What would you have done?
#17
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 1,593
Hello,
I am Israeli and my mom is too(duh) . We were travelling to Budapest and on the plane a person came to us. He announced he was Hungarian and anti semitic person. He said he hates Israel he hates us hates Jews etc... bla bla bla and then boarded the plane. Now what would you have done?
I am Israeli and my mom is too(duh) . We were travelling to Budapest and on the plane a person came to us. He announced he was Hungarian and anti semitic person. He said he hates Israel he hates us hates Jews etc... bla bla bla and then boarded the plane. Now what would you have done?
#18
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: south of WAS DC
Posts: 10,131
don't wear your heart on your sleeve. aussies hated orientals. germans hated jews. germans are not nice to polishers. french hated jews. french hated bush americans. northern italians hate southern italians. londoners hate packies. irishers hate english. all them guys in yugoslavia hated each other. you think everybody loves you? just because of your nationality/religion?
i do not like to go through FRA, because of the abuse i get from the TSA. they try to take stuff from polish. i missed my last plane through when the guy tried to take my tooth cleaning machine.
is it a big surprise to you that someone hates jews, or Israelis???
i do not like to go through FRA, because of the abuse i get from the TSA. they try to take stuff from polish. i missed my last plane through when the guy tried to take my tooth cleaning machine.
is it a big surprise to you that someone hates jews, or Israelis???
#19
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: NOC/LAX
Posts: 432
I definitely would not have engaged the anti-Semite in any way, shape, or form. Ignorant people like that can't be reasoned with so there would be absolutely no benefit.
I would have reported it to someone in charge because of the reasons Finkface mentioned. The fact that he was bold enough to come up to you and say what he did makes me think he may have trouble containing himself during the flight, perhaps even getting physical.
I would have reported it to someone in charge because of the reasons Finkface mentioned. The fact that he was bold enough to come up to you and say what he did makes me think he may have trouble containing himself during the flight, perhaps even getting physical.
#21
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Boston MA
Programs: US SP, JetBlue Mosaic, AMEX Plat
Posts: 101
I've been in a similar situation. I would have smiled at him and simply stated, "You must live such a fulfilling life walking around with so much hatred towards others."
... and then reported him to the flight crew as a danger, with the goal of having him removed from the flight.
... and then reported him to the flight crew as a danger, with the goal of having him removed from the flight.
#22
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: RDU
Posts: 5,208
I've been in a similar situation. I would have smiled at him and simply stated, "You must live such a fulfilling life walking around with so much hatred towards others."
... and then reported him to the flight crew as a danger, with the goal of having him removed from the flight.
... and then reported him to the flight crew as a danger, with the goal of having him removed from the flight.
#23
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: NOC/LAX
Posts: 432
But you can't easily get away from someone when you're locked in a metal tube with them at 30,000 feet. If someone is in the frame of mind to march up to strangers and declare their hatred of Jews, who knows what else they are capable of. This is the reason to alert someone in charge, before the plane takes off if possible. It might not be reason enough to have the ignorant fool removed, but it would at least give the flight staff fair warning to keep an eye on him in case he decides to elevate his hatred to something more than words.
#24
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: RDU
Posts: 5,208
But you can't easily get away from someone when you're locked in a metal tube with them at 30,000 feet. If someone is in the frame of mind to march up to strangers and declare their hatred of Jews, who knows what else they are capable of. This is the reason to alert someone in charge, before the plane takes off if possible. It might not be reason enough to have the ignorant fool removed, but it would at least give the flight staff fair warning to keep an eye on him in case he decides to elevate his hatred to something more than words.
#25
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: DEB, flies from BUD
Programs: AA Plat (OWS), W6 Discount Club, TK Elite (*G), ex-MA Gold, Carlson Gold
Posts: 271
Hello,
I am Israeli and my mom is too(duh) . We were travelling to Budapest and on the plane a person came to us. He announced he was Hungarian and anti semitic person. He said he hates Israel he hates us hates Jews etc... bla bla bla and then boarded the plane. Now what would you have done?
I am Israeli and my mom is too(duh) . We were travelling to Budapest and on the plane a person came to us. He announced he was Hungarian and anti semitic person. He said he hates Israel he hates us hates Jews etc... bla bla bla and then boarded the plane. Now what would you have done?
#26
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Usually in SAN or Central Europe.
Programs: AA:EXP/1MM. Accor/Radisson:Silver; HH:Gold; ICH:Plt Amb.
Posts: 22,307
What should you have done? What was the crime he commited? Aside from the stupid insult, did you feel that he was a threat to you, other passengers, or the flight crew? And there was never a clarification if this flight originated in TLV. If it did, perhaps he had a miserable time with Israeli airport security. And was just venting his anger onto others. I've seen the TSA here get people worked up and into a bad mood. That doesn't excuse his actions. But I just would have shook my head and just said "whatever".
#28
Used to be 'flymanbeast'
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2011
Programs: Delta silver/marriot platinum
Posts: 2,795
1. Were you traveling from TLV to BUD? If so, wouldn't the whole plane be full of Israelis, and wouldn't the man have just been in Israel himself? I wonder why he singled you two out to receive his diatribe. If it had been me, and the plane had been sitting on the ground in TLV at the time, I probably would have (a) asked him what the hell he was doing in Israel if he hated Israel and Jews so much, and then (b) pointed him out immediately to the crew as a security risk. It would be poetic justice for him to get pulled off the plane and questioned for seven or eight hours by Israeli security.
2. If you weren't in TLV, how did he know you were Israeli? (I can think of a lot of non-Israelis who speak Hebrew.) If the plane was outside Israel at the time, I probably would have just told him to f*** off, notified cabin crew of the situation so they could watch out for him, and carried on with my flight. It stinks, but there are racists and bigots all over the world, and sometimes you have to let things just roll off you.
2. If you weren't in TLV, how did he know you were Israeli? (I can think of a lot of non-Israelis who speak Hebrew.) If the plane was outside Israel at the time, I probably would have just told him to f*** off, notified cabin crew of the situation so they could watch out for him, and carried on with my flight. It stinks, but there are racists and bigots all over the world, and sometimes you have to let things just roll off you.
#30
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: MSY
Programs: BA GfL
Posts: 5,921
Anyway, I still say I'd have done my #2 response, namely, tell him to f*** off, let the flight attendant know what happened and who spoke to you, and then sat down to fly to Budapest. I hope you had a nice time there in the end. Budapest is a wonderful place to visit, my favorite in Central Europe.