Funny that: in SA we had separate train coaches (whites only in first class, others in second and third class), separate buses, separate taxis. Separate toilets, entrances. Separate queues in the post office. But no separation on planes! I guess it really was the socio-economic divide making sure that very few blacks flew. But big name entertainers like Della Reese and Josephine Baker (and loads of others, not sure why those two come to mind) came here by plane, so it wasn't an issue. I guess one shouldn't be surprised: the old SA was very adept at coping with double standards and anomalies in the political credo.

The distinction in most cases BTW was "white" and "non-white". So only if you were classified "white" could you use entrances etc. labelled "whites only". And yes, everybody was classified: Europeans, Indians, Coloureds (persons of mixed race), Bantus (indigenous blacks). "Europeans" were "whites" as well as Japanese and Chinese who were "honorary whites" (how gracious ). It was all very complicated, and because laws forbade inter-racial marriages, you got people trying to be reclassified. Also since you had to attend schools for your race and the quality of schools got better the lighter you were. One result of this was the infamous "pencil test". There were also regional oddities like the fact that Indians could pass through the Orange Free State but not spend the night there! Lord knows how they classified Mexicans etc. Probably not a big problem since if you weren't born here or light skinned you weren't exactly queueing up to come here.

Thinking back is enough to make me sick. But also unbelievably grateful that we managed to overcome it.