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Lack of poppies at T5 and onboard

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Old Nov 4, 2013, 4:30 am
  #31  
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Originally Posted by matthandy
Why? It sounds like the OP was perfectly capable of asking an unloaded question (where the motive was to discover if BA had a policy in place) without casting aspersions that the crew member was wrong not to wear one.

It's a logical question to ask and the right person to ask it to in the situation that the OP found him/herself in at the time.
No way was that an unloaded question

It is not a logical question to ask to a random member of staff but to address to the appropriate department at BA's head office and then BA can reply if it desires
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Old Nov 4, 2013, 4:35 am
  #32  
 
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Originally Posted by matthandy
Why? It sounds like the OP was perfectly capable of asking an unloaded question (where the motive was to discover if BA had a policy in place) without casting aspersions that the crew member was wrong not to wear one.

It's a logical question to ask and the right person to ask it to in the situation that the OP found him/herself in at the time.

I personally believe that some people in society are too quick to try to find negativity or unsavoury motives in other people's behaviour. Life is a lot easier to live by adopting a more positive attitude. That's what I've found anyway.
^^
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Old Nov 4, 2013, 4:56 am
  #33  
 
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It's a difficult topic.

I wear a poppy. But it's the only demonstration of, for want of a better way of putting it, a political sentiment (small p) that I'm comfortable wearing. I really don't like the wearing of ribbons or wristbands. It strikes me that they speak more loudly of the desire of the wearer to be thought of as virtuous than a promotion of a particular cause. Or, God help us, an act of "awareness raising."

The wearing of a poppy, though, strikes me as falling into a different category. It is a national, collective expression of gratitude and of loss. I'm comfortable with that.

But equally, I rather think that the millions who died did so that we might be free. That we would never be compelled, by the state or otherwise, to do or say or believe anything. That's Jon Snow's line on Channel 4 news. Call him a north London pinko if you must but he has a point.

I'm a recovering Catholic, educated by Benedictine men in dresses on a remote, North Yorkshire moor. The first few verses of Matthew 6 are illuminating on this point.

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/...+6&version=KJV

Make your own choice. Be dignified about it. Others must make their own choices.
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Old Nov 4, 2013, 5:10 am
  #34  
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Originally Posted by knifeandfork
It's a difficult topic.

[snip]

But equally, I rather think that the millions who died did so that we might be free. That we would never be compelled, by the state or otherwise, to do or say or believe anything. That's Jon Snow's line on Channel 4 news. Call him a north London pinko if you must but he has a point.
Indeed it can be difficult and I enjoyed reading that.

I wear a poppy (highly unusual in my family) more or less so that Mr. Snow cannot! It's precisely because of our freedom, represented by the poppy, that others can choose to wear it or not. Whether because we don't want to, cannot be bothered, don't believe in it, think there are better ways of doing it, think it's trite, ran out of time: it's all good to my mind! That is precisely this freedom which we are privileged to have. My choice is just my view, and I must respect those who think diferently, I'd be appalled if someone wore it just because of peer pressure or because an airline management thought it would be good.

In recent years I've worn my poppy flying into Dublin, Belfast, Luxembourg and many other places. It raises smiles in Canada and Australia, questions in the USA and the Middle East, supportive gestures in the Netherlands. The only time I felt uncomfortable wearng it was in Dresden, for obvious reasons, but that was my own thoughts, not anything that anyone local said or did.
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Old Nov 4, 2013, 5:20 am
  #35  
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Can you get them through mail order?
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Old Nov 4, 2013, 5:25 am
  #36  
 
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Originally Posted by HIDDY
Can you get them through mail order?
Not the paper poppies but you can get poppy pins etc by mail order http://www.poppyshop.org.uk/
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Old Nov 4, 2013, 5:37 am
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Originally Posted by corporate-wage-slave
The only time I felt uncomfortable wearng it was in Dresden, for obvious reasons, but that was my own thoughts, not anything that anyone local said or did.
Given that most (if not all) Germans have not the faintest idea what the poppy is about, you're more or less guaranteed to be fine. And even if they did know, they'd mostly be fine with it. Germans as a whole are quite a bit more anglophile than the Daily Mail would have it.
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Old Nov 4, 2013, 5:41 am
  #38  
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Originally Posted by HIDDY
Can you get them through mail order?
I can post you some - I have access to tens of thousands!! PM me.
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Old Nov 4, 2013, 5:45 am
  #39  
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Originally Posted by Physci
Not the paper poppies but you can get poppy pins etc by mail order http://www.poppyshop.org.uk/
Quite an extensive range of poppy related items. ^
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Old Nov 4, 2013, 6:02 am
  #40  
 
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Originally Posted by corporate-wage-slave
I wear a poppy (highly unusual in my family) more or less so that Mr. Snow cannot! It's precisely because of our freedom, represented by the poppy, that others can choose to wear it or not. Whether because we don't want to, cannot be bothered, don't believe in it, think there are better ways of doing it, think it's trite, ran out of time: it's all good to my mind! That is precisely this freedom which we are privileged to have. My choice is just my view, and I must respect those who think diferently, I'd be appalled if someone wore it just because of peer pressure or because an airline management thought it would be good.
I agree (and I also agree with knifeandfork, though I do wear a Help for Heroes wristband). Personally i'd feel naked without a poppy at this time of year. But that's my choice and I wouldn't force it on others. I'd be horrified if my employer tried to force all staff to wear one.
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Old Nov 4, 2013, 6:24 am
  #41  
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When I was at school you were expected not only to 'buy' one from the teacher but to wear it all the time.
I'm sure that isn't allowed nowadays.
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Old Nov 4, 2013, 6:29 am
  #42  
 
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Originally Posted by exilencfc
I agree (and I also agree with knifeandfork, though I do wear a Help for Heroes wristband). Personally i'd feel naked without a poppy at this time of year. But that's my choice and I wouldn't force it on others. I'd be horrified if my employer tried to force all staff to wear one.
That is an excellent view to take!

When I was a child a person called to the door every year to sell the poppy. In my particular part of Northern Ireland that had the potential to be troublesome but there was never any bother. Looking back on it I applaud that person!

The poppy can be quite emotive. For BA it would probably be easier banning any non-uniform items.
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Old Nov 4, 2013, 6:35 am
  #43  
 
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I have a Buckley poppy that I bought on line. 3rd year I have worn it and I gift aid a small amount each year rather than buy new (which would be a waste of resources in my mind). Plus this years is a bit garish for me
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Old Nov 4, 2013, 7:09 am
  #44  
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Just to be clear, I simply made an observation that compared to previous years there was a notable lack of poppies at T5 (at the time I was passing through) and asked if it was due to company policy.

We were just having a friendly general chat, I never suggested that I thought she should be wearing one. She said she wanted to wear one, but simply hadn't seen them to buy yet... probably understandable if you live a busy schedule of home > airport > abroad > airport > home.

As I said previously, I'm glad to hear that they have made their way into T5 now.
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Old Nov 4, 2013, 10:37 am
  #45  
 
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Originally Posted by HIDDY
When I was at school you were expected not only to 'buy' one from the teacher but to wear it all the time.
I'm sure that isn't allowed nowadays.
I would hope that no school does that any more.
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