Man questioned and misses flight for speaking Tamil

[Harold F. Schiffman]

Man questioned and misses flight for speaking Tamil

By BRAD WONG P-I REPORTER

A 32-year-old man speaking Tamil and some English about a sporting rivalry
was questioned at Sea-Tac Airport and missed his flight Saturday because
at least one person thought he was suspicious. The Port of Seattle
dispatched its police officers to investigate the case, which occurred
Saturday around noon, said Bob Parker, airport spokesman. The Chicago man
was preparing to board an American Airlines flight to Dallas/Fort Worth
International Airport. The man was speaking Tamil, a language largely used
in India, Sri Lanka and Singapore, on his cell phone at the departure gate
and on the aircraft. An off-duty airline employee heard the conversation
and informed the flight crew.

The man also apparently said something in English about a sporting rivalry
at his alma mater. "It's a big misunderstanding," said Parker. "He had a
perfectly innocent explanation that all added up." Parker said it is
incumbent on airport officials to investigate reports of suspicious
activity. "It's hard to triage over the phone," he said. But Parker had no
explanation as to why a man speaking Tamil, which is spoken worldwide,
would be considered suspicious. The person who contacted airport officials
could give an answer to that question, he added.

Parker said the man was cooperative and boarded a later flight to Texas.
He told officials that he would not speak in a foreign language on his
cell phone at an airport in the future.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/287261_tamil02ww.html?source=mypi

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