load of tourists. Get a grip!

Well since routine scanning at airports has been introduced there have been vanishingly few on-board bombs, thankfully. So I wouldn’t say a plane where all passengers plus luggage had been scanned is highly bombable.

No doubt some ignorant cunt would be offended by a missing limb.

Yes. Why should hundreds of other people be forced to suffer an incredibly anxious flight?!