Me too, but that's most English men over 60.
Ban the Burka? Page 3
Quote: chipolata @ May 1 2010, 8:01 PM BSTTo hit my thumb with a hammer!
If that's what does it for you. 
Quote: DaButt @ May 1 2010, 7:57 PM BSTPost-9/11 investigations of the hijackers show that they acted suspiciously and angrily on many occasions, enough so that they left lasting impressions on the Americans they met.
A quote from the ticket agent who gave Atta and his accomplice their boarding passes:
"I said to myself, 'If this guy doesn't look like an Arab terrorist, then nothing does.' Then I gave myself a mental slap, because in this day and age, it's not nice to say things like this," he said.
Great thing, hindsight. I thought you had more convincing evidence, not a few casual comments from bystanders who were all undoubtedly very wise after the event.
Quote: zooo @ May 1 2010, 8:02 PM BSTMe too, but that's most English men over 60.
There's a bloke (in his 50s) that I work with that does it. Terrible.
Quote: zooo @ May 1 2010, 8:02 PM BSTEnglish men over 60.
Aren't they the demographic your boyfriend feels most at home with?
Quote: chipolata @ May 1 2010, 8:05 PM BSTAren't they the demographic your boyfriend feels most at home with?
>_<
Quote: Nil Putters @ May 1 2010, 8:00 PM BSTI'd like to see people wearing sandals and socks banned.
It's so widely disdained that it will inevitably become the next fashion must-have.
Oh dear. 
Quote: DaButt @ May 1 2010, 7:29 PM BSTIt basically boils down to a security issue. It's impossible to identify someone hidden behind a full body covering.
So? If the need arises to identify somebody, just ask/tell them to take it off.
It's impossible to tell if somebody's carrying a firearm if they're wearing a jacket.
Quote: Nogget @ May 1 2010, 7:47 PM BSTIf so, then it sucks that we should live in such a paranoid culture of obsessive surveillance. It would be nice if we were able to move around without Big Brother watching us constantly.
Yes.
Quote: chipolata @ May 1 2010, 8:03 PM BSTGreat thing, hindsight. I thought you had more convincing evidence, not a few casual comments from bystanders who were all undoubtedly very wise after the event.
Read some books if you want more information, but it's clear that the hijackers did not "blend in" very well at all. They had several run-ins with the law, were kicked out of apartments, behaved suspiciously during their pilot training, muttered about bloodshed coming to America and were known to be connected to terrorists. All the dots were there, but nobody connected them in time.
Quote: Kevin Murphy @ May 1 2010, 8:20 PM BSTSo? If the need arises to identify somebody, just ask/tell them to take it off.
How can that be done without a law in place? Male cops in Belgium were not allowed to interact with women in burkas due to sensitivity issues.
Quote: DaButt @ May 1 2010, 8:28 PM BSTHow can that be done without a law in place? Male cops in Belgium were not allowed to interact with women in burkas due to sensitivity issues.
If that's true, it's ridiculous.
In the UK, the cops are legally allowed to tell you to remove your hat if they have cause (this goes back to at least 1984, it's not a post-911 thing).
But it's still legal to wear a hat.
But religious headresses are seen as different under the law. The police have to be careful how they ask wearers to remove them. A Siekh policeman recently won a payout for being forced to remove his turban for a training excercise.
Quote: Alfred J Kipper @ May 1 2010, 8:53 PM BSTA Siekh policeman recently won a payout for being forced to remove his turban for a training excercise.
Why did they need to use his turban ?
Cue Basil Brush style laughing.
A pregnant woman needed to do a wee.