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Leaving Off the Airplane

On New Year's Day, nine Muslims were kicked off a flight from Washington to Florida.

As they were boarding, they got into a conversation about where the safest place to sit on a plane was. They talked about being close to the engine if something happened, and how safe it was sitting in the back of the plane.

Two teenager girls looked back, and then reported the "suspicious" conversation.

The nine, in beards and head scarves, were escorted off the plane. The FBI checked them out and cleared them, but AirTran Airways still didn't want to let them take a later flight.

And of course, one of the nine Muslims is a lawyer, which leads me to wonder if this was all planned by them. Hey...when there's a lawyer around, that's just where my mind wanders.

One of the things I read from this family, is that they said they've had suspicious stares before. So I'm wondering...if they get suspicious stares, why wear headscarves on a plane? Why talk about a plane "going down"?

You see, airplanes do what I wish movie theatres would do. If they don't like what you say, you're outta there.

I was flying back from Hawaii recently, and two young black, military guys were sitting at the next row over. They were being really loud, talking and cursing, and occasionally singing along to a rap on the ipod.

A woman that was sitting next to them approached, and the guys toned it down. She even asked them to hold her baby while she put something in the overhead storage bin.

I was reading a magazine when I saw airline officials approach the two guys. The woman and her child were gone. Those two were asked to leave the plane.

They asked what was wrong, and were told the woman said she was "sexually harassed." The guys said, "We're cool, we're cool." After two minutes of the airline saying the police will be called if they don't cooperate and leave the plane, they got up to go. They had to tell a few of their friends that sat elsewhere, that they were leaving.

My girlfriend and I discussed this at great length, because neither of us heard what the guys said. And it did seem extreme. But I doubt the woman lied, so they probably said something stupid.

Now my girlfriend and I are arguing about these Muslims. She has a fear of flying, and we've had similar conversations on planes. So she doesn't see why these people have to get thrown off for that conversation. I contend that...there IS profiling going on. And, that's just a part of life.

The few friends of mine that are cops, tell me they profile all the time. It's not a matter of race, necessarily. But it's the way people are dressed, or hanging out, outside of a burger joint.

If you're wearing gold chains and a sports jersey....the cops might think one thing. If you're wearing a sweater and jeans that aren't falling off your butt...police might think another.

Now, if you top all that off with the words coming out of your mouth...well, don't be surprised if you're escorted off a plane. Or having police bother you.

Now, if we can just get movie theatres to get this hardcore.

I remember watching Biloxi Blues at the Grossmont Theatres, and two groups of talkers got into a fist fight with each other.

We just heard about the guy that shot someone during Benjamin Buttons that wouldn't stop talking.

I guess the theatres won't do anything about the talkers or cell phones, until it's Muslims that bomb a theatre. And then, it'll only be the ones with burkas and turbans that get removed.

I have no problem with anybody wearing something over their head, as long as it's not to the DMV or court, where you aren't supposed to.

And, as long as the person with a turban isn't on a plane talking about the various ways planes can blow up or crash.

Oh...and as long as the dude in the turban isn't sitting directly in front of me at the movies.

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On New Year's Day, nine Muslims were kicked off a flight from Washington to Florida.

As they were boarding, they got into a conversation about where the safest place to sit on a plane was. They talked about being close to the engine if something happened, and how safe it was sitting in the back of the plane.

Two teenager girls looked back, and then reported the "suspicious" conversation.

The nine, in beards and head scarves, were escorted off the plane. The FBI checked them out and cleared them, but AirTran Airways still didn't want to let them take a later flight.

And of course, one of the nine Muslims is a lawyer, which leads me to wonder if this was all planned by them. Hey...when there's a lawyer around, that's just where my mind wanders.

One of the things I read from this family, is that they said they've had suspicious stares before. So I'm wondering...if they get suspicious stares, why wear headscarves on a plane? Why talk about a plane "going down"?

You see, airplanes do what I wish movie theatres would do. If they don't like what you say, you're outta there.

I was flying back from Hawaii recently, and two young black, military guys were sitting at the next row over. They were being really loud, talking and cursing, and occasionally singing along to a rap on the ipod.

A woman that was sitting next to them approached, and the guys toned it down. She even asked them to hold her baby while she put something in the overhead storage bin.

I was reading a magazine when I saw airline officials approach the two guys. The woman and her child were gone. Those two were asked to leave the plane.

They asked what was wrong, and were told the woman said she was "sexually harassed." The guys said, "We're cool, we're cool." After two minutes of the airline saying the police will be called if they don't cooperate and leave the plane, they got up to go. They had to tell a few of their friends that sat elsewhere, that they were leaving.

My girlfriend and I discussed this at great length, because neither of us heard what the guys said. And it did seem extreme. But I doubt the woman lied, so they probably said something stupid.

Now my girlfriend and I are arguing about these Muslims. She has a fear of flying, and we've had similar conversations on planes. So she doesn't see why these people have to get thrown off for that conversation. I contend that...there IS profiling going on. And, that's just a part of life.

The few friends of mine that are cops, tell me they profile all the time. It's not a matter of race, necessarily. But it's the way people are dressed, or hanging out, outside of a burger joint.

If you're wearing gold chains and a sports jersey....the cops might think one thing. If you're wearing a sweater and jeans that aren't falling off your butt...police might think another.

Now, if you top all that off with the words coming out of your mouth...well, don't be surprised if you're escorted off a plane. Or having police bother you.

Now, if we can just get movie theatres to get this hardcore.

I remember watching Biloxi Blues at the Grossmont Theatres, and two groups of talkers got into a fist fight with each other.

We just heard about the guy that shot someone during Benjamin Buttons that wouldn't stop talking.

I guess the theatres won't do anything about the talkers or cell phones, until it's Muslims that bomb a theatre. And then, it'll only be the ones with burkas and turbans that get removed.

I have no problem with anybody wearing something over their head, as long as it's not to the DMV or court, where you aren't supposed to.

And, as long as the person with a turban isn't on a plane talking about the various ways planes can blow up or crash.

Oh...and as long as the dude in the turban isn't sitting directly in front of me at the movies.

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