Businessman sues BA 'for treating men like perverts

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Businessman Mirko Fischer sues British Airwars 'for treating men like perverts' | Mail Online

A businessman is suing British Airways over a policy that bans male passengers from sitting next to children they don't know - even if the child's parents are on the same flight.

Mirko Fischer has accused the airline of branding all men as potential sex offenders and says innocent travellers are being publicly humiliated.

In line with the policy, BA cabin crew patrol the aisles before take-off checking that youngsters travelling on their own or in a different row from their parents are not next to a male stranger.

If they find a man next to a child or teenager they will ask him to move to a different seat. The aircraft will not take off unless the passenger obeys.

Mr Fischer, a 33-year-old hedge fund manager, became aware of the policy while he was flying from Gatwick with his wife Stephanie, 30.

His wife, who was six months pregnant, had booked a window seat which she thought would be more spacious. Mr Fischer was in the middle seat between her and a 12-year-old boy.

Shortly after all passengers had sat down, having stowed their bags in the overhead lockers, a male steward asked Mr Fischer to change his seat.

Mr Fischer refused, explaining that his wife was pregnant, at which point the steward raised his voice, causing several passengers to turn round in alarm. He warned that the aircraft could not take off unless Mr Fischer obeyed.

Mr Fischer eventually moved seats but felt so humiliated by his treatment that he is taking the airline to court on the grounds of sex discrimination-He is paying all his own legal fees.

If he wins at the hearing next month at Slough County Court, BA will have to change its policy.

He has promised to donate any compensation to the NSPCC.

Mr Fischer, who lives in Luxembourg with his wife and their daughter Sophia, said: 'This policy is branding all men as perverts for no reason. The policy and the treatment of male passengers is absolutely outrageous.

'A plane is a public place - cabin crew regularly walk down the aisles and passengers are sat so close to each other. The risk of any abuse is virtually zero.

'Furthermore statistically children are far more likely to be abused by a member of their family. Does that mean that BA are going to ban children sitting next to their own parents?'

'I was made to feel like a criminal in front of other passengers. It was totally humiliating. Neither myself or my wife dared to speak to the boy in case the cabin crew forced us from our seats. The poor child must have thought we were extremely rude and unfriendly.'

Claude Knights, of the children's charity Kidscape said: 'The airline should have procedures in place to avoid this sort of situation.

'If the airline is that concerned they should sit unaccompanied children with cabin crew who have no doubt been thoroughly vetted.'

A BA spokesman said: 'As this is case is subject to court proceedings, it would be inappropriate for us to comment at this time.'

Read more: Businessman Mirko Fischer sues British Airwars 'for treating men like perverts' | Mail Online
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What a world we live in. People going onto planes cannot be searched based on self evident criteria that makes them a slightly higher terrorist risk, and yet an airline can treat an entire gender like this.
 
egb_hibs said:
What a world we live in. People going onto planes cannot be searched based on self evident criteria that makes them a slightly higher terrorist risk, and yet an airline can treat an entire gender like this.
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i honestly can't work out whether this is satirical or just you
 
FTJT said:
i honestly can't work out whether this is satirical or just you
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what's so difficult?

at the moment the terrorist threat to planes is from islamists, and yet muslims, a demographic group from which 100% of islamists emerge, cannot be selectively targetted for searching because it's 'discriminatory'. at the same time the whole male gender can be discriminated against in this fashion.

it's mental.
 
The world is now clearly a fucked up place. This is shocking, you should be able to speak with children without feeling like a sex offender.

It must be really hard for coaches of youth teams having all these regulations in place and potentially having parents watching your everymove.

A few sick individuals have meant a massive change in the interactions between adults and children. It's quite sad really.
 
egb_hibs said:
what's so difficult?

at the moment the terrorist threat to planes is from islamists, and yet muslims, a demographic group from which 100% of islamists emerge, cannot be selectively targetted for searching because it's 'discriminatory'.
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As it should be




at the same time the whole male gender can be discriminated against in this fashion.

it's mental.
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Which is why Mirko Fischer is suing. It is unfair, it is discrimination and should be treated as such and BA's discriminatory policy discarded.
 
El Bastardo said:
Which is why Mirko Fischer is suing. It is unfair, it is discrimination and should be treated as such and BA's discriminatory policy discarded.
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This policy discrimates against women. Why should i have to sit next to some strange kid on a flight when a man in the same position would be moved?
Theres an automatic assumption that women like kids. Im far more likely to slam a meal tray into the face of a greeting wean than most men would be. The whole policy stinks. Weans should be nailed into a tea chest and put in the cargo hold:coffee:
 
Flasher said:
This policy discrimates against women. Why should i have to sit next to some strange kid on a flight when a man in the same position would be moved?
Theres an automatic assumption that women like kids. Im far more likely to slam a meal tray into the face of a greeting wean than most men would be. The whole policy stinks. Weans should be nailed into a tea chest and put in the cargo hold:coffee:
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I think it would be ok to hit annoying brat with tray as long as you don't stick a finger up his bum at the same time.
 
Westside Green said:
I think it would be ok to hit annoying brat with tray as long as you don't stick a finger up his bum at the same time.
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I dont have the co-ordination required to beat someone in the face with a tray and poke their bum at the same time. But thats another story.
I think the cargo hold is a better idea. I'd even let them have an exercise wheel and a water bottle to keep the do-gooders and hand-wringers happy.

Briant said:
You're supposed to be trying to shut the bairn up, not get a tune out if it :read:
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I've thought up at least half a dozen replies to that and theres not one of them suitable for posting.
You win this time, but i'll be back
 
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Flasher said:
I've thought up at least half a dozen replies to that and theres not one of them suitable for posting.
You win this time, but i'll be back
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Aye, that's Accordion to you.

You're scared I Banjo you cos you Fiddle with kids.

I know I give you the Horn and you'd like to get me in the Sackbut it's not going to happen. You've not got the Lute to afford it. You'll have to blow your own Trumpet.



Right, that's seven.

And I've not even used the Organ :coffee:
 
El Bastardo said:
As it should be
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I'm quite interested in your reasoning there.

At some point it seems to me the word 'discrimination' became for some people synonymous only with it's negative connotations.

To be discriminating used to be the product of experience and critical thought. Rather the properties I hope for in people protecting me from having a flight I'm travelling on being bombed.
 
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