Businessman sues BA 'for treating men like perverts'

Submitted by Proud_to_be_a_man on Sat, 2010-01-16 18:00

Story here. Excerpt:

'A businessman is suing British Airways over a policy that bans male passengers from sitting next to children they don't know - even if the child's parents are on the same flight.

Mirko Fischer has accused the airline of branding all men as potential sex offenders and says innocent travellers are being publicly humiliated.

In line with the policy, BA cabin crew patrol the aisles before take-off checking that youngsters travelling on their own or in a different row from their parents are not next to a male stranger.

If they find a man next to a child or teenager they will ask him to move to a different seat. The aircraft will not take off unless the passenger obeys.'

Unbelievable discrimination!

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Comments

I've wondered why this hadn't been fought before.
This is outrageous and male business travelers everywhere should be aware of it and boycott this airline, and any other that has the same policy.

oregon dad

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Submitted by oregon dad on Sun, 2010-01-17 00:01

I was molested as a child, by three different women. Not all at the same time, now that would be a memory! It was wrong for an adult to take advantage of a child period. I have been physically abused by women as a child, and from my father, as he was my mothers hitman. Women are human also, and they have the same weaknesses as men, only they show less constraint because they can get away with it. Demonize men, and perhaps men will become demons. Interesting thought actually. The system has been using women to oppress men for centuries, and look where that has got us!

David A. DeLong

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Submitted by David A. DeLong on Sun, 2010-01-17 01:46

This is stupid and completely sexist. This airline "rule" has got to go.

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Submitted by Kris on Sun, 2010-01-17 01:23

You know what I'd do if it happened to me? I wouldn't budge from my seat til they physically dragged my ass off the airplane. Then I'd sue them for that, and hopefully the incident would be in the news to boot.

-ax

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Submitted by axolotl on Sun, 2010-01-17 05:53

In one sense this is win-win situation for the airline. If they lose, they will have to scrap the rule, therefore, in the very hypothetical case that there is a child is molested on the plane in future, they are in the clear and no-one can acuse them of not doing enough to prevent it.

Also, I note some of the comments that children should not be allowed to fly unaccompanied. This would play into the hands of move-away parents and make it much more difficult for children in such situations to visit their father.

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Submitted by Malcolm on Sun, 2010-01-17 09:48

Although their intent is insulting and misguided, BA is in effect protecting innocent men more from false sexual abuse accusations then protecting the child from the man.

An accidental brush or an innocent smile could ruin the man's life. Believe me, if a man is sitting next to a child on the plane, someone is keeping an eye on them ready to turn him in for just being a man.

Imagine if BA took the line that they were protecting men from false accusations? It could work.

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Submitted by locksley2k on Mon, 2010-01-18 23:58

All members of the Star Alliance have adopted this Policy so it is advisable that MRAs choose airlines that are not Star Alliance members

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Submitted by Paragon on Tue, 2010-01-19 00:29

what other airlines are Star Alliance - are they just in the U.K.?

-ax

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Submitted by axolotl on Tue, 2010-01-19 03:40