[Nfbf-l] Deaf, blind priest grounded by airline

[Mark Tardif]

I hope that captain is fired by the airline and that this priest considers 
suing the crap out of British Airways and humiliates them in the press, go 
get 'em, Father.  This is a nasty throwback to the stuff going on in the 
seventies and eighties, but with a different, and in some ways worse twist. 
And my sense has been that when airlines practice this kind of mistreatment, 
you can often not get straight or truthful answers from personnel about why 
it is necessary to discriminate.  But I hope this priest gets justice.



Mark Tardif
Nuclear arms will not hold you.
-----Original Message----- 
From: Alan Dicey
Sent: Monday, August 12, 2013 5:13 PM
To: Undisclosed-Recipient:;
Subject: [Nfbf-l] Deaf, blind priest grounded by airline

Deaf, blind priest grounded by airline
August 12 2013 at 12:50pm
By Neo Maditla
INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPERS

Deaf and blind priest Father Cyril Axelrod was refused a seat on a plane to
Joburg. Picture: Ross Jansen

Cape Town - A deaf and blind priest says he feels "humiliated" following an
incident at the Cape International Airport on Saturday when British Airways
staff refused to let him board a plane to Joburg on his own.

On Sunday, Father Cyril Axelrod, 71, of the Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in
Bergvliet, said he spent his time between South Africa and England, where he
was based, and had had no trouble flying on his own before.

Speaking through a sign language translator, Axelrod said: "I have a
relationship with a travel agent who knows my travel needs and always
clarifies them to the airline beforehand."

Axelrod showed the Cape Argus a special tag that British Airways issued to
him five years ago which has his name on it and clearly states he is allowed
to travel on his own.

But on Saturday afternoon as he was trying to check in, a BA ground crew
member said she was not sure if he would be allowed to fly alone and
proceeded to call a supervisor.

"I explained to them that I have flown alone to South Africa many times. But
they called the captain, who said no, I am not allowed on the flight. I was
shocked. I couldn't believe it."

Axelrod said they asked him - through his translator - if he knew the
emergency procedure and he told them he did and recited it to them, but that
did not help either.

His ticket was confiscated and he had to return to Bergvliet instead of
heading to Joburg where he was expected to give a church service on the East
Rand.

"I feel humiliated. They took away my human rights," he said.

"I feel extremely bad about this. They didn't treat me like a human being.

"They should have asked how I could assist them. They could have learned
something. They could have asked me and I could have helped them. This is
not fair."

He is due to fly back to England in September and is worried that he may not
be allowed to board.

"I was born and raised in South Africa. But I live in England. They know my
home is in London."

DeafSA's Wilma Newhoudt-Druchen said the incident was a form of
discrimination and that when DeafSA had tried to get hold of the airline
through translator Francois Deysel its call centre had been closed.

Newhoudt-Druchen said DeafSA would go to the airporton Monday to try to get
to the bottom of what had happened and get Axelrod's ticket refunded.

British Airways could not be reached for comment. - Cape Argus

Source URL:
http://www.iol.co.za/travel/travel-news/deaf-blind-priest-grounded-by-airline-1.1560885



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