DL passenger denied boarding due to t-shirt design

Kind of a crazy story-- the short version: DL denied passenger boarding to a guy and his wife due to t-shirt design supposedly making passengers "uncomfortable." After some decent interaction with the TSA (who seem to come out as reasonable in this story), the airport police (in this case, he was flying out of BUF, so it was the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority) come over and say a lot of really stupid things. Sounds like a case of "flying while brown" combined with idiotic airport cops.

The whole story is a must-read... http://arijitvsdelta.blogspot.co.uk/

(p.s. to mods: if this would be better in another forum, my apologies, please feel free to relocate)

I plowed through the article, and while I have some sympathy for the author, the airport is usually not the place to argue about this kind of stuff. To do so may oftentimes get one the results the author got, right or wrong as the case may be. Yes, you can claim you were wronged, complain to whomever, write a blog or whatever, etc., etc..Enough said.

I agree, though it doesn't sound like he was doing much arguing-- the DL rep was clueless, the TSA was "doing their job" but at least sympathetic, and the airport cops sounded like total jerks. They caused him to miss his flight and he was being asked really idiotic questions by the airport cops... in the same situation, I might have given a few sarcastic answers back, too.

I wonder what compensation he'll end up getting from Delta.

I read it all - sorry for what you went through. Sadly, with some jumped up jerks in society, put a uniform on them and they think they are God. Disgraceful.

Sounds to me like someone wearing a tshirt designed to get attention, and he got it.

he's an idiot. plain and simple. don't wear stupid s*** that a lot of other people don't know the meaning of when it could be construed the wrong way

I'm happy to say that it's not my story... and I agree, if everything the author claims is true, the whole thing is pretty ridiculous and makes DL and the airport cops look terrible.

I would disagree, and here's why: did you see the t-shirt in question? I had to go back and look at it a few times because it's so not offensive. It's an interesting, complex graphic design (with no offensive elements) and some (very small, non-offensive) copy around the outside. Hmm in fact here it is:



If you visit any hip t-shirt store (or even the not-so-hip, like Urban Outfitters), you'll find many shirts that are far more graphic and/or offensive than this. Seriously, I had to look at it twice to even figure out what people are so upset about. To me it "reads" as some kind of design that might be from a movie or TV show. Perhaps the phrase "take off your shoes" was too much?

And furthermore: you may not like this t-shirt or the design isn't right for you... no problem.... but really, would you be "uncomfortable" by some guy wearing it? (Haven't we all seen much, much worse?) Did the DL rep think "real" terrorists could be spotted by the advertising on their t-shirts? Good grief. If only there had been more unicorns, kittens and glitter, maybe then the guy and his wife would have been allowed to fly.

It's not as if you have rights or anything.

After reading this whole posting, two parts (from the very beginning, actually) stuck out in my mind.

First:
"On August 18, after I cleared multiple TSA security checks, a Delta pilot denied my right to board a flight."

-Sorry, boss. Flying a plane is by no means a right. Free speech is a right. Freedom to assemble is a right. Freedom to travel a private transportation carrier is not a right. You're in the pilot's world, in every way possible. If you can't handle that, there is a lovely interstate system that connects Buffalo and Phoenix.

And second:
"I was then questioned by TSA about the significance and meaning of the shirt. I politely explained that it was “mocking the security theater charade and over-reactions to terrorism by the general public — both of which we're seeing right now, ironically.” "

-Not the best place to voice your opinion about airport security. To airport security, at that. This is an expression of free speech, as no one threw you in jail for your opinion. Private businesses do not have to respect your opinion. The phrase "we reserve the right to refuse service" rings a bell.

Bottom line of this whole piece: Don't be an idiot. Not everyone is as humorous, hip, and witty when it comes to dealing with airline terrorism... Especially those directly affected by airline terrorism... In the state of New York... Where airline terrorism kind of disrupted life for a few people.

Just my two cents.

I'm pretty sure that there is no right to fly DL while wearing an obnoxious t-shirt meant to incite this sort of reaction, but feel free to point me to case law or statute that says otherwise.

Frankly, I'm happy for the guy. He clearly wanted this to happen, so I'm glad someone obliged. As for everyone else involved, I'm sorry that they had to be hassled by some clown so stupid as to think this sort of hissy fit is constructive and likely to affect change.

There’s ten minutes of my life I’m never going to get back.

I believe this guy wore the shirt with the intention of drawing the precise attention he got and, when he “waved his red cape,” got the treatment he deserved.

I support the guy’s right to believe the government overreacts to security threats…but the airport is the wrong place to expect people to listen quietly. I’d say he ought to know better, but I suspect he does…

In what way was this guy humorous, hip, or witty? I didn't laugh and not because I can't laugh at airline terrorism, TSA agents, or crazy government regulation. I didn't laugh because it was so dull, unoriginal, and lacking in either subtlety or over-the-top absurdness. It was just so utterly contrived and earnest.

As other posters have said, this guy was LOOKING for attention. He's not a nursing mom with breastmilk she doesn't want to go through a radiation field. He's not an elderly woman who doesn't want her underpants checked. He's a guy who wanted to make a spectacle of himself and did so. He doesn't deserve jack-diddlysquat from Delta. He's lucky he ever gets to fly a US-based carrier again.

Jesus Christ... It's sarcasm. Read my whole post. I'm obviously not taking the dude's side.