Seatmates from hell......

[marmar]

I picked a friend up at the airport today, and he was POed beyond all reason.
He had one of those seatmates from hell on his flight from Houston to Detroit - an obnoxious Bush-loving Texan who likes his in-flight beverages, if you know what I mean.
My friend, who's as affable as anyone and talks to everybody, is extra-tolerant, even of in-flight drunks. This dude spilled his drink on him twice - irritating but not enough to anger him.
Then he asked my friend, who's Indian-American, where he was from. Arun responded, "Ann Arbor." Then the guy says, "no, I mean originally." Arun responded, "Troy, a suburb of Detroit." The guy says, "But aren't you from India?" Arun responded, "No, but my parents are, if that's what you mean."
Later, even more intoxicated, the guy describes to Arun about his ordeals going thru airport security in Houston - taking off his shoes, and then having to go through the air-blast machine before being allowed through. Then he says, "Do I look like an Arab to you?"
At that point, Arun, who is the most easy-going guy on the planet, spins around and says, "Please don't say sh*t else to me."

[XemaSab]

1. .

:patriot:

Oh, and while we're on the topic of "Looking like an Arab," my uncle is Scottish, French, and a little Cherokee...

Homie is a DEAD RINGER for Saddam Hussein. :D

[NavyDavy]

2. I met an arab once that was blond hair blue eyed he was a group

of Muslims who had moved to saudi arabia back in the 1300s when they converted to Islam.....surprised the heck out of me, but I guess it shouldn't because there are Arab Christians

[Aristus]

4. Well, it's not like they're a tiny, obscure minority; half the population of Lebanon is Christian.

n/t

[rvablue]

6. Many, many Palestinians are Christian, too. n/t

[Fire1]

3. Your friend was right, b/c it was only going to go down hill from

there.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

5. I get that same question a lot.

I'm also Indian-American, so I know what people really mean when they ask. :rofl:

I guess it's beyond some people's comprehension that someone who looks like me could be born and raised here. And the drunk idiot talking to Arun doesn't realize that there are many Arabs who look white, too.

[etherealtruth]

7. My children are frequently asked that question as well.

I even had a teacher phone our home asking what language we spoke in our home .... this is significant as my heritage is western European and my side of the family immigrated to this continent (Canada) sometime in the mid to late 1700's. Of course my children also resemble my former husband whose heritage is Indian.

My smart alecky (in the best kind of way) daughter is quick to tell people asking "those" questions: I'm part Irish Catholic and part Indian Muslim ... you just list me as an alcoholic terrorist ... at least I'm not a moron.