Male Passenger Sues British Airways For Sexual Discrimination

[Mr Lee]

Wow! British airlines must think all male passengers are sexual predators. 'Innocent until proven guilty' is not a presumption British Airlines is willing to make when it comes to sex offenders. The airline does not allow minors to be seated next to unfamiliar adult males, and now one man is accusing the airline of branding all men as sexual predators. "I was made to feel like a criminal in front of other passengers. It was totally humiliating," said 33-year-old business man Mirko Fischer to the UK's Daily Mail on January 16th. Fischer says he was insulted when forced to separate from his 6-month-pregnant wife after being sandwiched between her and a 12-year-old boy. The airline has a policy that children are not allowed to sit next to grown men who are strangers to them. British Airways cabin crew check the aisles before departure, ensuring unaccompanied children are not seated next to a man they do not know. Even if the child's parents are elsewhere on the plane, seats must be rearranged before takeoff. When Fischer's pregnant wife chose to sit in the window seat to be more comfortable, Fischer took the middle seat. After a young boy was seated on the aisle, a male steward took note and asked Fischer to move. When Fischer refused, the employee raised his voice, causing several alarmed passengers to turn around and gawk. After the steward told Fischer the plane could not take off unless he moved, Fischer changed seats. Now, he is suing the airline for sexual discrimination. Fischer hopes to make the point that all men should not be treated as a sexual threat to children. He has pledged to donate any compensation to the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, a London-based charity campaigning for child protection. Link to the whole crazy story

[Jollygoodfellow]

Wow! British airlines must think all male passengers are sexual predators. 'Innocent until proven guilty' is not a presumption British Airlines is willing to make when it comes to sex offenders. The airline does not allow minors to be seated next to unfamiliar adult males, and now one man is accusing the airline of branding all men as sexual predators. "I was made to feel like a criminal in front of other passengers. It was totally humiliating," said 33-year-old business man Mirko Fischer to the UK's Daily Mail on January 16th. Fischer says he was insulted when forced to separate from his 6-month-pregnant wife after being sandwiched between her and a 12-year-old boy. The airline has a policy that children are not allowed to sit next to grown men who are strangers to them. British Airways cabin crew check the aisles before departure, ensuring unaccompanied children are not seated next to a man they do not know. Even if the child's parents are elsewhere on the plane, seats must be rearranged before takeoff. When Fischer's pregnant wife chose to sit in the window seat to be more comfortable, Fischer took the middle seat. After a young boy was seated on the aisle, a male steward took note and asked Fischer to move. When Fischer refused, the employee raised his voice, causing several alarmed passengers to turn around and gawk. After the steward told Fischer the plane could not take off unless he moved, Fischer changed seats. Now, he is suing the airline for sexual discrimination. Fischer hopes to make the point that all men should not be treated as a sexual threat to children. He has pledged to donate any compensation to the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, a London-based charity campaigning for child protection. Link to the whole crazy story

I can understand both sides of the argument here.No such thing as innocent until proven guilty anymore but on the other hand prevention maybe better than the cure.

[Mr Lee]

Wow! British airlines must think all male passengers are sexual predators. 'Innocent until proven guilty' is not a presumption British Airlines is willing to make when it comes to sex offenders. The airline does not allow minors to be seated next to unfamiliar adult males, and now one man is accusing the airline of branding all men as sexual predators. "I was made to feel like a criminal in front of other passengers. It was totally humiliating," said 33-year-old business man Mirko Fischer to the UK's Daily Mail on January 16th. Fischer says he was insulted when forced to separate from his 6-month-pregnant wife after being sandwiched between her and a 12-year-old boy. The airline has a policy that children are not allowed to sit next to grown men who are strangers to them. British Airways cabin crew check the aisles before departure, ensuring unaccompanied children are not seated next to a man they do not know. Even if the child's parents are elsewhere on the plane, seats must be rearranged before takeoff. When Fischer's pregnant wife chose to sit in the window seat to be more comfortable, Fischer took the middle seat. After a young boy was seated on the aisle, a male steward took note and asked Fischer to move. When Fischer refused, the employee raised his voice, causing several alarmed passengers to turn around and gawk. After the steward told Fischer the plane could not take off unless he moved, Fischer changed seats. Now, he is suing the airline for sexual discrimination. Fischer hopes to make the point that all men should not be treated as a sexual threat to children. He has pledged to donate any compensation to the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, a London-based charity campaigning for child protection. Link to the whole crazy story

I can understand both sides of the argument here.No such thing as innocent until proven guilty anymore but on the other hand prevention maybe better than the cure.

You may be correct and it is better for them to be safe than sorry but when a man is with his pregnant wife and then the staff talks loudly so that others can hear and sort of insinuates that he is or could be a pedophile then I think there is a major problem with the staffs thinking, and why was it that the family was not with their child? and isn't it the families responsibility to make sure their child is safe? and to go one step beyond that, there seems to be just as many women pedophile recently in the news here in the US as there have been males, so why would a male child be safer next to a women, so IMO those rules are ridiculous and a child should be safe next to a married couple in most cases more than just a single man or single woman no matter which sex the couple member that was seated next to them would be. I think I would have just sat there and not let the plane take off or demanded to be moved with my wife to first class or the child be moved to near their parents and if that should ever happen to me then they would have to take me off the plane in handcuffs to get me to move and then I would sue them and then I am sure get a pretty big settlement. I hope the guy gets some big bucks out of his lawsuit.

[TheMason]

I can understand both sides of the argument here.No such thing as innocent until proven guilty anymore but on the other hand prevention maybe better than the cure.

I can understand both sides as well, but what I don't understand is why the airline didn't move the kid instead of forcing the guy to leave his pregnant wife alone for the flight. Not to take this topic off track, but this is one of the things I like about the Philippines. It is an adult oriented society and the needs of adults take precedence over the needs of children. Most western countries go too far in attempting to shield children from the dangers of the world.

[Jollygoodfellow]

Wow! British airlines must think all male passengers are sexual predators. 'Innocent until proven guilty' is not a presumption British Airlines is willing to make when it comes to sex offenders. The airline does not allow minors to be seated next to unfamiliar adult males, and now one man is accusing the airline of branding all men as sexual predators. "I was made to feel like a criminal in front of other passengers. It was totally humiliating," said 33-year-old business man Mirko Fischer to the UK's Daily Mail on January 16th. Fischer says he was insulted when forced to separate from his 6-month-pregnant wife after being sandwiched between her and a 12-year-old boy. The airline has a policy that children are not allowed to sit next to grown men who are strangers to them. British Airways cabin crew check the aisles before departure, ensuring unaccompanied children are not seated next to a man they do not know. Even if the child's parents are elsewhere on the plane, seats must be rearranged before takeoff. When Fischer's pregnant wife chose to sit in the window seat to be more comfortable, Fischer took the middle seat. After a young boy was seated on the aisle, a male steward took note and asked Fischer to move. When Fischer refused, the employee raised his voice, causing several alarmed passengers to turn around and gawk. After the steward told Fischer the plane could not take off unless he moved, Fischer changed seats. Now, he is suing the airline for sexual discrimination. Fischer hopes to make the point that all men should not be treated as a sexual threat to children. He has pledged to donate any compensation to the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, a London-based charity campaigning for child protection. Link to the whole crazy story

I can understand both sides of the argument here.No such thing as innocent until proven guilty anymore but on the other hand prevention maybe better than the cure.

You may be correct and it is better for them to be safe than sorry but when a man is with his pregnant wife and then the staff talks loudly so that others can hear and sort of insinuates that he is or could be a pedophile then I think there is a major problem with the staffs thinking, and why was it that the family was not with their child? and isn't it the families responsibility to make sure their child is safe? and to go one step beyond that, there seems to be just as many women pedophile recently in the news here in the US as there have been males, so why would a male child be safer next to a women, so IMO those rules are ridiculous and a child should be safe next to a married couple in most cases more than just a single man or single woman no matter which sex the couple member that was seated next to them would be. I think I would have just sat there and not let the plane take off or demanded to be moved with my wife to first class or the child be moved to near their parents and if that should ever happen to me then they would have to take me off the plane in handcuffs to get me to move and then I would sue them and then I am sure get a pretty big settlement. I hope the guy gets some big bucks out of his lawsuit.

I have been on a domestic flight in Australia with a unknown child besides me,they have a little tag saying something like lone traveler or something,the air hostess looked after her all the flight,I think this is arranged before hand and the child is maybe going to stay with grandma.I don't think a child could just bored an aircraft without prior arrangement so the seating arrangements should be worked out before hand.

[til]

Well he should have switched places back with his pregnant wife then I guess.Apart from that I don't understand this at all.I mean it's all very well if they use these guidelines when they give out the seat numbers at check-in, but enforcing them on board the plan in this manner is quite disturbing.

[Singers]

Well he should have switched places back with his pregnant wife then I guess.Apart from that I don't understand this at all.I mean it's all very well if they use these guidelines when they give out the seat numbers at check-in, but enforcing them on board the plan in this manner is quite disturbing.

This TRUTH about the changes to UK society crystallise's the move to a PC Britain.Common sense has departed and idiocy pervades. My UK exPat friends, almost every one, are planning on living outside UK when their O/Seas contracts expire. OZ, NZ, Florida,Etc. . Last evening's TV showed a UK Lady GP who is now a Doctor with The Australian "Flying Doctor" service. She said the need to have correct paperwork etc in UK meant she feltshe was no longer a Doctor who could spend time with patients.Last week I was in Worcester. I had a return Rail ticket but 35 minutes to wait for a train. The Droitwich Bus pulled up outside the Rail Station and I thought I will use my "Free Bus Pass" issued to over 60's.2 in the afrernoon - 3 people on the Bus. The driver asked for sight of my Pass. 2 years old with my Photo issued by the local Council. NO YOU must have the new "swipable" pass.But this shows my entitlement I said. "Sorry Rules Not me. GGrr. I waited for the TrainTom

[jamesmusslewhite]

The wife should have gotten her butt back in their assigned seat, and he should have said, "Yes Mam" and planted his butt back in his assigned seat. Simple. She must be a bitch and he an obvious pussy. The airline was in their right to reinforce company policy. They chose to change seats and disrupt the order on the plane, this action is not the airlines fault. Now he is going to prove he is a thoughtless arrogant pussy and sue? They should send him a letter explaining that he and his wife caused this problem, and inform them that they will no longer be able to use their flight services. Oh yes, And Have a Nice Day. We went from being real men during WW2 to being nothing but a bunch of thin-skinned arrogant thoughtless self-interest oriented pussies. What happen to manhood, has the whole damn world gone queer?

Edited January 30, 2010 by jamesmusslewhite

[Singers]

The wife should have gotten her butt back in their assigned seat, and he should have said, "Yes Mam" and planted his butt back in his assigned seat. Simple. She must be a bitch and he an obvious pussy. The airline was in their right to reinforce company policy. They chose to change seats and disrupt the order on the plane, this action is not the airlines fault. Now he is going to prove he is a thoughtless arrogant pussy and sue? They should send him a letter explaining that he and his wife caused this problem, and inform them that they will no longer be able to use their flight services. Oh yes, And Have a Nice Day. We went from being real men during WW2 to being nothing but a bunch of thin-skinned arrogant thoughtless self-interest oriented pussies. What happen to manhood, has the whole damn world gone queer?

You have said a mouthful. He was concerned about his wife's comfort and did not expect a steward to be so pedantic. It might have been possible to find a solutionwithout upsetting passengers. Concern for others has taken a hike and Rules rule it seems.

[tom_shor]

Why do they think the child is safer in a middle seat between two strange adults? He is still sitting next to the man. Now if something happens he can't get away because he is in the middle. Another proof that common sense is badly misnamed. If they are worried about that why isn't their company policy no unaccompanied minors. I wouldn't have moved either.