|
UPS apologizes for 'terrorist'
remark about turbaned Sikh
WSN Netwok
 A Bakersfield
family says they were discriminated against by a UPS driver. Their
neighbor e-mailed 17 News after he says the driver wrote a
derogatory term on a tracking slip while dropping off a package.
Anant Singh says his father, a turbaned Sikh, signed for a UPS
package last week but later when the family saw the tracking slip,
it noticed remarks both hurtful and upsetting.
“I just happened to see it said signed by the word "terrorist." So I
was amazed. I printed the paper and read it again, and it said
signed by a "terrorist," Singh explained.
Singh says it appeared to be business as usual when a UPS driver
delivered a package to his home. He was at work so his father signed
for the delivery.
“I came and opened the door. He gave me the package and I signed. No
other talking. Nothing,” Singh’s father, Balbir Singh, said.
Days later Singh was expecting another package. So he logged on to
the UPS website, accidently entered the tracking number for the
package that was already delivered, and found the word “terrorist”
where the UPS driver usually enters the recipient's last name.
“It suddenly struck me, ‘oh my dad was wearing a turban.’ He wears a
turban and belongs to Sikh religion,” Singh said.
Singh’s neighbor and friend emailed 17 News after he saw the
tracking slip for himself.
“Somebody is practicing their religion you can't label them as a
terrorist because they look like a Muslim or a Sikh to you,” friend
Teg Sidhu said.
17 News called UPS and told them about the Singh family's experience
and they released this statement:
"UPS regrets that inappropriate action was taken to enter a name
into our delivery records after a recipient signed for a package. We
sincerely apologize to our customer for any offense. Documentation
noted in our tracking network has been removed."
We also asked UPS if the driver will be suspended or fired, they say
all they can tell us is that the case is being investigated at the
local level.
24 December
2008
|
Read Also