Amir Attaran, a professor at the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Law and School of Epidemiology and Public Health, truly lost control of his senses on Saturday after spotting a United Airlines flight attendant without a mask.
Attaran, who was traveling from Ottawa to Chicago, took to Twitter and delivered a lengthy series of posts that became more and more unhinged as the flight wore on.
Transport Canada, the department responsible for setting COVID-19 guidelines, requires masks on flights leaving the country must remain masked throughout their journey. The requirement covers the duration of the flight, Canadian Television reported in April.
In the first post, which included several photos he’d taken of the maskless flight attendant, Attaran wrote: “Hey @United, why are you breaking the law? Masks are required on all flights out of Canada. Your flight attendant isn’t wearing one! This is UA3737 in Ottawa right now.”
He tagged the official Twitter accounts of United Airlines, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Transport Canada, the Air Passenger Rights organization, and Canadian news outlets including the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the Toronto Globe and Mail newspaper and the Vancouver-based Global News.
Hey @United, why are you breaking the law? Masks are required on all flights out of Canada. Your flight attendant isn’t wearing one! This is UA3737 in Ottawa right now. @rcmpgrcpolice @Transport_gc @AirPassRightsCA @CBCPolitics @globeandmail @globalnews pic.twitter.com/0htSabOBQl
— Amir Attaran (@profamirattaran) June 18, 2022
Attaran continued:
In Chicago now. Had a friendly chat with the flight attendant, and found she is blameless because @United misinforms its crew.
WTF, United? Look here: on flights leaving Canada, masks are mandatory the “entire travel journey”. FOLLOW THE LAW! https://t.co/0lQCMKYyOH
— Amir Attaran (@profamirattaran) June 18, 2022
Attaran received a surprisingly prompt reply from United Airlines which said:
Hi Amir, thanks for bringing this to our attention. We’ve informed the appropriate teams for further review. ^JB
— United Airlines (@united) June 18, 2022
But he wasn’t satisfied with the airline’s response.
“Further review”? Sorry @United, that’s BS. Transport Canada says very clearly right here:
“Wear a mask throughout your entire travel journey, except for brief periods while eating, drinking or taking oral medication.”
Surely you can understand that, no? pic.twitter.com/1mgZNLqOZL
— Amir Attaran (@profamirattaran) June 18, 2022
He continued with his irrational rant.
United should be forbidden flying to Canada—immediately. Our country, our rules. Even the supervisor I talked with in Chicago didn’t understand Canadian rules apply to flights departing Canada. @OmarAlghabra
— Amir Attaran (@profamirattaran) June 18, 2022
Bunch of Yankees mad about this and trying to ratio. HAVE FUN.
Don’t like Canada’s laws? Then keep your American companies in your own country.
Our country, our rules. That’s why your COVID death rate is triple ours, assholes.
— Amir Attaran (@profamirattaran) June 19, 2022
Oh, and if you Republican Reptiles dislike Canada’s COVID safety laws, you’ll TOTALLY HATE our gun safety laws—if you’re not already shot and dead.
Cuz Yankees murder their own far more than Canadians. Even kids. It’s awful.
I’m so glad I emigrated from California to Canada.? https://t.co/c9hC0TlauY
— Amir Attaran (@profamirattaran) June 19, 2022
Believe it or not, Attaran’s tweets continued.
But the reaction might not have been what he was hoping for. After two long years of dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, and the bossy, busybody types who used it to indulge in their own dictatorial fantasies (the kind of adults who apparently have a fetish about being hall monitors for people they’ve never even met) many, many people have gotten tired of whining like Attaran’s.
And the social media response showed.
Oh my god you were that kid in school weren’t you?
— Donut Operator ? (@DonutOperator) June 19, 2022
He’s STILL that kid in school!
— Norman G (@Norman1776) June 20, 2022
it’s SO WEIRD how he didnt feel the need to mask up at the WEF pic.twitter.com/sI2MoVPzL0
— Poliscikosis (@Poliscikosis) June 19, 2022
Wow, you’re a loser for taking these pictures and trying to ruin this woman’s life. Hey @United, ignore this bum.
— Jacob Airey (@realJacobAirey) June 19, 2022
This man is more than “that kid” in school. His behavior on Saturday crossed a line. The sight of an unmasked flight attendant sent him spiraling into madness.
Sadly, entrenched in the world of academia as he is, Attaran will likely face no repercussions from his employer. He should.
In the first year or two of the pandemic, people may have tolerated fanatics like Attaran, but those days are gone. Although people still wear masks out of courtesy and safety, particularly in hospitals and medical offices, society is largely over mask orders, the people who enforce them, and those who shame non-maskers.
At long last, the world is moving on.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
