Begin forwarded message:
From: Giles Robetson <gwjr2@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: December 12, 2006 9:54:53 AM JST
To: dave@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: RE: [IP] more on more on DHS Passenger Scoring Illegal?
This is the doctrine of "captain's authority."
I don't think anybody questions the authority of the captain of an
aircraft
to do as he sees fit to further the safety of his aircraft, crew,
and cargo
(self-loading or otherwise).
But the captain is also responsible for that authority. In this
case, he
seems to have discharged that responsibility admirably, because the
behaviour the gentlemen exhibited - in positioning themselves
(contrary to
assigned seating) at exit points of the aircraft, and requesting
seatbelt
extenders but not using them - was that which would give any captain
reasonable cause to believe the men were a threat to his aircraft.
What needs to be stopped are incidents like the one that occurred
earlier
this year on a Monarch airlines flight from Malaga to Manchester,
where
conversations between the passengers lead to the removal of two
muslim men
from the aircraft, for no real cause (they'd been "looking at their
watches", and "talking in Arabic" - two activities that most Arabic
speakers
will engage in while on airports.) In that incident the Captain was
instrumental in removing the men's passports and arranging for
their removal
from the aircraft, and he too should take responsibility for his
decisions.
Giles Robertson
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