Unfriendly Skies

I’m afraid to look to see how long it has been since my last post. I’m sure everyone who isn’t gone with think of scurrying after this post. I usually don’t talk about politics, religion, moral issues with too many people. They are topics too likely to devolve into a conversation I did not intend. I have strong opinions, but I tend to talk to people with whom the pattern of discussion is already set. People with whom disagreement does not equal disagreeable–and I know this from prior experience. Blogging isn’t exactly that, so I tend not to do that here. However, there has been a series of events that make me unable to stay quiet.

Here is the story in the words of a very dear friend…

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Racial Profiling First Hand…FWB&RAAB…

You have to read through the letter below, sent to the ACLU, United/Continental Airlines, and/or a willing private lawyer (anybody?) to get to the meaning of the acronym.

What price Freedom, indeed. If the below is democracy and freedom, you can friggin’ have it. Maybe Paul Robeson was right:
To Whom It May Concern,

My name is Vance Gilbert.

I live in Arlington, MA.

I am a homeowner, having been here 10+ years, I have a partner, and we have two 52lb Standard Poodles.

I am a 6 foot tall, bespectacled, slightly greying, 52 year old, 230 lb African-American male with a close hair cut.

On August 14, 2011, I boarded United Airlines Flight UA #3483 from Boston to Dulles on time and was seated in an isle seat #9C on an Embraer 170. I was dressed in shorts, baseball hat, t-shirt, hiking boots, and unbuttoned Jimmy Buffett Hawaiian shirt (covered with airplanes). As the door was being closed, we were told it was a full flight, meaning 70 – 80 people. I had my backpack under the seat in front of me, and my fanny pack/wallet behind my heels.

After the doors were closed the flight attendant came down the isle checking security buckling, bag clearance etc., and asked if she could put my fanny pack above me in the overhead bin. I replied to her that I’d be fine just stuffing it next to my back-pack under seat in front of me as it contained my wallet etc and that I’d rather have it near. She seemed fine with that resolution. All that was done without consternation or belligerence, and I thought nothing of it.

Now, I am a musician by trade and an amateur aviation historian, studying mostly European transport aircraft between WW1 and WW2, and some after. I was on my way to two different music festivals. When I travel I delve into reading about this era of aviation. I had taken out and was reading a book of Polish Aircraft circa 1946 and I was also looking at views of an Italian aircraft from 1921.

I think you see where this is going…

The plane went all the way out to the take-off point, in the queue for take-off. All the while I noticed a lot of phone pinging back and forth between the flight attendants. The young woman flight attendant was also crouched next to and conversing seriously to a dead-heading pilot about 4 seats up on the other side. The plane then proceeded to turn around and head all the way back to the gate. Once at the gate, the jet bridge was positioned. The Captain announced, “We have a minor issue, and we will continue our departure once it’s resolved.” He left the aircraft.

After about 5 – 10 minutes, 2 Mass State Policemen, 1 or 2 TSA Agents, and the bursar for the flight come down the isle and motion me to get off of the plane. I do not remember if they called me by name. We stepped out into the breezeway where one of the State policemen asked how I was doing that day.

I replied, “Sir, I think you’re going to tell me I could be doing much better…”

Policeman: “Did you have a problem with your bag earlier?”

Me: “No sir, not at all. The flight attendant wanted it secured elsewhere other than behind my feet, and I opted to put it under the seat in front of me. It’s my wallet, even though there’s only 30 bucks in it…And all that was done without belligerence, or words for that matter…it was all good.

A few beats…

Policeman: “Sir, were you looking at a book of airplanes?”

Me: “Yes sir I was. I am a musician for money, but for fun I study old aircraft and build models of them, and the book I was reading was of Polish Aircraft from 1946.”

Policeman: “Would you please go get that book so that i can see it?”

I go back onto the plane – all eyes are on me like I was a common criminal. Total humiliation part 2.

After a couple of minutes he says, “Why, this is all Snoopy Red Baron stuff…”

Me: “Yes sir, actually the triplane you see is Italian, from 1921 a little after World War 1…”

Policeman: “No problem here then, you can go on back on to the plane, sorry to inconvenience you…and have a nice flight”.

We were now at least, after re-queuing, over an hour late. No one looked me in the eye, flight attendants, passengers. I missed my next connection, and had to cancel that portion of the flight (fair $ value equaling ??) and rent a car ($270) plus fuel ($30) to my work (lost 1/2 wages = $100), and I was afraid to read for the next two flights.

I silently wept the whole flight to DC. I’ve never been so frightened or humiliated. I’m shaking even writing this.

How much money was lost between the airline, the other travelers? – I couldn’t begin to calculate.

How damaged am I from this experience? I’m not feeling particularly American. I’m angry, dumbfounded, frightened.

Would this have happened to the 30-ish Caucasian woman sitting across the aisle from me (who left her seat, water bottle, and book, never to be seen for the rest of the “completely full” flight)? Is it now against the law to be dark and read a book about historic aircraft?

What’s my take-away from this experience as a taxpayer, United Airlines patron, Black Man, teacher, mentor, American? I was broken hearted and speechless as I overheard my friend’s wife try to explain to her kids what happened and what he and I were talking about over dinner. They never did get why.

What do I tell your children?

Enough.

What do I do now – please advise?

Please contact me at the email above

Thanks in advance,

Vance Gilbert
Arlington, MA

AKA

Flying While Black & Reading Antique Aviation Books

 

He published this letter on his website, and it has been discussed in several online articles.  Many, many people have shown him support, but many, many other have said things like, “Well, I believed him until he threw out the race card,” and “Yeah, what happened sucks, but why did he have to go and make it about him being black?” and “I’m a white guy and if it had been me the exact same thing would have happened.”  Those people are entitled to their beliefs, I just happen to disagree.

This entire incident has me upset on many different levels. I’m upset that a friend is hurting. I’m frustrated at the paranoia that makes it seem reasonable to put up with such nonsense when we travel. I’m concerned about the fact that many people seem to dismiss his assertion that his skin color played into the events. When he says that it did, I believe him. I know enough to be certain he doesn’t look for a chance “to play the race card.” He is one of the more perceptive people I have ever met–I have seen him pick up facts not spoken many times. I realize that John Q. Public doesn’t “know” him. I don’t necessarily expect everyone to accept what he states without thought. I wish, however, that there were fewer people simply dismissing the *possibility* out of hand as if “these things” don’t happen any more

The unfortunate reality is that we still live in a society where people make decisions every, single day that ARE influenced by the color of a person’s skin. The white woman who recently asked how much she should tip the skycaps since “the black men seem to have been replaced by white college kids.”  (I’m unclear who she thought should get a bigger tip.)  The middle class parent who had never made a racist/prejudiced statement to me before who states that she has chosen to move to a different school district “so the girls won’t decide to date black boys.” The co-worker who intimates that the black staff members don’t work as hard as others “because, well, you know, they are just lazy.” So while not one of us is privy to the thoughts of those involved, eliminating race as a factor is shutting one’s eyes to a truth in our society. The “race card” is a reality that people have to live with their entire lives. If you are a black person, things happen to you and around you because your skin color. Of course, every bad thing that happens to people with brown skin is not due to skin color. However, it is an additional filter through which groups of people who have been discriminated against must view the world. I wish this were not true, but it is a truth we ignore at our peril.

I am not really looking for any kind of “result” from putting this out here.  I just know that the tears, frustration and sadness I feel mean something needed to be said.