Blind passenger on Ryanair flight accused of being terrorist
14.09.07
A Caribbean steel band was thrown off a Ryanair flight after passengers feared a blind member of the group was a dangerous terrorist intent on bringing the plane down. Along with the other members of the band, he was removed from the flight by armed police and was left stranded in Italy overnight, even though the police said that the group could fly. The band members are now suing the budget airline for compensation.
The mix-up started when, Michael Toussaint, a blind drummer from the Caribbean Steel International Orchestra, was reported to the pilot for 'acting suspiciously' on the Ryanair flight. He had been led to his seat by his friends and another band member read football scores to him from a newspaper. But a passenger nearby believed they were behaving suspiciously and reported them to cabin crew.
Italian military police took the band off the plane. Mr. Toussaint showed his disability card and removed his sunglasses to prove he was blind. However, after he was cleared by the airport authorities Ryanair still refused to let him, or the other members of the group, re-board the plane. The first available flight back to England was not until the following evening and then only to Liverpool rather than Stansted where they had been heading.
The band were flying home from Sardinia last New Year's Eve, after performing at a world music festival on the Italian island. Band member Jason Constantine said: 'It's a disgrace. This stemmed from one man, who created a situation that led to 5 people being wrongly accused and stranded when we should have been with our families.'
The group missed their planned New Year's Eve celebrations with their families and did not arrive home until January 2, after a costly journey that involved taking the only available flight on New Year's Day to Liverpool and paying their train fare to London.
Ryanair offered the men £100 each in compensation and flight vouchers. But Mr. Constantine said: 'I'm appalled by the way Ryanair has acted. It is not really about the money. It is the principle.'
The group is suing the airline for £800 to cover the cost of their tickets and the inconvenience they suffered. Their county court case to be heard at the Mayor's and City of London Court on 28 November. The airline has refused to comment.
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