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| Fired Muslim truck driver sues employer over beer pickup |
| 2004-06-23 |
| A Muslim truck driver is suing his former employer, saying he was fired for refusing to transport beer. Ibrahim Barzinji of Nashville filed suit in federal court this week against Arkansas-based J.B. Hunt Transport. Barzinji says he had transported a load of auto parts from Clarksville to St. Louis last June when he was asked to pick up a return load at the Anheuser-Busch plant. He says he told the dispatcher and a supervisor he couldn’t do that because it was against his religion. Barzinji says the supervisor told him to choose between his job and the load. Barzinji says he did take a different load back to Tennessee but was then fired. The company declined to comment. |
| Posted by:TS(vice girl) |
| #11 RC. "...but what's the practical difference between seals and locks?" There would be a lock ($5 Master Lock) and seal, think cheap plastic with a number sequence. There are games that can be played with the seals, but I doubt he would be smart enough. True, he couldn't get at the beer, without breaking the seal, the lock he could just open with his key. The lock usually belongs to the driver. Neither of these devices could be considered "special treatment"! Fact is, not a lot is done in the way of securing alcohol, or any other cargo. Trucks are pretty much in perpetual motion from the time they pick up a load, until they deliver it. And no one would tamper with a truck in the truck stops. We can tell who belongs and who doesn't, for the most part. There is a certain attitude that goes with being a driver. If the Izzies really wanted to bring us to our knees, then disrupting the movement of freight would be the way to go. Everything, and I mean everything, moves by truck at some point. Wern |
| Posted by: Werner 2004-06-23 11:53:23 PM |
| #10 Things have changed substantially from your Dads days. Must have, but what's the practical difference between seals and locks? The asshat couldn't touch the beer either way. |
| Posted by: Robert Crawford 2004-06-23 10:27:53 PM |
| #9 "Beer shipments get a lot of special treatment -- extra security, special locks on the trailer, etc -- and refusing a load could cause a LOT of problems for the shipper and shipping company. Remember the minute alcohol's involved, the IRS is involved." You are woefully misinformed. As an ex-trucker for Werner, I can say that almost every assertion you made is wrong. I've hauled LOTS of alcoholic beverages. Beer and alcohol do not get special locks. They do get a numbered seal, all freight does. The IRS doesn't have anything to do with it. The only involved parties are the BATF and DOT. J.B. Hunt is not a union shop! Very few of the big freight carriers these days are. Refusing a load is usually not a good idea, but it can be done. Poorly loaded and unloaded trailers are very rare these days. Most truckers hit the scale as soon after they hookup a load. Truckers these days will bring an overweight or poorly loaded trailer back in a heartbeat. So shippers do it right the first time now, because otherwise it is BIG BUCKS to do it over. Things have changed substantially from your Dads days. Wern |
| Posted by: Werner 2004-06-23 7:48:13 PM |
| #8 Stories like this make me want to crack open some suds and eat a ham sandwich. |
| Posted by: Chris W. 2004-06-23 4:25:48 PM |
| #7 I know some Southern Baptists who won't have anything to do with alchol, either. And that includes transporting it. I'm glad I make my own. |
| Posted by: Deacon Blues 2004-06-23 4:10:11 PM |
| #6 "No, no! Don't do it, Ibrahim!! |
| Posted by: Porky Pig 2004-06-23 3:47:06 PM |
| #5 This is total bullshit. I don't believe the Koran says anything about being near beer, it only says you can't drink the booze. He's misintrepting his religion, something I've noticed time and time again from the followers of Mohammad and I'm getting tired of it. Now shut up and pick up that load of pigs! |
| Posted by: Ruprecht 2004-06-23 3:43:20 PM |
| #4 maybe he didn't realize there was no requirement to actually DRINK the stuff |
| Posted by: PlanetDan 2004-06-23 3:26:23 PM |
| #3 Beer shipments get a lot of special treatment -- extra security, special locks on the trailer, etc -- and refusing a load could cause a LOT of problems for the shipper and shipping company. Remember the minute alcohol's involved, the IRS is involved. That also means the driver could never have even been suspected of taking a drink from the load. As for refusing a load -- you'd better have a buttload of seniority to do that, or clear it with your union, or you WILL lose your job. I can remember my dad saying he refused loads, but the reasons were for things like overloaded or poorly loaded trailers. In the end, though, I was unaware that ol' Mo' forbid Muslims to DRAG BEHIND THEM alcoholic beverages. I thought the injunction was against CONSUMING them. |
| Posted by: Robert Crawford 2004-06-23 3:03:19 PM |
| #2 Anheuser-Busch? I can see his point. Hacker Pschorr on the other hand... |
| Posted by: Zpaz 2004-06-23 3:02:49 PM |
| #1 Suicide vests and RPG's, that one thing. But beer -- no way! |
| Posted by: Matt 2004-06-23 2:53:47 PM |