American Airlines flight delayed by math

[nobodythank you]

Ivy League economist ethnically profiled, interrogated for doing math on American Airlines flight


I get that people are upset that they were inconvenienced and delayed, and maybe the woman who reported it might be xenophobic, but if this had been a real security concern and she said nothing, she would be a villain. Look at the neighbors in the San Bernardino shooting, they knew something was happening, but they didn't want to be labeled at racists. Since she did speak up, as is encouraged by the current "see something, say something" campaign, she is a xenophobic profiling villain. Had she thwarted an attack she would be a hero. People wonder why there is so much confusion in the decision to say something or not, well this is why.

At what point does it become being an informed citizen, versus a nosy fucking busy body? You take a huge gamble in either direction. Obviously the context of this question is for the average Joe, I am pretty sure most of us would not have this problem due to various levels of training and experience.

 

[R.Caerbannog]

Ivy League economist ethnically profiled, interrogated for doing math on American Airlines flight


I get that people are upset that they were inconvenienced and delayed, and maybe the woman who reported it might be xenophobic, but if this had been a real security concern and she said nothing, she would be a villain. Look at the neighbors in the San Bernardino shooting, they knew something was happening, but they didn't want to be labeled at racists. Since she did speak up, as is encouraged by the current "see something, say something" campaign, she is a xenophobic profiling villain. Had she thwarted an attack she would be a hero. People wonder why there is so much confusion in the decision to say something or not, well this is why.

At what point does it become being an informed citizen, versus a nosy fucking busy body? You take a huge gamble in either direction. Obviously the context of this question is for the average Joe, I am pretty sure most of us would not have this problem due to various levels of training and experience.

I ain't all that smart, but when does math look like Arabic? This reads like more of a woman spurned deal to me.

 

[SpitfireV]

It's hysteria born from ignorance of many things IMO. Not all of which are her fault.

 

[AWP]

Meanwhile, United flights being delayed by maintenance or drunk pilots.

 

[Red Flag 1]

Meanwhile, United flights being delayed by maintenance or drunk pilots.

Drunk pilots:wall:. Their jobs are to be pilots, not drunks.

 

[macNcheese]

Ivy League economist ethnically profiled, interrogated for doing math on American Airlines flight


I get that people are upset that they were inconvenienced and delayed, and maybe the woman who reported it might be xenophobic, but if this had been a real security concern and she said nothing, she would be a villain. Look at the neighbors in the San Bernardino shooting, they knew something was happening, but they didn't want to be labeled at racists. Since she did speak up, as is encouraged by the current "see something, say something" campaign, she is a xenophobic profiling villain. Had she thwarted an attack she would be a hero. People wonder why there is so much confusion in the decision to say something or not, well this is why.

At what point does it become being an informed citizen, versus a nosy fucking busy body? You take a huge gamble in either direction. Obviously the context of this question is for the average Joe, I am pretty sure most of us would not have this problem due to various levels of training and experience.

Lucky for you I'm an average joe

This seems a little paranoid. He was just writing in a note pad and was clearly concentrating on it. I looked at the research he was working on. http://web-facstaff.sas.upenn.edu/~gmenzio/linkies/march1all.pdf
It doesn't look Arabic

 

[macNcheese]

Edit- that's the wrong link. But the equations are similar.

 

[Muppet]

Sitting at work when I heard about this. Part of me gets it, bigger part of me was pissed that this happened.

M.

 

[Il Duce]

At what point does it become being an informed citizen, versus a nosy fucking busy body? You take a huge gamble in either direction. Obviously the context of this question is for the average Joe, I am pretty sure most of us would not have this problem due to various levels of training and experience.

I think the missing step is confronting the person. Of course, it's METT-TC dependent, if your concern is they're wearing a suicide vest or in addition to suspicious writing they're an open carry enthusiast bristling with visible armament - then confrontation is not the way to go. But, if like this lady, there's just something that seems out of place why not ask the person then make your report/don't report judgment from there? Same with San Bernadino, why not bring your neighbor a pie and then if you're still convinced they're suspicious as hell, report it. I also take that San Bernadino stuff with a grain of salt - in hindsight everyone was suspicious. Everyone was supposedly so suspicious of MAJ Hasan but they kept giving him decent evals and promoting him - smells like BS.

@Marauder06 was famous in Korea for confronting people taking pictures in front of military posts. He freaked out half a dozen Korean spouses but never caught a spy - that we know of. Joking aside, for me as one of his LTs it left a powerful impression that a real Soldier is always on the lookout and not afraid to get involved even though others don't, and some might be embarrassed.

 

[Frank S.]

Seems to me hand written, scribbled, math notes could resemble Arabic script if you can't look at them directly and examine them for a minute.
Quote: "Perhaps she couldn’t differentiate between differential equations and Arabic."
How clever.

Monday night quarterbacking with a wheelbarrow full of bullshit.

 

[policemedic]

Quite frankly, this is bullshit and can't be justified by anything but outright paranoia and bias.

I don't talk to people on planes either. Because I don't like people.

I'd love to know the affiliation of the supposed agent who interviewed the professor. I wonder if it was an airline employee or a TSA idiot rather than a real LEO.

 

[Frank S.]

Quite frankly, this is bullshit and can't be justified by anything but outright paranoia and bias.

I don't talk to people on planes either. Because I don't like people.

I'd love to know the affiliation of the supposed agent who interviewed the professor. I wonder if it was an airline employee or a TSA idiot rather than a real LEO.

Do you think it's bullshit on the part of the passenger for reporting her concern, or on the part of the "agents" for the way it was handled..? Or both?

 

[policemedic]

Do you think it's bullshit on the part of the passenger for reporting her concern, or on the part of the "agents" for the way it was handled..? Or both?

Both.

 

[Frank S.]

People wonder why there is so much confusion in the decision to say something or not, well this is why.
[...] You take a huge gamble in either direction.

The article reads more like an exercise in style than anything else. So there are gaps we'll fill with our own sets of experiences and attitudes. That said, was "the blonde woman" wrong and overreacting? It turns out she was wrong, that was seen after things were looked into.
Was she overreacting? Depends on what she saw, and what she based her perception of risk upon (movies, articles, news programs, personal experience?)

I wouldn't fault her based on what's said in this piece.

 

[Il Duce]

What if she had seen someone writing in Arabic script? I took Arabic in grad school, millions of people speak and write in Arabic, what damage could this professor have done with a handwritten note in Arabic? What suspicion exactly was being run to ground here?

 

[Gunz]

 

[Frank S.]

What if she had seen someone writing in Arabic script? I took Arabic in grad school, millions of people speak and write in Arabic, what damage could this professor have done with a handwritten note in Arabic? What suspicion exactly was being run to ground here?

The sky's the limit (no pun intended).
A California BSIS video which is mandatory in the security industry shows footage shot by a terrorist taping video (I believe this was in Indonesia) of a public site for a future attack, considering the inlet for water run off at the curb for charge placement.

Was the guy on the plane taking notes for a future (not necessarily impending) attack? Perhaps writing info/instructions for an acolyte on the same flight? What civilians are told regarding terrorism is that among the characteristics of terrorists, they are planners who practice reconnaissance.
Consider this from the civilian viewpoint.

 

[Marauder06]

@Marauder06 was famous in Korea for confronting people taking pictures in front of military posts. He freaked out half a dozen Korean spouses but never caught a spy - that we know of. Joking aside, for me as one of his LTs it left a powerful impression that a real Soldier is always on the lookout and not afraid to get involved even though others don't, and some might be embarrassed.[/QUOTE]

That's what I was famous for. *whew*

 

[Il Duce]

[I][B]That's[/B][/I] what I was famous for. *whew* ;-)

I should edit to add 'amongst other things.'

[QUOTE="Frank S., post: 427070, member: 33"]The sky's the limit (no pun intended).
A California BSIS video which is mandatory in the security industry shows footage shot by a terrorist taping video (I believe this was in Indonesia) of a public site for a future attack, considering the inlet for water run off at the curb for charge placement.

Was the guy on the plane taking notes for a future (not necessarily impending) attack? Perhaps writing info/instructions for an acolyte on the same flight? What civilians are told regarding terrorism is that among the characteristics of terrorists, they are planners who practice reconnaissance.
Consider this from the[I] civilian[/I] viewpoint.[/QUOTE]

Holy shit, I better get on security then. I've seen people writing things down all over the place. Come to think of it, sometimes people are talking on their phones, taking pictures, and even looking at stuff. Right outside there are people in my city doing exactly that. They could be planning attacks, coordinating with other terrorists, or picking out targets. No time to call the police - I'm running outside to start karate-chopping motherfuckers right now!

 

[macNcheese]

Spot on