23 March, 2017. 13:23
ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | Contact
Despite putting a Union Jack filter over his Facebook display picture, a local Sikh man has no grand illusions about how he’s going to be treated at airports and other public buildings in the wake of yet another terrorist attack linked to Islam.
Ranjit Bahadur has been the head of the Betoota Chamber of Commerce since 2008 and often travels interstate and overseas on business – taking the wider produce and riches of the wider Diamantina region to the world.
However, he’s noted that each time the globe descends into chaos, his travel plans often find a spanner in their works.
“Yeah look, mate. Last time I went to the US to spruik our Betoota Busy-Bee Honey, they woo-ed me up at LAX and put the hard word on me,” he said.
“I don’t blame them, I guess to the untrained eye I look a bit like an Afghani peasant farmer in a $7000 Hugo Boss suit. But yeah, even though I know I’m cool and I’ll get through eventually, I know that they’re going to pull me aside and go through me with a nit comb.”
The 34-year-old former South Betoota High opening batsman then revealed that he’s due to leave on a two-week business trip to Europe tomorrow, selling Brahman hump to the curious.
“We’ll see how this one goes,” he said.
“I’m wearing my boots on the plane so they’ll definitely want to stop me and swab them. Once they’re happy that they’re not made of plastic explosive, they’ll be nicer to me off the bat.”
More to come.
