Was an Islamic Head-dress Responsible for the Fatal Calgary Bus Crash?

[M.Dancer]

I have sometimes seen a mulim woman wearing a full scarf driving a school bus, and i have thought, that doesn't look to kosher.... doesn't her vision get impaired on the sides? And occasionally on the highway I have sometimes seen mulim woman wearing the same scarves driving....and I make sure we give them lots of room when passing......

Of course, it doesn't matter if the woman was Muslim or not, or it if was a religious hijab or just a winter scarf. Or an Eastern European baboushka.

What matters is that a school bus driver was allowed to operate while wearing a hood.

Clearly, that is an unacceptable risk -- and something that should be banned by common sense.

http://calsun.canoe.ca/News/Columnists/Lev...4595465-sun.php

This should be a no brainer....public safety trumps religious freedom.

[Borg]

I have sometimes seen a mulim woman wearing a full scarf driving a school bus, and i have thought, that doesn't look to kosher.... doesn't her vision get impaired on the sides? And occasionally on the highway I have sometimes seen mulim woman wearing the same scarves driving....and I make sure we give them lots of room when passing......

http://calsun.canoe.ca/News/Columnists/Lev...4595465-sun.php

This should be a no brainer....public safety trumps religious freedom.

In Canada? I wish I could agree with you.

Borg

[Guest American Woman]

Every article I've read about this accident says the truck the bus hit was parked well off the road and the bus drifted off the road and hit it. I have read nothing that says the driver said the scarf she was wearing "blocked her peripheral vision" as the author claims it was blocked, nor is there any indicaton that the reason she drifted "well off the road" is because of impaired peripheral vision. Furthermore, I've never heard of anyone drifting off the road due to impaired peripheral vision.

It's definitely a sign of the times when a head scarf is described as a "Muslim-style head covering."

Edited October 23, 2007 by American Woman

[CLRV]

I have to say this struck me as one of the most stupidly arrogant things I've seen in a while.

The police have investigated the accident and laid charges. Witnesses interviewed. Etc. The justice system is going forward with a trial, but hey why bother? This bozo has it all figured out, based on nothing more than a quick glimpse of the woman in a tv report and a news photo. And anybody who disagrees with this theory is just politically correct. Common sense? At least the phrase "no-brainer" is more accurate, if less complimentary.

Another cheap excuse to kick a muslim while they're down. Sign of the times, indeed.

Edited October 23, 2007 by CLRV

[AngusThermopyle]

Another cheap excuse to kick a muslim while they're down. Sign of the times, indeed.

This Muslim who is "down" as you put it, is directly responsible for the death of a child. What do you suggest, we give her a medal and parade instead? Who cares if it was a head covering or not? The salient fact is that she was entrusted with the lives of other peoples children and she failed that trust.

As charges are being laid I would say it's safe to say that the police have found evidence of negligence, dangerous driving, whatever. Is it your contention that she should be immune to the consequences because she's a Muslim who is "down"?

[Drea]

Maybe she was doing what all bus drivers do... yelling at the kids to sit down and behave.

Speaking of head covering - I have often seen older gentlemen wearing fedoras and the like while driving... how can they see properly? Also, those teenagers in those hoodies... ever try to turn your head while wearing a hoodie?

Any and all head coverings that do not fit as tightly as a skull cap should be banned while driving. (including big barrettes) LOL

I'm just kidding.

Why don't we all just wait and find out what's up when the investigation is completed. Instead of coming up with wild "reasons". 100% of us were not there to see it happen. Any thing we say is pure speculation.

[GostHacked]

American Woman

It's definitely a sign of the times when a head scarf is described as a "Muslim-style head covering."

And it is not kosher either. Of course.

Muslims are bad because they are not Jews??? It was a subtle connection, but one that is not lost on me.

Old people cannot see much of anything but they drive. A muslim wearing a headscarf or something that coveres their faces is no big deal. I do think it restricts vision, but so do sunglasses, certain types of hats. All the crap people have on the dashboard or hanging from the miror. OH what about the darkest window tints out there? Does that contribute at all? All the stickers on the windows 'Baby on board'. When driving there should be nothing that can impare your vision to the outside. Yes we are talking about a schoolbus, but if the woman was driving a car and did the same thing, this poster would still be bitching about the headdress.

All sorts of things can restrict your vision while driving. POOR EYESIGHT can contribute to this as well.

Those idiot women who drive and put on their make up at the same time. Those idiot men who don't do a shoulder check before changing lanes can cause issues.

I would blame the bus company's bosses and training for not addressing this issue if it was indeed a Muslim-nonkosher-type-indian-headdress.

I can also tell you that school busses are in accidents often enough. Hell when I was a kid I remember our bus driver broadsiding a car that was comming out into the lane of the road. It was a white man driving the bus. We were not going fast and some of us did not even realize we hit a car, it was not a very hard impact and minimal damage was done to the car and the bus.

Was she falling asleep at the wheel? What other factors beside a non-kosher mussie headdress were contributing to the accident?

[Shakeyhands]

This Muslim who is "down" as you put it, is directly responsible for the death of a child. What do you suggest, we give her a medal and parade instead? Who cares if it was a head covering or not? The salient fact is that she was entrusted with the lives of other peoples children and she failed that trust.

As charges are being laid I would say it's safe to say that the police have found evidence of negligence, dangerous driving, whatever. Is it your contention that she should be immune to the consequences because she's a Muslim who is "down"?

What does it matter what her religion is? There was an accident here in Toronto with a Bus where a child died, and I don't recall any comment what so ever as to the bus drivers religion... Cause why? IT MAKES NO FREAKING DIFFERENCE...

Until the police or courts come out and say that something she was wearing had a direct result of causing the accident, we can chaulk this one up to more Muslim bashing.

pretty sad.

Edited October 23, 2007 by Shakeyhands

[Guest American Woman]

This Muslim who is "down" as you put it, is directly responsible for the death of a child. What do you suggest, we give her a medal and parade instead? Who cares if it was a head covering or not? The salient fact is that she was entrusted with the lives of other peoples children and she failed that trust.

As charges are being laid I would say it's safe to say that the police have found evidence of negligence, dangerous driving, whatever. Is it your contention that she should be immune to the consequences because she's a Muslim who is "down"?

Who said she was a Muslim?? It's never been established that she is. She was wearing a scarf is all we know. Jackie Onassis wore sharves all the time, only they were called scarves-- not "muslim style head coverings." My Mom wore scarves all the time too, and never once drifted "well off the road" because of it. Furthermore, she's not a Muslim.

How do you know she's "directly" responsible for the accident? Last I've read, they don't know the cause and it's still being investigated. They are still looking into the mechanical condition of the bus.

And while charges are pending, charges have not been laid. So no one even knows what she will be charged with yet.

But the bottom line is: nowhere has it said she's a Muslim. The author of the opinion piece cited doesn't even know that, yet he's using this tragedy to arouse more suspicion/anger towards Muslims.

To quote him:

Maybe the woman wasn't Muslim. Maybe it was just a scarf to stay warm.

Maybe it was. Yet people are going on as if it's a fact that she is Muslim, which seems to me, was the author's intent.

Edited October 23, 2007 by American Woman

[M.Dancer]

Well if everyone is comfortable with people driving wearing 'hoods" or hats that block vision ( what? Like they can't see what's above them?) then fine....just add one more hindrance to the public safety.....

Personally I am against people driving while on the phone....I'm against statues on the dash, baby boots hanging on the rear view mirror and signs on the rear window as well as any masks, scarves or Muslim headdress that blocks the vision.

They should all be forbidden regardless of any religious aspect.

But is it a coincidence wear in Saudi Arabia where all woman must cover their heads....that they are also forbidden to drive?

[AngusThermopyle]

Actually I was responding to the post by CLRV where he talked about Muslims being "down". My point is that it doesn't matter if she was a Muslim or a three legged toad. She was entrusted with the lives of these children and failed that trust. Since the cops were laying charges according to the news report last night I would think it is safe to assume that negligence of some sort was involved.

As for your mother wearing a scarf and never drifting off the road, well exactly how does that prove anything? The death of this child is a fact, who knows at this point if it was driver error or mechanical? My point is that the childs death is what matters. So what if she is, was, or may become Muslim, or Jewish, or Pastafarian. The childs death is what matters and as such charges should be laid, if, of course they are warranted.

Hope that clarifies things for you.

[Guest American Woman]

But is it a coincidence wear in Saudi Arabia where all woman must cover their heads....that they are also forbidden to drive?

They have to do more than cover their heads in Saudi Arabia, but yeah. It's a real shocker that in spite of the tremendous freedoms/rights women enjoy in Saudi Arabia, they aren't allowed to drive.

[M.Dancer]

They have to do more than cover their heads in Saudi Arabia, but yeah. It's a real shocker that in spite of the tremendous freedoms/rights women enjoy in Saudi Arabia, they aren't allowed to drive.

They wear an abaya and must cover their hair, but they are not compelled to cover their faces.

[GostHacked]

...Since the cops were laying charges according to the news report last night I would think it is safe to assume that negligence of some sort was involved.

The bus company is to blame as well. For argument sake, I will say she is Muslim. The bus company should have seen it right away that this is a saftey concern and not a religious one. If the bus company knowlingly hired a muslim woman who has her face covered all the time, then they are stupid for putting those kids as risk. They are to blame as much as the driver of the bus. Actually the bus company would be MORE to blame becaus they knowingly put those kids at risk.

The woman being a Muslim was not mentioned, but speculated.

As for your mother wearing a scarf and never drifting off the road, well exactly how does that prove anything?

Proves that even non muslims wear stuff that restrict their vision. My Oma drove a school bus and she wore scarves on her head at times as well. She was also a very good driver and took care of every single child on her bus.

The death of this child is a fact, who knows at this point if it was driver error or mechanical? My point is that the childs death is what matters. So what if she is, was, or may become Muslim, or Jewish, or Pastafarian. The childs death is what matters and as such charges should be laid, if, of course they are warranted.

Hope that clarifies things for you.

Yes the death of the child is not acceptable in any case. But pointing out the Muslim-Factor without getting the accident reports and investigations, all this Muslim crap is pure speculation.

The issue is restrictive clothing/activities that can either restric your vision, or distract you from the road. Hell, several times I have just about hit the ditch when trying to change a CD in my car. Now I make sure they are easily accessable so as to not distract me. Many things beside a headscarf can cause things to go downhill in a hurry.

I have had enough with idiot drivers these days, so I take the bus whereever I go.

[Guest American Woman]

They wear an abaya and must cover their hair, but they are not compelled to cover their faces.

And you think this is the reason women aren't allowed to drive? That's my point. But since women are not compelled to cover their faces, please explain to me how driving in a headscarf would be any different from driving in this.

Again, your insinuation that women in SA aren't allowed to drive because they are required to wear a headscarf is totally off-base.

[M.Dancer]

And you think this is the reason women aren't allowed to drive? That's my point. But since women are not compelled to cover their faces, please explain to me how driving in a headscarf would be any different from driving in this.

Again, your insinuation that women in SA aren't allowed to drive because they are required to wear a headscarf is totally off-base.

I didn't insinuate that at all. You just took it the wrong way. I was being facetious and no, I don't think anyone male or female should drive with a mask or with their vision obstructed

[Guest American Woman]

Again, your insinuation that women in SA aren't allowed to drive because they are required to wear a headscarf is totally off-base.

I didn't insinuate that at all. You just took it the wrong way. I was being facetious and no, I don't think anyone male or female should drive with a mask or with their vision obstructed

I see. So this:

But is it a coincidence wear in Saudi Arabia where all woman must cover their heads....that they are also forbidden to drive?

...wasn't insinuating that women in SA aren't allowed to drive because they are required to wear a headscarf. It was just me taking it the wrong way. Got'cha.

[Guest American Woman]

As for your mother wearing a scarf and never drifting off the road, well exactly how does that prove anything?

Proves that even non muslims wear stuff that restrict their vision. My Oma drove a school bus and she wore scarves on her head at times as well. She was also a very good driver and took care of every single child on her bus.

The point I was actually making is that her vision wasn't impaired.

[M.Dancer]

Proves that even non muslims wear stuff that restrict their vision. My Oma drove a school bus and she wore scarves on her head at times as well. She was also a very good driver and took care of every single child on her bus.

The point I was actually making is that her vision wasn't impaired.

Interesting point. How can you say that for certain? I have seen women wearing the full scarf (no mask) and their peripheral vision would have been zero.

[M.Dancer]

My mother would at times wear a scarf. The only vision that was impared was the vision of her curlers.

[ScottSA]

I have to laugh at the swarms of leftists running to the defence of a driver who killed a child...and defending her only because she was a Muslim.

[Guest American Woman]

Interesting point. How can you say that for certain?

Ummm. Because I was talking about my Mom, so I can say that for certain.

[Guest American Woman]

I have to laugh at the swarms of leftists running to the defence of a driver who killed a child...and defending her only because she was a Muslim.

I'll address the most (only) relevent part of your post (since the rest is pure crap):

Source that she's a Muslim, please.

Edited October 23, 2007 by American Woman

[M.Dancer]

Ummm. Because I was talking about my Mom, so I can say that for certain.

I'm sorry, I thought you were refering to the bus driver, not your Mom who to our knowledge hasn't been charged.......

Edited October 23, 2007 by M.Dancer

[Guest American Woman]

I'm sorry, I thought you were refering to the bus driver, not your Mom who to our knowledge hasn't beed charged.......

And the bus driver HAS been charged now? Source please. And the charge is for driving with "blocked peripheral vision" due to having a headscarf on? Once again, source please.

Edited October 23, 2007 by American Woman