(no subject)

[hopefulnebula]

It has been reported that an employee for Ansett Australia (Airlines), who happened to have the last name of Gay, got on a plane recently using the company's "Free Flight" offer for staff. However, when Mr. Gay tried to take his seat, he found it being occupied by a fare paying passenger.

So not to make a fuss, he simply chose another seat. Unknown to Mr. Gay, another Ansett flight experienced mechanical problems. The passengers on this flight were being re-routed to other airplanes. A few were put on Mr. Gay's flight and anyone holding a "free" ticket was being "bumped". Ansett officials, armed with a list of "freebie" ticket holders boarded the plane, as is the practice, to remove them in favour of fare paying passengers. Of course, our Mr. Gay was not sitting in his assigned seat, as you may remember. So when the ticket agent approached the seat where Mr. Gay was supposed to be sitting, she asked the startled customer "Are you Gay?" The man, shyly nodded that he was, at which point she demanded: "Then you have to get off the plane." Mr. Gay, overhearing what the agent had said, tried to clear up the situation: "You've got the wrong man. I'm Gay." This caused an angry third passenger to yell: "Hell! I'm gay too! They can't kick us all off!". Confusion reigned as more and more passengers protested that Ansett had no right to remove gays from their flights.

It is reported that Ansett have refused to comment on the incident.

http://www.geocities.com/be_alternative/bad_day5.html

---

Ganked from conuly

It's an ingenious idea. Create a no-win situation for anti-choice protesters — the more picketers who demonstrate outside a Planned Parenthood clinic, the more donations the Planned Parenthood clinic receives.

A number of Planned Parenthood affiliates have created different versions of this scenario. Here's how it works at Planned Parenthood of Central Texas (PPCT) in Waco, where the Pledge-a-Picket program is going strong: Each time a protester shows up at the clinic, a donation is made to PPCT. This campaign makes lemonade out of lemons by allowing Planned Parenthood supporters to pledge between 25 cents and one dollar per protester.

Despite the low pledge cap, which is designed to encourage donations, the money adds up, especially since the picketers never go away. Every month, participating donors get a short update on activities and a monthly billing for their pledge. It's like sponsoring a runner in a charity marathon.

Once a week, PPCT puts a sign outside its clinic that says, "Even Our Protesters Support Planned Parenthood." To date, the Pledge-a-Picket program has raised $18,000 for PPCT. While not a significant chunk of its overall revenues, Pledge-a-Picket contributes greatly to PPCT's patient assistance fund, which helps clients who don't have resources get the care they need.

Since Pledge-a-Picket was launched in January 2002 the number of supporters who are eager to do something positive for PPCT has increased. A sign indicating the amount of money raised is continually updated, so protesters know how much money they are making for the affiliate every time they show up, some with children who are also counted.

According to organizers, when the program was first launched, some of the protesters would shout, "Count me, count me!" not realizing apparently that they were raising money for the organization they were protesting.

http://www.plannedparenthood.org/articles/041217-ipp-picket.html

Comments

[lizblackdog.livejournal.com]

Way-hey! Do you mind if I post that Pledge-A-Picket link to childfree? They'd love that...

[hopefulnebula]

Go right ahead. :D

[lizardlaugh.livejournal.com]

oh that is fucking brilliant! HAHAHAHAHA!

[pingpong-abyss.livejournal.com]

Bwahaha. I started laughing, and then I burst out coughing, then I got phlegm all over the place, and that's TMI but oh well. I lol.

I think Planned Parenthood may just be brilliant.