BBC radio presenter sacked for racism...

[TheArmadillo]

here

Local radio presenter Sam Mason has been sacked for racist comments (there is a transcript on link).

These comments weren't however broadcast and were a private conversation between her and a mini cab firm (the woman who she had the conversation with recorded it secretly and has since been sacked), arranging for a cab to collect the presenter's teenage dd, where she stated that she didn't want a driver with a turban as her dd wasn't used to them (paraphrased)

However most the comments, or at least a large proportion, seem to think what she did wasn't racist (I was surprised at this as I think it would be considered clearly racist). The argument from most of them being that it was a parent's right to dictate what taxi driver picked up her daughter.

So wondering what others think.

Was what she did racist?

Should she have been sacked for things she said when she wasn't working?

Would it have been ok if she had just requested a woman driver? Is it ok to specify sex of driver but not race? Would it still seem ok to request a male driver?

I think what she did was clearly racist, but am wondering if they had grounds to sack her because it wasn't while she was working.

And I do feel it is ok to specify the sex of a driver, especially if it was a young lone woman say, travelling at night (no idea if this person's dd was actually travelling at night) - though I can't exactly justify why.

Was she drunk?

How can her 14 year old daughter be freaked by someone wearing a turban?

I find it alarming that people feel she had the right to dicate what taxi driver picked up her daughter. Would those bigots object to a turban wearing doctor saving their child's life? I don't have an ounce of sympathy for the woman.

Its out of order TBH she was been racist IMO ,why would her dd be scared of people with turbans on ?

I do find the 'person who has overcome many obstacles' part a bit . It makes it seem as if the fact she used to be a drunk makes all her behaviour ok.

And I can't understand how people don't think what she did was racist.

I AGREE, SORRY FOR CAIPTALS COMPUTER DODGY, SHE WAS RACIST AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN SACKED .,DISGUSTING. HOW ARE YOUNG PEOPLE GOING TO GROW UP TO BE TOLERANT AND NOT RACIST IF THEIR PARENTS TRY AND 'PROTECT' THEM FROM PEOPLE OF OTHER RACES?

agree with foreveroptimistic

BBC employees sign a contract saying they won't bring BBC into disrepute. What she said was racist, would have upset her listeners when her opinions became known and wouldn't make her look good. Think they were right.

That makes sense then stripey. With her getting sacked for it.

I was wondering if I was going mad when the majority of the comments were saying it wasn't racist.

Mind you it is the site of the Bristol evening post, which sometimes makes the daily mail look moderate

I found this story so bizarre. How could she be a journalist and yet so detached from reality as to think this was acceptable?

Was she drunk when she made the call?

I wish she would explain why she said all that - I mean as a 14 year old I too was rather scared of people who a) didn't speak the same language as me and b) were of a different culture. I was afraid of doing or saying something wrong in their company. I was also afraid that I would not be understood should I need to communicate urgently.
But that wasn't a good thing - it just meant I was immature and inexperienced and if this woman's daughter is that scared of people in turbans she shouldn't be out on her own!!! Also I would never have asked for 'someone English', whatever. I don't get what that is all about really.

I think the fact the woman used the fact she worked at the BBC as a way to back herself up, makes it inevitable that the job has to go really. She's a liability to them.

I do wonder though if they kind of wanted an excuse to get shot anyway, after all her form - I mean speeding and alcoholism and such are not exactly key to a good reference.

If her dd was genuinely scared of people in turbans why didn't she just ask for a driver who didn't wear a turban? Where I am right now the vast majority of taxi drivers are Asian but only a small minority wear turbans.
If she didn't want an Asian driver why didn't she just ask for a woman driver and then she would have ended up with a white woman and no-one would have been able to say anything. (Am not condoning this!)

She must have been drunk.

I would like to hear her side of the story frankly.

I don't like to pass judgemtn on something reported one sidedly esp from the Sun

It sounds terrible

I am just curious to know why it was said.

Doesn't sound wonderful does it, but the bit about it being for her daughter is muddying it for me. I'd like to know more about that. Suppose she was SN and nervous with strangers...

Wish I could ask for a driver who spoke english (never mind what color)

Onager - I am always afraid to admit it but I do find it really hard speaking to people in say a call centre in Delhi. Sometimes it's fine but sometimes it's awful especially when you aren't quite sure what YOU are trying to say, let alone how to get it across in textbook English

I have only once ever asked to speak to someone else through being completely unable to grasp what they were saying

Happens with Scottish call centres as well

I'm just crap aren't I

Kathy, are there really NO asian women taxi drivers?

scared of turbans wtf

now had she ask for a female driver and left it at that, I could understand, but if that was the conversation, as given, it was racist pure and simple.

Flight, My ISP staff are Bulgerian. They are really helpful, but sometimes it's like a comedy sketch and I feel embarrassed at making them repeat everything three times. As you say it's worse because of the subject.

"why didn't she just ask for a woman driver and then she would have ended up with a white woman and no-one would have been able to say anything" this statement is incorrect.

Reading that transcript, she is definitely racist. No ifs or buts about it in my opinion. I can't understand why so many people on that particular website are saying its not racism, it clearly is! Not only does she sound racist but she comes across as an up herself arsehole too. Whats all that "I work at the BBC. I?m far from racist and that uneducated woman has no right to call me one." Christ, she sounds like a right snotty cow!

And her daughter is 14? And they live in Bristol? Why on earth would she be freaked out by an Asian/Turban wearing driver?

That conversation was not only racist but sounded completely mad. I doubt there is any 14 year old, anywhere in the UK, who'd be "freaked out" by a turban, let alone one who lived in a multi-cultural city.

To say "if it was me I wouldn't care, but it's my little girl we're talking about" (or words to that effect, not a direct quote) implies that turban wearing men are predatory.

The BBC is supposed to be unbiased (though whether or not it is in all aspects of its reporting and attitude is a whole other story) and therefore cannot possibly be seen to be employing someone who's expressed such racist views.

SHe was very annoying on Radio Bristol though. And Richard Lewis who used to do her slot was SO lovely.

From just reading the transcript it sounds like she is was being racist. Love the way she uses the old age not a racist defence - the fact that her daughter's godparents are black. I'm not racist, I have black friends!

I do feel sorry for her though - may tip her over the edge again.