Selective treatment - thanks to political correctness and lack of backbone

Submitted by Ilya Meyer (Sweden), Aug 9, 2010 at 08:59

Last week I flew to Sweden from England (Ryanair, budget airline) and everyone's hand-luggage was measured and weighed at the gate. Any luggage above the weight limit or outside the size limit incurred a fine of 40 euros, and only one item of hand-luggage was allowed per passenger. This included any items bought duty-free, ladies' handbags, laptops and even hats unless worn.

There was, however, one exception. A Muslim lady with two items of hand luggage, both significantly larger than the size allowed. This lady's handbag was larger than my carry-on, and her carry-on was the size of a small suitcase. These two items were not weighed although they appeared to be extremely heavy since she was labouring with them both.

I was on the verge of photographing this passenger and her luggage but thought the better of it as I did not want to risk being turned away as a "troublemaker" or a "security risk" – I have to make this journey once a month to visit my aged parents.

The female passenger who was forced to wear (and crush) her wedding hat for the duration of the flight and throw away its hat-box or pay 40 euros looked on in shock as the niqab-clad Muslim lady struggled aboard with her two heavy bags - which were finally carried for her by other passengers waiting behind her, impatient to get on board.

Political correctness breeds selective treatment. They're both social evils.

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