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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think this racist should have been kicked off this RyanAir flight?

389 replies

WickedGoodDoge · 21/10/2018 10:44

I’m not going to repeat the language this passenger used here, but basically he refused to sit next to a black passenger resulting in her being moved and staff asking the man if he was OK once she was moved.

RyanAir have released a terse statement saying it’s been referred to Essex Police

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/amp/entry/daughter-of-ryanair-racist-abuse-victim-speaks-out-following-on-flight-attack_uk_5bcb4379e4b055bc94811e92/

OP posts:
BigChocFrenzy · 21/10/2018 17:49

The vast majority of racists are not mentally ill or autistic

A few MN posters always try to play down dreadful behaviour by claiming MH may be involved
Those with MH, autism, LDs etc are more likely to be victims of crime than perpetrators

DGRossetti · 21/10/2018 17:50

If aeroplanes delayed flights by several hours every time a passenger said something rude/offensive then airports would grind to a halt.

Briefly. But I'm pretty certain you'd find incidents dropped pretty damn rapidly.

BigChocFrenzy · 21/10/2018 17:50

That wasn't just rude or offensive, it was a criminal offence

Graphista · 21/10/2018 17:51

Bloody hell mrspink that's fucking shocking they let such behaviour pass regularly clearly!

what was the medical issue? I thought flight attendants had to have quite thorough first aid training?

And omg absolutely that stag party shouldn't have been admitted!

I've never travelled with them certainly won't be now!

BigChocFrenzy · 21/10/2018 17:53

There should be zero tolerance of aggressive, criminal behaviour on a plane
Harsher penalties are needed too.
Once the flight is in the air, such criminals can be dangerous

Topseyt · 21/10/2018 17:56

It is shocking. I am mystified as to why they didn't remove him from the flight.

You could argue that by not immediately removing him they tacitly condoned his racism. Or at best they didn't give a shit.

Nothing surprises me with Ryanair though.

Graphista · 21/10/2018 17:58

Walkingdeadfangirl you're verging perilously close to being an apologist for Ryanair and the man concerned.

BigChoc - damn right the ld, mentally ill and those with autism far more likely to be crime victims than perpetrators yet the stigma still persists among the ignorant!

I'm with DGRosetti - there might be hiccups at first (just as there were when the new security measures came in after 9/11) but I'm pretty sure the result would be people knowing they need to bloody well behave on planes! In fact i suspect the post 9/11 changes probably already reduced some bad behaviour as a byproduct.

I wonder if being able to stick such passengers with huge fines - just did a quick google on that - they can but apparently it's not being enforced - it should be!

user1484830599 · 21/10/2018 18:03

I hope that man is quaking in his boots waiting for the police to knock at the door. A video as evidence, why has he not been arrested already. Just disgusting.

I suspect however that unfortunately this will be brushed under the carpet and quickly forgotten by Ryanair.

SwedishEdith · 21/10/2018 18:03

and that everybody else had refused to sit next to a racist arsehole!

I wish someone had offered to swap their seat with the woman and then told the racist to "Shut your racist gob" every time he spoke throughout the rest of the flight.

Mehaveit · 21/10/2018 18:08

Ryanair steward checking HE'S alright?! What an absolute disgrace. That behaviour should have seen him removed from the plane not her moved. Disgraceful.

SwedishEdith · 21/10/2018 18:09

"The elderly woman, named only as Mrs Gayle in the Huffington Post, can be heard telling the man he stinks and needs a wash."

I'm glad she at least had the chance to tell him that.

SylviaAndSidney · 21/10/2018 18:13

She was asking to be moved before any altercation took place due to the odour of the man (she can be heard telling him he stinks in the video).

His actions after that are disgusting though and he should have been removed due to the language he used, and the aggression.

BananaBonanza · 21/10/2018 18:17

So it's ok to be offensive as long as you don't bring race into it....

SylviaAndSidney · 21/10/2018 18:21

So it's ok to be offensive as long as you don't bring race into it....

Who has said that?

BananaBonanza · 21/10/2018 18:34

I saw a case recently of a deportation that had to be abandoned because passengers refused to let the plane fly whilst the poor refugee was on the flight.

If you watched the viral video you would be routing for them and delighted by their success.

Only he was a convicted child rapist.

Whilst thats obviously not the case here, Videos don't necessarily tell all. What is clear is there were opportunities to de-escalate the situation that neither side took. And whilst you can hear his verbal abuse you can't hear what she's saying because she's talking so much more quietly.

Think Ryan did fab on this one

FoxFoxSierra · 21/10/2018 18:38

Bigchocfrenzy no one is making excuses for his behaviour! He is a disgusting racist bully who should have been arrested already but imo and a few others he also has LDs - that is in addition to being a vile racist not instead of!

Roussette · 21/10/2018 18:40

Think Ryan did fab on this one

I don't think so. Twitter is alight with revulsion at how they handled this incident. I think it will cost them dearly. There's a huge backlash.

DGRossetti · 21/10/2018 18:42

There should be zero tolerance of aggressive, criminal behaviour on a plane

Or indeed, anywhere ...

BananaBonanza · 21/10/2018 18:43

I believe there was a huge Twitter support for the refugee too....

I'm not into mob justice, personally.

DGRossetti · 21/10/2018 18:47

I believe there was a huge Twitter support for the refugee too....

The same could be said of Donald Trump. Bigly.

BananaBonanza · 21/10/2018 18:53

@DGRossetti

Grin very true. I even heard some of gender critical feminists support him on here today!

I'm glad it's with Essex police. And wish them a very good luck sorting it!

Spankyoumuchly · 21/10/2018 18:53

I can't believe they didn't have airport security or the police ready for him when they landed. An mp has weighed in. The woman who was abused was on her first holiday after her dh died.

Topseyt · 21/10/2018 19:01

Sorry Banana, Ryanair did appallingly here. They have surpassed even their own standards of poor passenger service.

Consider that many of their own staff have been on the receiving end of racist abuse. They aren't the most supportive employer in the world, and this will hardly inspire people with confidence in them.

fieldgold · 21/10/2018 19:02

This type of behaviour does not only happen on Ryanair remember?

We have but one side of the story too. I will hold off until I get both sides, they could have both been as bad as each other, but we don't know do we?

I wonder was he quiet for the rest of the journey? The other passenger did not like his body odour, so maybe she said something to him that riled him too.

The fact that he was not kicked off gives me a signal that both sides were at fault perhaps. No one else on the plane apart from the man behind did or said anything, but filming it was no problem at all for others.

36degrees · 21/10/2018 19:10

Easyjet removed someone from my flight into a police van earlier this week for being abusive to ground crew. It took 20 mins to check for his bag and then we were off. Much better than trying to subdue him on the flight and deal with him on arrival. I've also seen Virgin crew deal really well with a midair racist incident towards a woman I sat near in Upper once. Getting it right seems to be a mix of circumstances and luck more than specific airline training, I think.

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