An airline that won't be subject to a Richard Reid-style terrorist attack. I say:
FLY NORTHWEST!
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| Fifth Column | ||
| Detroit Hajjis complain about Northwest Airlines treatment in Frankfurt | ||
| 2007-01-17 | ||
| DEARBORN -- About 40 Muslim Metro Detroiters say they were stranded at an airport in Frankfurt, Germany, and given a series of explanations about why they could not board their Northwest Airlines flight to Detroit Metropolitan Airport. A spokesman for Northwest said Tuesday that the travelers, who were returning from a pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, reported to the gate about 20 minutes before their connecting flight was to take off. They were barred from making the trip by airline and international flight rules, he said. But the Muslim travelers, including two imams, and their advocates -- the Council on American-Islamic Relations -- adamantly rejected the airline's statement at a press conference Tuesday, saying flight rules were at least the third reason given for why the pilgrims could not board the Jan. 7 flight. "We arrived at the gate at least an hour and 30 minutes before the departure," said Imam Sayed Hassan al-Qazwini of the Islamic Center of America in Dearborn. "Others who came after us were allowed to board the airplane." Qazwini and other travelers said airline staff in Frankfurt told them to stand to the side and offered no explanation for why they were not processed for boarding. Some of them had boarding passes. Then, they say, they were told by airline and airport officials that the flight was overbooked. Subsequently, they said, they were told that because their flight from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to Germany was a charter flight, their information for the flight to Metro Airport was not properly recorded in computers. Some of the travelers were left in the Frankfurt Airport for more than a day.
The airline released a statement saying, in part, "Northwest Airlines policy states that passengers must check in for international flights at least 60 minutes prior to departure and be on board the aircraft at least 30 minutes prior to the scheduled departure time." But the travelers said Tuesday they can't believe the airline would offer the explanation now. Several said that after landing in Frankfurt at 7:30 a.m. for their 10:20 a.m. flight to Detroit Metro, they proceeded immediately to the departure gate to check-in. "We were told to stand to the side an hour and 55 minutes before the plane took off, after a 45-minute security check," said Jennifer Zreik, 29, of Dearborn. "We were in line before everyone else was." Qazwini said he hopes the airline will apologize and compensate the travelers affected by the delay. Without a resolution to the issue, Qazwini said he will consider contacting other Muslim groups to urge a boycott of Northwest. The travelers are considering legal action.
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| Posted by:Anguper Hupomosing9418 |
| #14 Thank you, Frank, exJAG. Mama was a health care professional, Daddy a medical research professor, so we used the proper technical terminology at home. I really appreciate the opportunity to learn an entire segment of vocabulary that I was missing. (Mr. Wife explains things, too. For some reason he still finds this amusing.) |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2007-01-17 23:39 |
| #13 When I was a kid, "zooch" was my mother's word for "down there." Mind you, we were out in the open, not screened off anywhere, and I was not given the option. However, to be fair, she wasn't truly "a Nazi bull leather dyke" -- just one of those infuriatingly meticulous Germans who live to scrutinize your papers. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad flights to the US get the Israeli-grade security workover. But I get the sense that Germans privately enjoy having an excuse to harass Americans and Israelis. Can't imagine why. |
| Posted by: exJAG 2007-01-17 23:29 |
| #12 IIUC, latin for "casabas" or more colloquially, "rack" |
| Posted by: Frank G 2007-01-17 19:50 |
| #11 I'm always sorry when I ask, but "zooch"? |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2007-01-17 19:16 |
| #10 Inform all the complainers that they're now on the "no-fly" list, and that idiots who can't comprehend the need to get to the airplane on time shouldn't be allowed to fly. |
| Posted by: Rob Crawford 2007-01-17 18:03 |
| #9 The official rating is 9.76 (an extra 0.04 deducted for failure to label the pat-downer as "a Nazi bull leather dyke"). Truly superb rant, though. |
| Posted by: Dave D. 2007-01-17 17:28 |
| #8 9.8 Extra points for "zooch" use. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2007-01-17 17:20 |
| #7 Oh, blow me. How about this: "ex-Army officer complains about treatment in Frankfurt." I flew out out of there for the holidays, and just about fuckin blew my lid. Got there plenty early. Waited in line to get into another line. Noticed that check-in for Lufthansa flights to the US and Israel are separated off from all others, grouped and screened together. Then, it was off to throw away our lighters, then to the security checkpoint; shoes off, the works. 100 meters later, we had to do it all over again at a second checkpoint (in case we picked up a time bomb at duty free in between, I guess). Shoes off, the works -- plus, a pat-down that involved a shocking level of interest in my bra and panties. I mean, shocking -- yet they won't lift a Muslim woman's veil? It was such a struggle to stay in control, I actually blurted out, "was it as good for you as it was for me?" Thankfully, I suppose, she didn't understand. All that, only to find that meals on board came with metal knives. We endure these indignities only because our governments would rather hassle us compliant sheep in the name of "tolerance," than get off their duffs and pulverize these muzzie assholes already. My reward for obediently showing up three hours early is to get my zooch felt up, and these guys are whining? Sympathy in my book is right between shit and syphilis. /rant off! |
| Posted by: exJAG 2007-01-17 17:16 |
| #6 Shit. Northwest is trying to horn in on our action. |
| Posted by: USAir 2007-01-17 15:46 |
| #5 Why were they refused passage to Detroit? Because Detroit took a look at the Muzziemeter and it said 'FULL' |
| Posted by: USN, Ret. 2007-01-17 15:14 |
| #4 Qazwini said he will consider contacting other Muslim groups to urge a boycott of Northwest. An airline that won't be subject to a Richard Reid-style terrorist attack. I say: FLY NORTHWEST! |
| Posted by: BigEd 2007-01-17 14:48 |
| #3 All praise the pagan piggy goddess allah and the camel she road in on. |
| Posted by: Icerigger 2007-01-17 14:40 |
| #2 Boycott em' ALL......Walk or swim asshats |
| Posted by: ARMYGUY 2007-01-17 13:26 |
| #1 Qazwini said he will consider contacting other Muslim groups to urge a boycott of Northwest. Please do... |
| Posted by: Northwest Airlines 2007-01-17 13:12 |