2-Hour Plane Delay Due To Major Misunderstanding and Racial Profiling
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
A plane headed to Syracuse from Philadelphia had been delayed for two hours after a passenger mistook a math equation for suspicious terrorist activity.
Guido Menzio is a University of Pennsylvania economics professor who is native Italian with dark, curly hair, and was writing out various math equations when his seatmate was concerned that the equations he was writing was actually something written in Arabic or some kind of Islamic Code.
He was headed to Queen’s University to present findings of a working paper.
The 30-something blond hair woman gave her note to the American Airlines flight attendant, claiming she was sick. However, after the plane returned to the gate, the woman said she was actually concerned about her seatmate’s behavior, which is when an airline security official was asked to investigate.
Menzio said the pilot and an official questioned him about the writings. Menzio said he thought he was going to be asked about her “illness”. Rather, they told him, the woman was alarmed he was a terrorist because of the strange things on the paper. Menzio said the woman may have mistaken his curtness to her questions as being overly-focused on his notepad. He said she asked him if Syracuse was his home and he wouldn’t answer her other questions.
The economics professor wasn’t removed from the plane. And, after talking to the officials, he got back on the plane, which finally left two hours after its scheduled time. The woman who initially complained decided to take another flight later on.
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