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Is this r@cist?


Park Life
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The BBC has dismissed a local radio presenter in Bristol after she made "completely unacceptable comments" about Asian cab drivers.

 

Sam Mason, who hosted an afternoon show on BBC Radio Bristol, called a taxi for her 14-year-old daughter - while off-air - asking them not to send an Asian driver because "a guy with a turban might freak her out".

 

"I know this sounds really racist, but I'm not being - please, don't send anyone like, you know what I mean," said asked the operator. "An English person would be great, a female would be better."

 

The operator for the unnamed taxi firm, which later sent a recording of the call to the Sun, told Mason it could not penalise Asian drivers and that her request was racist.

 

"I work at the BBC. I'm far from racist and that uneducated woman has no right to call me one," said Mason when her call was transferred to a supervisor.

 

"I don't want her to turn up with a guy with a turban on, it's going to freak her out. She's not used to Asians. She's not racist - her godparents are black."

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My concern is the thought of a 14 year old who would be "freaked out" - how introverted could she be?

 

Probably a case of "stupid" racism rather than "malicious" racism - I'd tend to have mercy.

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Ok, so this caught me eye cause it is an issue I have trouble with.

 

Firstly asking for a certain race or gender of taxi driver like that is insensitive, but as NJS says not necessarily racist with a big R. As someone

else mentioned women sometimes ask for women taxi drivers apparently and that would have been an easy way out here.

 

I use taxi's a lot and have tended to have a preference for African drivers here (Hamburg) and I'm aware of this. I like the Ghanaians and Nigerians cause they are friendly and chatty and what they hell I want to enjoy my ride. I tend to avoid if possible Turkish or German drivers, cause I find them aggressive and nosey (rather than chatty). Also the Turkish drivers more often than not have no idea how to get where we are going and I stress myself out making sure I get there on time.

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My concern is the thought of a 14 year old who would be "freaked out" - how introverted could she be?

 

Probably a case of "stupid" racism rather than "malicious" racism - I'd tend to have mercy.

 

Christ I didn't realise that she was 14 FFS, there really is a problem if she'd be freaked out by an Asian at that age.

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She should've just asked for a female driver and the whole incident could have been avoided.

 

That's sexist though. ;)

 

Not when you're discriminating against men it's not. Apparently.

Misandrist. :D:icon_lol:

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It's certainly a tough one.

 

Under close scrutiny you could call it sexist and racist.

 

I would personally say she in her rights to ask for a woman taxi driver - and chances are she would get a Caucasian as it is.

 

When asking to be excused from driving with a specific race it gets questionable, I mean even a 14 year old lad would be fine as they would recognise Monty Panesar wears a turban - and he's ace. ;)

 

The question has to be raised whether the girl would be feeling uncomfortable at the race of the driver - or if she would be feeling uncomfortable at the unfamiliarity of the situation.

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It's certainly a tough one.

 

Under close scrutiny you could call it sexist and racist.

 

I would personally say she in her rights to ask for a woman taxi driver - and chances are she would get a Caucasian as it is.

 

When asking to be excused from driving with a specific race it gets questionable, I mean even a 14 year old lad would be fine as they would recognise Monty Panesar wears a turban - and he's ace. ;)

 

The question has to be raised whether the girl would be feeling uncomfortable at the race of the driver - or if she would be feeling uncomfortable at the unfamiliarity of the situation.

 

For me the turban is a red herring.

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