10-06-2007
06:17 PM
1 Love
This is actually about the t-shirt incident, but I didn't see that as a topic for comment, so am using the closest one I can find.
No apology to the passenger should be given. He chose to wear a shirt that he knew would be offensive to some, and decided that his sense of humor trumped commonly accepted norms of public behavior. This isn't a free speech issue, This is about whether someone has the right to subject others to discomfort solely for his own enjoyment. The answer to that is no.
This is always a sensitive issue, and trying to set specific rules for acceptable behavior is a futile exercise. However, at some point the line between humor (or "fashion") and offensive behavior is clear, as it was in this case. If you have a responsibility to provide an appropriate atmosphere for your passengers, as I believe you do, your employees must have the latitude to exercise judgment in such matters. Yes, they have to be careful and they have to be tactful, but they must act when action is needed. Your employee made the right call.
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