BBC Radio host sacked after call

[chemical-licker]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10...ian-driver.html

BBC Radio host sacked after call to taxi firm requesting 'non-Asian' driver

Sacked: BBC Radio Bristol host Sam Mason, who was dismissed following a 'racist' phone call to a local taxi firm

A BBC Radio presenter has been sacked following a 'racist' call to a taxi firm, in which she requested a 'non-Asian' driver.

Sam Mason told the operator that 'a guy with a turban would freak her daughter out' insisting they send an English driver instead.

The ex-glamour girl, 40, called the firm to order a taxi for her 14-year-old daughter off-air, while presenting her BBC Bristol radio show.

After the operator branded her request 'racist', Mason insisted, claiming it wasn't the first time she had made the request.

She said: 'A guy with a turban is going to freak her out. She's not used to Asians.'

When the operator said it would not be possible to carry out her wishes, she said: 'You've managed it before.'

Mason, who has previously battled alcohol addiction, claimed she wasn't racist but insisted she was looking out for her daughter's interest.

Mason said: 'If it were me I wouldn't care if it had two heads, but it's my little girl we are talking about.'

After the operator refused to book a car, Mason complained before hanging up.

The operator said: 'We would class that as being racist. We can't just penalise the Asian drivers and just send an English one.'

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She later called back before a manager accepted the booking.

Mason said: 'I work at the BBC. I'm far from racist and that uneducated woman has no right to call me one.'

BBC Radio Bristol, where Mason hosted an afternoon show

The BBC were alerted to the conversation after it was recorded and sent to the Sun newspaper.

The mother-of-one was subsequently suspended and fired 24 hours later.

A BBC spokesman said: 'Although Sam Mason's remarks were not made on-air, her comments were completely unacceptable and, for that reason, she has been informed that she will no longer be working for the BBC with immediate effect.'

sacked, wow just for asking for a white cabbie, i tell ya i catch cabs and i pray its a white guy but 9/10 times its a immigrant and i have to use the old arms and hands to give directions, i tend to shout stop sometimes.

The worst though is when it's say £11 and i only have a £20 guess what, HE HAS NO CHANGE. :angry2: i tell ya im entitled to some free ride sometime.

[stevewinn]

oh dear, Fancy getting the sack for requesting and non Asian Taxi driver. i remember getting in a taxi in town and the driver was driving like a mad man, i remember sitting in the back thinking i wish he'd slow down, but then i thought on. no wonder hes driving fast and not worried about crashing he thinks he's got Allah on his side.

the country has gone mad with its PC'ness I phoned my bank a long while ago and after struggling for 20 mins with an Indian who couldn't understand me and i could understand him, asked politely if i could speak to someone else who could speak the lingo. no harm in that, but would be classed as racist in this day and age.

[MasterPo]

Did she make the call from the BBC office on a BBC office phone?

If so, as stupid as it is I can partially see their POV.

If she made it at home, someplace else or on a cell phone then WTF??

[itsnotoutthere]

I think this story says more about the BBC than it does about Mrs Mason.

(Would she have been sacked if she was black & asked for a black driver?)

Edited November 11, 2008 by itsnotoutthere

[chemical-licker]

The ex-glamour girl, 40, called the firm to order a taxi for her 14-year-old daughter off-air, while presenting her BBC Bristol radio show.

After the operator branded her request 'racist', Mason insisted, claiming it wasn't the first time she had made the request.

[Mekorig]

Have the daughter of this women a phobia to asian guys, or have some kind of trauma beacuse of an asian guy, or a guy with a turban. Because if not, i see her excuse very poor...

[Mac E]

It's a little extreme to fire her. Reprimand her for making personal phone calls at work and be done with it.

[itsnotoutthere]

Have the daughter of this women a phobia to asian guys, or have some kind of trauma beacuse of an asian guy, or a guy with a turban. Because if not, i see her excuse very poor...

Or perhaps she just wanted someone who can speak english. Try calling directory enquiries, you know, the one that diverts you to New Delhi & see if they put you through to the correct number.

Edited November 11, 2008 by itsnotoutthere

[chemical-licker]

Or perhaps she just wanted someone who can speak english. Try calling directory enquiries, you know, the one that diverts you to New Delhi & see if they put you through to the correct number.

i did that once the person kept putting me through to sex lines

[newbloodmoon]

I think that people are overly sensitive to the issue. She had requested a non Asian driver because of her daughter. We don't know the full story of why the daughter would not be used to Asians beyond the fact that her mother had said she wasn't used to them. She didn't call the Asian drivers derogatory names (we all know what those might be and there is no reason in writing them down). For me the BBC's reaction was blown completely out of reason.

[Bill Hill]

wow.. when did racists become so hot...?

sieg heil sieg heeillllooooo. I'll drive your cab, love

[Mr Honeybadger]

Or perhaps she just wanted someone who can speak english. Try calling directory enquiries, you know, the one that diverts you to New Delhi & see if they put you through to the correct number.

I agree. Every time I call tech support for anything, I get stuck with someone who I can barely understand.

[acidhead]

The british people are the most discriminated people in the world..

They're white, speak proper english and have the best manners in the world

Why do colored people make life so very difficult for them to live their happy lives in peace?

The world should do something quickly to rescue them from the world's savages.

[Vampwitchenstein]

I don't see many Asian's with turbans. Unless Asian means something else in the UK...?

I like how they slipped that little 'she used to be an alcoholic' *drinky-drinky motion* *wink, wink* in there quietly.

Edit: in all brutal honesty tho- there really needs to be some kind of standard for speaking English and speaking it UNDERSTANDABLY in more English speaking areas within certain key jobs where communication is essential.

Edited November 11, 2008 by BlondiGeist

[chemical-licker]

The british people are the most discriminated people in the world..

They're white, speak proper english and have the best manners in the world

Why do colored people make life so very difficult for them to live their happy lives in peace?

The world should do something quickly to rescue them from the world's savages.

did he...... noooo.......he did........did he...

[InHuman]

Little girl?

She's 14...

Unless she went through something horribly tramatic I don't see any reason to act like this...

[Finsup22]

Well, 'ello you naughty little strumpet.

Just picture her and Palin wrestling around on the floor. A man can dream, cant he.

[hetrodoxly]

I don't see many Asian's with turbans. Unless Asian means something else in the UK...?

I like how they slipped that little 'she used to be an alcoholic' *drinky-drinky motion* *wink, wink* in there quietly.

Edit: in all brutal honesty tho- there really needs to be some kind of standard for speaking English and speaking it UNDERSTANDABLY in more English speaking areas within certain key jobs where communication is essential.

Our Asians are different to your, we have the self igniting variety.

Edited November 11, 2008 by hetrodoxly

[Tiggs]

The british people are the most discriminated people in the world..

They're white, speak proper english and have the best manners in the world

Why do colored people make life so very difficult for them to live their happy lives in peace?

The world should do something quickly to rescue them from the world's savages.

Actually - what the world needs is people that understand that an individual is not a nation and that attributing negative attributes to an entire nation is pretty much the definition of racism.

[Michelle]

I don't see many Asian's with turbans. Unless Asian means something else in the UK...?

If I'm not mistaken, the people the UK call Asians are the ones we call Middle Eastern.

[MasterPo]

I think this story says more about the BBC than it does about Mrs Mason.

(Would she have been sacked if she was black & asked for a black driver?)

But if an asian asks for an asian that's ok.

If a black asks for a black that's ok.

If a woman asks for a woman that's ok.

[Mattshark]

If I'm not mistaken, the people the UK call Asians are the ones we call Middle Eastern.

Nope Indian.

[Michelle]

Nope Indian.

I seem to remember a thread where everyone went round and round about it and Asian was what was determined by the picture.

[Vampwitchenstein]

Our Asians are different to your, we have the self igniting variety.

Oh wow, lol. I almost choked on my lunch!

Then what do you call (what we call) Asians?

If I'm not mistaken, the people the UK call Asians are the ones we call Middle Eastern.

That's what I suspected, my Mom has never said it that way (then again she's been here 50 years) and my Grandparents & Aunt just say 'foreigners' as a catch-all.

Nope Indian.

I seem to remember a thread where everyone went round and round about it and Asian was what was determined by the picture.

SOMEBODY WRITE A CROSS REFERENCE GUIDE!

My head hurts now.

(and if I call my Mom this early in the day I'll NEVER get off the phone!)

[hetrodoxly]

We call Pakistani, Bangladesh, Indian, etc. Asian, We call Japanese, Japanese, Vietcong, Vietcong, i.e. by their name.