Ex-basketball player John Amaechi tells of ‘humiliating’ Heathrow search. Eh?? Don’t be silly John!

As 2022 winds down, I sincerely hope – but doubt – 2023 will usher in better times.

It is so frustrating when you read about these so-called celebrities moaning about inequality? I am sure this John Amaechi chap is a great guy and all that. I am certain his is doing great things etc., but seriously!??? he gets selected for an extra or intensive search at Heathrow and yes, had he been Caucasian perhaps it would not have happened (as he and others have been stating) as I doubt Rod Stewart or Bill Gates or Elon Musk or Roger Federer would have been hit the same random selection jackpot, but if they had, they (like Reece Witherspoon did during her police stop some years ago) would have played the “do you know who I am” card, which is the exact same card John Amaechi should have played, if he wanted to play a card. To turn his experience into a racial matter and try to wrap it all into all the bias stuff, is just a little silly really! And if he is right and he has been targeted, what is the purpose of his outburst? to better his future trips or is it to help others like him avoid such an experience? The airports must do their jobs and try to keep us all safe! Yes, nobody wants to keep on getting selected for some additional, intrusive, humiliating searches, especially if you are a known celebrity who is highly unlikely to be a security threat, but the criteria cannot be based on that can it?

It has just become so dull and tiring! It is very ok for Amaechi to vent his frustration, if as he says, he is a frequent traveller and has not been a security risk, but keeps getting selected for these humiliating, supposedly random extra searches, I am sure that if he had just quietly raised the issue with the authorities, they may well ease up on him or check their random selection machine? But even if he felt a public outburst was best, it should have been made within the context of “why do you keep on selecting me??? I am a celebrity and a lot less risk than many unknown folk”. There was no need to try to imply the airport security staff or the system? select him for being black? or big? or whatever other reason he feels he’s been selected for. John, just say it as it is: you feel you are a celebrity and should be given special treatment! There it is! Simple. Others have said it, no problem with you saying it too. You are indeed a celebrity and if Federer has never been randomly selected, then perhaps you do have a case for being frustrated with your incessant random selection. Fair enough. But for goodness sake! don’t bring in the whole black thing! For starters, why are you black? (you are both black and white), half the world (China, India, Pakistan, rest of Southeast Asia, many Spaniards and Italians, some Caucasian Brits after a few weeks in Ibiza and many others are the exact same shade as you: are they also black?). But all that aside, every incident cannot possibly be down to discrimination! If I am wrong and it all is, then, what do I know??