BBC presenter sacked for demanding non-Asian driver

Status
Not open for further replies.
Soldato
Joined
3 Dec 2006
Posts
2,919
Location
Brisbane, Australia
BBC radio presenter who asked a taxi firm not to send a Asian driver has been sacked.

Sam Mason made the comments while ordering a taxi for her 14-year-old daughter who she said would be “freaked out” by a turban-wearing driver.
The taxi operator routinely records messages in case of complaints and later passed a transcript of the conversation on to The Sun, who subsequently contacted the BBC.
Mason, who took over BBC Radio Bristol weekday afternoon programme six weeks ago, was initially suspended on Friday over her comments, before being informed by station bosses on Saturday that she would no longer be working for the BBC.
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."

According to The Sun, the transcript of the conversation runs as follows.
Mason: “I know this sounds really racist, but I’m not being . . . please, don’t send anyone like, you know what I mean. An English person would be great, a female would be better.”
Operator: “We would class that as being racist. We can’t penalise the Asian drivers and just send an English one.”
Mason: “You’ve managed it before.”
Operator: “Right, OK. I don’t agree with it personally.”
Mason: “It’s not your 14-year-old girl who’s, you know, is it?”
Operator: “Yes, but that’s racist to say you don’t want an Asian driver.”
Mason: “If it were me I wouldn’t care if it had two heads, but it’s my little girl we are talking about.”
Mason, is then handed to a male taxi operator and tells him that his female colleague has “a bad attitude”.
She adds: “I work at the BBC. I’m far from racist and that uneducated woman has no right to call me one.” She says of her daughter: “I don’t want her to turn up with a guy with a turban on. It’s going to freak her out. She’s not used to Asians.”


This woman can't go around saying this stuff!
Anyway, I believe the sacking is fair. Discuss

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/m...ed-for-demanding-nonasian-driver-1011114.html
 
Soldato
Joined
24 Jul 2004
Posts
22,594
Location
Devon, UK
Stupid thing to say, but if the shoe was on the other foot and she didn't want an English driver, no doubt that would be fine and the word "racism" wouldn't be mentioned.
 
Soldato
Joined
7 Jul 2003
Posts
3,253
Location
Westergate
Was stupid to say that they worked at the BBC, but to be honest when I have phoned Sky before I have asked to speak to other people because I cannot understand the Indian call centre people, does that make me a racist?
 
Caporegime
Joined
22 Jun 2004
Posts
26,684
Location
Deep England
Isn't asking for a female taxi driver unacceptably sexist too?

You might think this is racist, but after hearing the attitudes of Asian taxi drivers in Bradford regarding white women, I wouldn't allow my daughter to be alone in a taxi with one.
 
Man of Honour
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
20,307
Location
Екатеринбург
How the hell does a complete non-incident in her private life result in her being dismissed? Surely that amounts to unfair dismissal?

If I was sacked for doing the same thing I'd be in court suing the ass off my facist employer.
 
Soldato
Joined
28 Jun 2006
Posts
11,102
Location
Somewhere in Bristol
Big hoo hah going on in Bristol because of this.
I think she was incredibly stupid if nothing else, and to be honest I could tell you a story or 6 about her and her past history of antics.
 
Soldato
Joined
20 Oct 2002
Posts
17,854
Location
London
It was daft of her to say it, but this BBC witch-hunt by the tabloid press is really getting out of hand. Would she have got the sack had the taxi firm gone straight to the BBC? I doubt it somehow..
 
Associate
Joined
21 Dec 2006
Posts
289
I can just imagine her walking with her daughter through a shopping centre or a busy street and everytime someone with different coloured skin or anyone wearing any type of headwear appears, she covers her daughters eye's, shields her and pulls out a holy cross to keep the bad asian people away.

but in all seriousness, thats retarded.
 
Caporegime
Joined
28 Jun 2005
Posts
48,104
Location
On the hoods
How the hell does a complete non-incident in her private life result in her being dismissed? Surely that amounts to unfair dismissal?

If I was sacked for doing the same thing I'd be in court suing the ass off my facist employer.

It is a bit of a leap... She is in the public eye though, so I suppose it does reflect badly on the BBC.
 
Soldato
Joined
23 Oct 2002
Posts
5,719
Location
Various
How the hell does a complete non-incident in her private life result in her being dismissed? Surely that amounts to unfair dismissal?

If I was sacked for doing the same thing I'd be in court suing the ass off my facist employer.

I think i read on the beeb this morning that she rang from a work phone, in which case the dismissal is probably justified and certainly to be expected.

If i just made that memory up then i agree with you
 
Caporegime
Joined
22 Jun 2004
Posts
26,684
Location
Deep England
It is a bit of a leap... She is in the public eye though, so I suppose it does reflect badly on the BBC.

And so does leaving abusive messages on a 78 year old Grandad's answer machine, yet look how long it took the Beeb to discipline the presenters involved there - one of them hasn't even been sacked. Just shows where the BBC's priorities are.
 
Soldato
Joined
28 Jun 2006
Posts
11,102
Location
Somewhere in Bristol
Go on Knip, please tell;)

Well shes had a well known drink problem for years, about 6 years ago she was sleeping with more than a few of the then Bristol City football team (or rather working her way round them - bit of a hanger on following them about on a Saturday night - two of the players came to blows over her)

She used to read the news on ITV, but was sacked due to her repeatedly not turning up for work having been on a bender.

She was also convicted of drink driving and banned a few years back. And then got caught again driving when she was still banned. She disappeared for a few years but made a comeback having apparently sorted out her drink issues.

Shes regularly talked on her show though about going out and getting smashed.

I also saw her run onto the football pitch during a City friendly game a couple of years back with her jubblies hanging out.

Shes just a bit of a car crash really, and has shot herself in the foot when she had been given the chance of a new start.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom