240,000 dollars awarded to man forced to cover Arab T-shirt
Quote:
An airline passenger forced to cover his T-shirt because it displayed Arabic script has been awarded 240,000 dollars in compensation, campaigners said Monday.
Raed Jarrar received the pay out on Friday from two US Transportation Security Authority officials and from JetBlue Airways following the August 2006 incident at New York's JFK Airport, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) announced.
Not enough and I bet those responsible don't have to cough up but at least it is a start in the right direction.
Although it's a really bad thing, that guy doesn't deserve $240,000 for being forced to cover up his shirt. I'm sure attorneys collected a large portion of that too. They definitely deserve to be punished for around this amount but I don't think the recipients incurred damages in anywhere near that amount.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by johnnybgood3
Although it's a really bad thing, that guy doesn't deserve $240,000 for being forced to cover up his shirt. I'm sure attorneys collected a large portion of that too. They definitely deserve to be punished for around this amount but I don't think the recipients incurred damages in anywhere near that amount.
The problem is, the only thing these big companies understand is money. They don't respect personal rights, or common sense, ethics, or morals, or anything else. Unless you cost them money, they simply won't change their behavior.
It's pretty clear that the amount is punitive, not compensatory. I only hope that it's high enough for JetBlue not to even think about doing this again.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by johnnybgood3
Although it's a really bad thing, that guy doesn't deserve $240,000 for being forced to cover up his shirt. I'm sure attorneys collected a large portion of that too. They definitely deserve to be punished for around this amount but I don't think the recipients incurred damages in anywhere near that amount.
The lawyers are the ones who did the grunt work necessary to get this award. They were the ones fighting the inane injustice, and they should be compensated for that. To suggest otherwise is to suggest that only wealthy people with plenty of free time should ever mount a challenge against this kind of injustice.
Completely agree. He should gave gotten at least ten times that amount and should also have been able to sue the individuals, as opposed to the "man" - a very, very inadequate payout indeed. Justice has not been served.
I believe that damages paid to the "victim" should be limited to something that is commensurate with suffering inflicted. Probably 0.1% of that amount (i.e. $240) should be enough for having to cover up his T-shirt.
However, I would like to see total damages payable by the officials, TSA bosses and TSA to be multiplied by 10 from the current sum to $2,400,000, with two officials footing 10% each, bosses of TSA 40%, and TSA as an organisation footing the rest.
It should then hurt enough for them not to behave in a similar way again.
I'd then like to see the money going to a proper good cause (that does not mean anything to do with moronic security measures - perhaps 'save lots of puppy dogs funds' or something), or split up and refunded to taxpayers of the US assuming the TSA is funded by tax.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AusEuroFlyer
I believe that damages paid to the "victim" should be limited to something that is commensurate with suffering inflicted. Probably 0.1% of that amount (i.e. $240) should be enough for having to cover up his T-shirt.
You realize that this would make it impossible for any non-wealthy person to take this kind of action? $240 would probably come nowhere near covering his expenses (transport, communication, time) for the lawsuit.
$240k is nothing to the airlines and the TSA. The guy in question will probably see no more than a small fraction of this money anyways.
You realize that this would make it impossible for any non-wealthy person to take this kind of action? $240 would probably come nowhere near covering his expenses (transport, communication, time) for the lawsuit.
$240k is nothing to the airlines and the TSA. The guy in question will probably see no more than a small fraction of this money anyways.
The costs/expenses to be covered by the defendants - I was only talking about damages that the plaintiff receives 'in hand' so to speak. It's obvious that costs/expenses can't be covered by $240.
The problem is, the only thing these big companies understand is money. They don't respect personal rights, or common sense, ethics, or morals, or anything else. Unless you cost them money, they simply won't change their behavior.
It's pretty clear that the amount is punitive, not compensatory. I only hope that it's high enough for JetBlue not to even think about doing this again.
As much as I like jetBlue this isn't enough. The person should have been awarded at least 10x what was awarded plus legal and court costs.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AusEuroFlyer
The costs/expenses to be covered by the defendants - I was only talking about damages that the plaintiff receives 'in hand' so to speak. It's obvious that costs/expenses can't be covered by $240.
I was not aware that plaintiff's costs, such as lost work hours, gas, phone bills, mailing costs, etc., were covered by the defendants (other than coming out of the award).
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