I’ve been a little free with the words “stupid” and “idiocy” here of late, especially in connection with the recent behavior of AirTran.  The discussion that followed in the comments turned to whether or not it was worth it to stand up in the face of stupidity, especially when that stupidity came under the guise of “security.” Well, it was worth it for this fellow:
JetBlue and the TSA have settled a lawsuit brought by a man who was refused boarding on an airplane because he was wearing a shirt with Arabic writing on it (the TSA said that this was like “wearing a T-shirt at a bank stating, ‘I am a robber.'”). They’ve paid him $240,000.
Raed Jarrar, the fellow who dared wear a t-shirt JetBlue and TSA didn’t like, writes:
All people in this country have the right to be free of discrimination and to express their own opinions[.]Â With this outcome, I am hopeful that TSA and airlines officials will think twice before practicing illegal discrimination and that other travelers will be spared the treatment I endured.
If they can’t understand decency, make them familiar with the costs.
(I was surprised to find out that this is the same Raed Jarrar that writes RaedInTheMiddle, which I came to from the “Where Is Raed?” blog by Salam Pax. Used to read Jarrar quite a bit in 2004-2005.)
Peej
Wow. I remember talking about this when it first happened, what, a couple of years ago, right?
Thanks for posting the followup.
Amit
I am so going to create a custom t-shirt for my trip to Brazil
MB
An excellent business strategy, Amit.
~
Some time back (say, 2002/3), I was looking for a label maker that could print in Arabic. I wanted to make little labels that said – in Arabic – “Have a Nice Day” and leave them on airplanes.