But but but freedom, my rights, freedom to do whatever I want to wherever I want to including in a tightly enclosed space shared with hundreds of people 5 miles above the planet.
American Airlines has removed a passenger from a flight after he refused to wear a face covering in compliance with its Covid-19 safety policy.
Brandon Straka was asked to wear a face mask on Flight 1263 from New York to Dallas, Texas, on Wednesday.
When Mr Straka refused, he was asked to leave the flight, the airline said.
Mr Straka said there was no law that required him to wear a face covering on the flight.
Doesn’t matter. There’s no law that says you can’t play a trumpet on the plane either, but that doesn’t mean you can. Airlines get to make rules governing behavior on the plane and especially during the flight. This is just normal. You can’t go to a restaurant and take all your clothes off. You can’t go to a bar and throw tomatoes at everyone. You can’t go to a bookshop and sing the Marseillaise over and over. There’s an infinite number of things you can’t do in public spaces that are not against the law but are in violation of the rules that protect everyone else’s comfort, safety, ability to enjoy the public space in question, and so on.
While there is no federal law mandating masks on US flights, all major US airlines have been enforcing face covering rules for passengers and crew since mid-May.
And they get to do that. An airplane is not your living room.
Comments
13 responses to “Ethics for toddlers”
One of those “sovereign citizen” types, maybe?
If he enjoys flying, he’s probably happy about laws governing aircraft safety, though.
It’s this guy:
From: https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/meet-brandon-straka-gay-former-liberal-encouraging-others-walkaway-democrats-n902316
So one of those “former liberal” right wing jackasses who’s been on Fox News just trying to stir up some shit to get his name out there again.
That’s a shame.
I guess it depends on which bookshop. (We’ve got some real lefty ones around here.)
guest, we just lost our last bookshop (it closed last winter), so I guess I couldn’t do it anyway. There are a couple in Lincoln that would probably let me – at least until they actually heard me sing.
Different rules apply in a gin joint, of course: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOeFhSzoTuc
Obviously you have never been to a restaurant in Newcastle.
@Gordon Campbell,
But then the authorities closed the place down.
@latsot indeed :-D Some things can never be unseen. Though usually not in the Rupali for reason…
I laughed out loud at this – made my morning.
This never ceases to boggle my mind. How dare the government interfere with business… No wait, you can’t make me adhere to the rules, Company X! The law says so!
Claire,
Unforgivably, Rupali has closed! It’s hardly worth going to Newcastle any more.
@latsot
I knew it was going to go downhill when they started knocking down some of my favorite haunts, the Doll, the Farmers and the Mayfair. I left not long after that.
The city’s changed so much that when I go back to visit my family, I hardly recognize the place.
Claire,
Our paths must surely have crossed at some point.
@latsot
It’s entirely likely – Newcastle isn’t that big a city. Were you ever a member of the Newcastle University RockSoc?