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What If...

What if you planned a vacation and were very much looking forward to it. What if the day for you to board the plane to go to the Caribbean was here and you anxiously get ready to take your seat... What if the plane is crowded and you have to sit in your assigned seat... when you get there you notice that the person sitting next to you looks almost like Osama Bin Laden. you look around to see if anyone has notice this, but everyone were about their business... what would you do?

This thread seeks to understand how people profile others.

If What

I would do nothing. I would assume he just looks like him, but is not really him. If it were really him, then I would feel safe because terrorists wouldn't blow up a plane with Osama on it.

If I were sure it was him, I might tell a flight attendant. I wouldn't do it from my seat though. I would get up to go the bathroom and then while away from my seat tell the stewardess.

What If... History & Civil Business Politics

That tickled my funny bone... supposed it was Osama's time for martyrdom Or then again, supposed it wasn't Osama but someone that had the same frame of mind.

Actually, from what martial arts I did I often wondered why many think that it only takes a gun to hold people at ransom. If there are enough people with 'spare parts' they could cause people serious damage. Also, there are plastic guns now... right? How do they detect those However. to keep this on topic I am sure that flights are monitored based on number vs race... so if 10 middle eastern men boarded a plane going from NY to FL I am sure there would be suspicion?

If What

I'd do nothing. I'm sure lots of people on this planet look like Osama Bin Laden. Bin Laden will never again in his life ride on a plane. He hides out in caves because if he goes anywhere else he'll get killed. Isn't he on dialysis anyway, so he'd need a big machine to keep him alive? Bin Laden wouldn't ride a commercial plane, he sends other people to crash planes and bomb buildings for him and then he sits and watches it on the news like a wimp.

If What

Recent events are rapidly leading people to really start profiling who is on the airplane with them. Here are a few items that apply to this situation:

Start with the original story here.

In this, a woman who was flying from Detroit to Los Angeles experienced some extremely strange and frightening things on the flight.

Then there is the followup here.

In this one, she got a lot of mail from flight attendants and pilots, saying that these things are happening all the time.

Finally, since a lot of people thought this was probably a hoax, there is some confirmation, not only of the particular story, but of the fact that Middle-Eastern men are continuously probing our airlines' defenses.

https://www.washtimes.com/national/20040721-101403-1508r.htm

It looks like air flight isn't really all that safe - still.

Update:
I can't get the first two links to work, so go to:
https://www.nighthawk.bordeglobal.com/foruminv/index.php?showforum=120/index.php?p=19

for links.


Edited: Nighthawk on 22nd Jul, 2004 - 4:06pm

What If...

The danger in this (these experiences becoming popular opinion) is that whether it be true or not it will become true in the people's minds. You know what they say - if you hear something enough times it becomes true even if it is in fact false - how many times do people hear that an Arab is more likely to be a terrorist? In Trinidad no one might consider me, but let's say I or even someone like Malexander was on a plane with all caucasians - wow - what would the feeling be like?

What If...

I'm definitely not saying it is right. I am just pointing out that these incidents are going to get more and more coverage, making people much more sensitive. Eventually, I think that the fear will overcome our objections to "profiling", so that a little more investigation will be in order before flights.

What If... Politics Business Civil & History

The subject of this topic has hit close to home for me many times, being of East Indian descent. Post 9-11, I was very cautious as to where I went, how I dressed, and how I behaved, for fear of being profiled. My wife always comments that when I let my beard and facial hair grow, that I look Middle Eastern. Let's say for every flight I have taken since, the first thing I do is cleanly shave my face. I also live in a MidWest town so I am a definite minority, and if I hadnt been looked at twice when I moved here, I definitely was after 9-11.
What prompted me to update this discussion was a recent article I heard about, and just got to read today. Here is a link to it. I dont know what I would have done if put into that situation, but I would be definitely rattled.

Seems like my link does not work for some reason so here is the full URL:
https://www.womenswallstreet.com/WWS/articl...1&articleid=711


Edited: malexander on 23rd Jul, 2004 - 8:58pm