This is a true story, "claims" seems not to belong in your headline. Vance Gilbert is a song writer and story teller with no reason to state the facts other than what happened. He would not have been impolite when he asked to keep his fanny pack with him, Women are never asked to place their purses above and we have never been asked to place our back bags above, of course we are white.

DWB has been "elevated to FWB" -- flying while black. United should be ashamed. What's wrong with reading a book on a plane anymore? -- Doug Davidoff, Fairmont St.

More from Doug Davidoff: my greatest mentor in life is a 54-year-old African American who flew jets as a naval officer and admires the Tuskeegee Airmen of WWII. It is appalling to think he could be hauled off a United Airlines flight for reading a book of World War II aircraft while wearing his Tuskeegee bomber jacket. Maybe we should call off United's merger with Continental!

I hope the racist moron flight attendants, as well as any similarly inclined passengers, of whom there are many in this country, are proud of their preening patriotism. Dark-skinned man, reading about airplanes -- He's Obviously A Terrorist! Quick! Call The Police! If You See Something, Say Something!

The 9/11 victimology in this country is pathetic. And the hysteria and paranoia are off the charts. No wonder our civil liberties are being shredded right before our eyes.

While I feel sorry for Mr. Gilbert, it is the age we now live in. While I believe it was not handled correctly by attendants that might have been able to ascertain the situation better without turning around or involving police, the times have changed and everyone does need to be more vigilant. Although totally innocent, any airline worker charged with passenger safety that does not question the situation when he sees a bearded darker skinned man who wants to keep a small bag close as he reads a book about aircraft would not be doing their job. Since 9-11 other attempts have been made, and stopped / prevented, by the other passengers and crew who were paying attention. We should not have to pay with our lives to prove we are politically correct. Its not hysteria or paranoia... there is genuine danger that must be dealt with.

I don't believe its racial... If light skinned women with blue hair were robbing banks and I was in a bank when a light skinned woman came in, I would be watching her (as should security). It isn't prejudice, its paying attention.

Again, I am sure it was embarrassing for Mr. Gilbert and probably could have been handled better. But airline workers need to look for situations like that and were only trying to keep the customers safe. Had a terrorist been on the plane and the public found out a similar situation was overlooked, what would we be thinking?

Eights writes: "it is the age we now live in."

Hey, Eights, I bet you would've been on board with the internment of Japanese-Americans during WWII. Maybe we should similarly round up "Arab-looking" or "Muslim-looking" or all swarthy young-to-middle-aged men now. After all, Can't Be Too Careful!

@ Eights--If "the age we now live in" removes common sense and treating people with decency and respect until they give you a reason to do otherwise, perhaps we need to rethink our priorities. What happened to Vance (in my opinion) was unnecessary, handled poorly, absent of common sense, and respect, and just plain wrong. Did race influence the choices made by passengers, flight attendants, pilots and others? I cannot say with certainty because I was not privy to their thoughts. Thing is–neither were you. The unfortunate reality is that we still live in a society where people make decisions every, single day that ARE influenced by the color of a person’s skin. The white woman who recently asked how much she should tip the skycaps since “the black men seem to have been replaced by white college kids.” The middle class parent who has never made a racist/prejudiced statement to me before who chooses to move to a different school district “so the girls won’t decide to date black boys.” The co-worker who intimates that the black staff members don’t work as hard as others “because, well, you know, they are just lazy.” So while no one knows for sure how much race was a factor, you can not eliminate the possibility. The “race card” is a reality that people have to live with their entire lives. If you are a black person, things happen to you and around you because your skin color.

I have known Vance for many years and know that he would never have offended the flight attendant. I recently took exception to my purse being moved to 4 rows behind me for the same reason as Vance because I did not feel it was secure. Although the attendant was obviously irritated with me I was not hauled off the plane. With regard to the book, by all means be vigilant but really use some common sense. A book providing information about planes of a long ago era hardly presents a real security risk. 1. He looks different, 2 He wanted to do something that attendant didn't want him to do, 3 she was able to use the book as a paltry excuse, was it racial profiling or just people drunk on power trying to manipulate circumstances to suit them. Probably a bit of both. Giving so much responsibility to people who are poorly trained is going to create more incidences like this. Bottom line the attendant and the airline owe Vance a sincere apology and should make him whole for his losses and sign everyone up for more training.

Like Vance -- who is a friend of mine -- I travel from performance to performance, most often on airplanes. Elaine's comment resonates with me. As a white woman, it is inconceivable that something like this could happen to me. I know exactly two people who have been pulled from airplanes because someone suspected them of being terrorists. It is no coincidence that both are brown-skinned men. It is moments like these that remind me of my white privilege, and how profoundly different my experience is from that of my friends of color. Honestly, every time I hear someone say that we are in a post-racial society, I feel sick to my stomach.

I can't believe I'm wasting my time with this, but I am...
Gayla- you need to learn how to SPELL! (At least get a friend who can write edit your replies!) I was a F/A for 29 years, worked with wonderful colleagues, as well as some AWFUL, ignorant people who somehow got past the interview process and made it to the line. Since none of us were there, we don't know what Mr. Gilbert's demeanor was, but based on the action taken by the police, it sounds like an over-reactive flight crew cost a lot of people and the airline time and money.

I have known Vance for over thirty years. That doesn't make me his alter ego, shrink or personal confident, but I do know he would be the first to defend your rights regardless of your race, color or sex. And he would do it with genuine honesty, courtesy and thoughtfulness...not with a loud, threatening voice or hand gestures that start at the shoulders. Vance is truly a role model for all people of any age.

Vance once told me he was a professional traveler with singing engagement interruptions along the way. I have seen him "read" an audience and alter his concert presentation to fit the moment as only a seasoned professional entertainer can. "Noncompliant." No way.

You could say I was supporting one of my own, but not so. I am not black, nor am I white...I am Mohawk. I do read avaition literature while flying, but doubt if I'll ever be pulled from a flight as I am nowhere near six feet tall...and I travel with my wallet in a briefcase...not a fanny pack.

So I ask these questions: if there was such a potential risk recognized by the crew, why was the aircraft door colsed. Why did the plane leave the concourse gate? And why was the flight allowed to queue up for take off?

Vance, bless you and yours. To help compensate for your lost revenue I have sent you a little something. I'll also be ordering several copies of your new CD as soon as it is available.

I hope the air carrier will at least send you an apology...even if it is by way of Pluto.

Hey Vance - you're a good guy, it really is the world that's messed up. But, I'll bet there's a better song in this than the one currently circulating - "United Breaks Guitars" !

Obviously the flight crew wasn't based in Boston or they'd know Vance by now.

This is just another case of plain ole racism any which way you look at it.
No way to sugar coat this one. Guarantee you if this dude was white, nothing would have happened! Sadly this happens much more often but usually never gets noticed because most people choose to forget and move on rather than to file a complaint and thus these incidents continue to happen.

The only thing "dangerous" about Vance Gilbert is his rapier wit and amazing musical talent. There is no doubt that this would not have happened to a White person who politely chose to keep their pocketbook or fanny pack close and was reading about vintage planes. Even putting all of that aside, this is a man with deep local roots and a very public Internet presence. His harmlessness could have been established by security officials without ever singling him out. But once singled out, inconvenienced and embarrassed, United should have offered a profoundly simple and immediate apology, with assurance of full compensation for financial loss, given him first-class service to DC, and made a public apology to Vance Gilbert and to the whole plane, taking full responsibility for the inconvenience and thanking Vance for his patience and grace. Those actions would have honored his dignity, elicited empathy from fellow passengers, rather than the fear, avoidance, and scapegoating he experienced, and mitigated the trauma and humiliation he suffered. United and all of the airlines need to learn to address situations like this one with greater skill and care--avoiding them when possible, but when not avoided, quickly doing what they can to make things right. By going public with his story, Vance Gilbert is making flying safer for those who will find themselves in similar situations in the future.

Irene Glassman
Fan

If you are sitting in the front row, women are asked to put their purses in the overhead bin during takeoff and landing. Personally, I feel violated by the stuff I have to go thru to fly and I'm a white gal in my 60's. The patdowns and the virtual naked pictures taken with xrays (I'm a healthcare provider, so I don't believe you aren't getting exposure) is humiliating! 4th ammendment rights have been displaced when you buy an airline ticket. Israel has a better way; perhaps we should conference with them.

Another Alinsky tactic being used to draw attention to himself. He made a scene to draw attention and then cried racial profiling. Are you a Skip Gates in training? Get over yourself.

I see Dana that you are just another ignorant white woman. You obviously have never been racially profiled at an airport which happens to people of color every single day at airports.
How is he drawing attention to himself? Are you trying to imply that he purposely got himself removed from the airlines??
As we know, there was no legitemate reason for him to be pulled off the plane.

Neil, why don't you use "typical" white woman, it's what Obama uses and gets his point of being demeaning across. I am not trying, I thinking I'm pretty clear, that he purposely got himself removed from the airplane. It's in Alinsky's book, "Rules for Radicals." He looked for an opportunity to be a victim, just like Skip Gates, but that backfired on him.

Dana, I don't know you. But I find your accusation that Vance Gilbert got himself intentionally pulled from the plane in pursuit of "an opportunity to be a victim" to be profoundly offensive, disrespectful and, frankly, bizarre.

Please read Peggy McIntosh's article, "Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack." Here's the link: http://nymbp.org/reference/WhitePrivilege.pdf .

I didn't realize that I had new pen pals. Great! I could care less how you feel Robyn. I'm no longer in liberal academia, so no, I will not read one of your posts. Skip Gates showed us what a racist he and Obama both are. Vance didn't want to miss out on all the fun and to promote his cd about racism.

I thought it was usually people who looked middle eastern or were suspected to be terrorists who would be subjected to such humiliating treatment. But one of America's own kind, and a pretty well known musician to boot! I hope that this was just a case of misunderstanding, and not an actual profiling case.

Nicholas - http://www.lawyers.com/New-York/New-York/Allyn-and-Fortuna-LLP-444391-f.html

Editors, please remove the comment by "Nicholas Fortuna," who is spamming this thread by advertising his business.