A desi Lt. Colonel was detained for 4 hours because air marshals didn’t “like the way he looked” When I was a little boy, I believed in an America where all men were equal before the law, and due process was paramount. However, when I grew up, I put away childish things and saw that this was not true. Therefore, I put on my best Stepin Fetchit imitation when flying, grinning broadly, shucking and jiving. I call somebody at each leg of my journey, so that there is a paper trail just in case somebody decides that I look “wrong” and I get stopped for flying while brown. [Why not drive? You should see how highway patrolmen react to the sight of a turban and beard passing through middle America. Flying is also far safer.]
Is this paranoia or simple prudence? If you think I’m overly cautious, consider the case of Bob Rajcoomar, a U.S. citizen and Lt. Colonel in the United States Army Reserve who was detained on a flight in August 2002 because federal air marshals did not “like the way he looked.” 
[Hat Tip: RC]
Dr. Rajcoomar’s disturbing ordeal began shortly after take off during a flight from Atlanta to Philadelphia on August 31, 2002, when U.S. Air Marshals were called to subdue an apparently disoriented man seated in the coach section. The air marshals rushed at the unstable individual, handcuffed him, and then dragged him to the first-class section, where they placed him in the seat next to Dr. Rajcoomar, a U.S. citizen and Lt. Colonel in the United States Army Reserve and is of Indian descent. Dr. Rajcoomar asked to have his seat changed and the flight attendant obliged. [Link]
Dr. Rajcoomar’s seat change made the air marshals suspicious:
… after the flight landed … air marshals handcuffed Dr. Rajcoomar without explanation and took him into the custody of Philadelphia police. His wife Dorothy, who was also on the flight, was given no information on what had happened to her husband. Because the authorities confiscated Dr. Rajcoomar’s cellular phone, she had no way to contact him.
After four tense hours in detention, Dr. Rajcoomar was released. TSA personnel told him that he had been detained because air marshals on board the flight did not “like the way he looked.” [Link]
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The government defended its actions by saying that Dr. Rajcoomar had observed the Air Marshalls too closely (remember, they had dumped somebody in the seat next to his) and that he should not have asked for another seat:
TSA spokesman David Steigman told The Palm Beach Post, “If the air marshals say, ‘Sit down, keep eyes straight forward,’ well, don’t even think about moving around” [Link]
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p>Interestingly, the guy who they had originally tackled forcibly was released without any charges being filed:
Steigman told the Philadelphia Inquirer, “There was a passenger who was being obstreperous, who was subdued by sky marshals and has since been released” [Link]
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p>My faith in the system was somewhat restored by the fact that the TSA lost to the ACLU in court resulting in an apology:
The settlement includes substantial undisclosed compensation to Dr. Rajcoomar and his wife Dorothy, and requires a written apology to Dr. Rajcoomar from Admiral James M. Loy, first Administrator for the TSA.In an order issued on July 29, 2003, Judge John P. Fullam outlined the three-part settlement in which the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and its TSA agreed to revise internal policies and training procedures to ensure there would be no repetition of the incident involving Dr. Rajcoomar. [Link]
Still, I remain wary. This reminds me, I should send the ACLU a Christmas present …
Related posts (thanks Manish): What’ll get you interrogated, Would you turn down a quarter-million dollars?
If you become a card-carrying member then they will send you a present that you can carry in your wallet.
Other interesting tidbits: Rajcoomar was a military doctor. He was observing closely because, well, plainclothes men with guns entered the cabin.
The air marshals in this incident were poorly trained:
Rajcoomar gives us some of the most concise political summary of U.S. politics circa 2001-2005 that I’ve ever read:
Similar incidents: What’ll get you interrogated, Would you turn down a quarter-million dollars?
Awesome, this is exactly what I want when I fly — unstable individuals with guns in small airtight spaces on terror-patrol.
I’m glad the guy sued (and needless to say, I’m glad he won).
Sometimes folks are like “oh well, it was just four hours, and they didn’t deport me or anything…”
And the air marshalls never identified themselves as such, which is another reason for a military officer to observe them closely:
For all he knew, the marshalls were the hijackers.
Nor was this a minor incident where they stopped Rajcoomar to talk to him briefly:
US politics in the new millenium: “Mr. Big Brother, can we pray in school and stop gays from marrying? Oh cool! Now you can enter my home and go through my computer, documents, files and even my underwear drawer.”
That is a really weird way to spell his last name.
After this horrible incident occured, Dr. Rajcoomar was invited by Phil Donahue on his show on MSNBC (Phil Donahue had a show on MSNBC, before MSNBC made a hard right turn:-) ) The whole ordeal this Dr. went thru’ showed in a way, what being South Asian means in the US, post 9/11. Thats why I make the claim that I make that post 9/11 south asians are the ones who carried the burden of “middle eastern looking” and attracted xenophobic reactions towards them.
Lot of Indian people of Carribean descent spell their names that way – Ramroop, Shivnaraine,etc
He’s originally from Guyana.
On the name: anyone else reminded of Officer Palumbo from ‘Harold and Kumar…’?
‘Officer Palumbo: What kind of name is that anyhow? Kumar? What is that, five o’s or two u’s?
Kumar: No, it’s actually one “u”
Officer Palumbo: Yeah… bullshit.’
AND he got upgraded to first class for free.
Sorry – I couldn’t resist.
The Marshall that shot the guy in Miami 2 days ago was also a former border patrol agent. Now wouldn’t that be a coincidence if…
The TSA also swore yesterday that all agents went through thorough training. Imagine a government agency
lyingcontradicting themselves.i’m sorry but they “didn’t like the way he looked?”
he looks like my dad and every other Desi father out there–a pouchy teddy bear.
what is wrong with people… he’s the least menacing man i’ve ever seen.