re Jewish prayer causes flight diversion

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Abe Singer <abe () oyvay nu>
> Date: January 21, 2010 3:43:22 PM EST
> To: Ted Kircher <tkircher () comcast net>
> Cc: Dave Farber <dave () farber net>
> Subject: Re: [IP] Jewish prayer causes flight diversion

> [ Dr. Farber, please post this followup to IP if you want]
>
> Sorry, I still think it's absurd.  Tefillin are not at all unusual
> to the Jewish American public.  This was an ignorant, hysterical,
> unnecessary reaction.
>
> What percentage of the population would have to be familiar with an
> object for it to not require approval?  How is the traveller
> supposed to know what that percentage is?
>
> What is the acceptable level of ignorance that justifies diverting a  
> plane?
> Does it take a majority on the plane to find someone/something  
> unusual?
> Or just a small minority?  Or just an ignorant crew member?
>
> Should a plane be divereted because someone doesn't like another  
> person's
> haircut?
>
> And *who* decides all this?  The Census Bureau?
>
>
>
> On Thu, Jan 21, 2010 at 02:29:08PM -0500, Ted Kircher wrote:
> > Abe,
> >
> > As to your comment, "Just when I thought it couldn't get more  
> > absurd",
> > I think this was a reasonable response in US's climate of  
> > 'terrorism fear' today.
> > Anything that is unfamiliar to the general American public, such as  
> > a tefillin, is
> > very likely to create this sort of reaction.
> >
> > As such, a person who wants to handle an unusual object (to  
> > Americans) during
> > a flight should get it approved (in some way that the flight crew  
> > would understand)
> > during check-in to avoid this type of problem.
> >
> > PS: Mass transportation (planes, train, bus, ..) security issues  
> > are only going to
> >      become more complex since terrorists weapons are going to be  
> > smaller and
> >      more powerful.
> > Ted
> >
> >  ----- Original Message -----
> >  From: Dave Farber
> >  To: ip
> >  Sent: Thursday, January 21, 2010 1:12 PM
> >  Subject: [IP] Jewish prayer causes flight diversion
> >
> > > From: "Abe Singer" <abe () oyvay nu>
> > > To: "Dave Farber" <dave () farber net>
> > > Date: January 21, 2010 12:54:19 PM EST
> > > Subject: Jewish prayer causes flight diversion
> > >
> > > Dr. Farber,
> > >
> > > For IP if you wish:
> > >
> > > Just when I thought it couldn't get more absurd, a flight today got
> > > diverted with bomb scare due to someone deeming a Jewish prayer by  
> > > a US
> > > citizen to be suspicious.
> > >
> > > http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/01/21/national/main6123671.shtml
> > >
> > > KYW reports that US Air flight 3079 from LaGuardia to Louisville was
> > > diverted to Philadelpia after a the passenger removed a  "tefillin,"
> > > a religious item used by observant Jewish men during weekday morning
> > > prayers, after takeoff.
> > >
> > > -- Abe
> >
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