Praying passenger removed from SF-bound flight


We read:

""A passenger who left his seat to pray in the back of a plane before it took off, ignoring flight attendants' orders to return, was removed by an airport security guard, a witness and the airline said. The Orthodox Jewish man, who wore a full beard, a black hat and a long black coat, stood near the lavatories and began saying his prayers while the United Airlines jet was being boarded at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Wednesday night, fellow passenger Ori Brafman said.

When flight attendants urged the man, who was carrying a religious book, to take his seat, he ignored them, Brafman said. Two friends, who were seated, tried to tell the attendants that the man couldn't stop until his prayers were over in about 2 minutes, he said. 'He doesn't respond to them, but his friends explain that once you start praying you can't stop,' said Brafman, who was seated three rows away."

Source

Sounds like a bit of religious intolerance there. Even 2 minutes was too much to ask? I'm betting that it delayed the flight a hell of a lot longer than 2 minutes to take him off it. No brains at all. But brains seem to have flown out the window where air travel is concerned these days.

If he had been a Muslim he would have been treated with much more respect. But he clearly wasn't, of course. If you can't tell an Orthodox Jew in full garb, you don't know anything. And if you can tell one, you know he is harmless.

Posted by John Ray.