Sam Mason's taxi comments weren't racist - your say
More than 2,000 people have taken part in a Bristol Evening Post online poll and text message vote on the Sam Mason racism row.
We asked: Was BBC Radio Bristol presenter Sam Mason racist in the comments she made to a local taxi firm?
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Almost 1,500 people voted online on this website, and a further 800 people voted using text messages.
Overall, nearly three quarters of readers who voted on This is Bristol said Sam Mason's comments were not racist – with 73 per cent voting no, and 27 per cent yes.
And of those who voted by text, 82 per cent said the comments were not racist, with 18 per cent claiming they were.
Miss Mason said she was devastated to have been sacked by BBC Radio Bristol following an off-air conversation with Bristol cab firm Streamline Black and White, which was covertly recorded.
In it, she asked for a taxi to take her 14-year-old daughter from her Clifton home to her grandparents' house to be driven by an English person, preferably a woman.
An operator at the taxi firm accused her of being racist for not wanting an Asian driver and Miss Mason was heard to say that a driver wearing a turban would "freak out" her daughter.
The woman who recorded the call passed it on to The Sun.
After details of the conversation came to light, Miss Mason was dismissed by the BBC and Streamline sacked the employee who recorded her call.
Miss Mason told the Bristol Evening Post that she was not racist and her only concern was for her daughter.
She said colleagues and listeners had been very supportive.
Miss Mason is now in talks with solicitors over the matter.
Although it is not against the law to record conversations for personal and some business uses, it is illegal to share the recording with a third party without the consent of the person being recorded.
The BBC described Miss Mason's comments as "completely unacceptable".
The row has divided opinion but one of Sam's most staunch supporters is TV presenter Sherrie Eugene who is Godmother to Sam's daughter and has known her for years.
She says Sam is not a racist and had a "stupid moment".
70 Comments
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by Cazz, Briz
Tuesday, November 18 2008, 2:01AM
“I agree, she should have known better, a lot better... it blows my mind what she said. But I feel sorry for the BBC , they have tried hard recently in trying to shake off the 'we only employ toffs' image and taken the risk in employing people who genuinely appeal to the public... and then what happens, these people predictably share the same unacceptable 'pub views' which makes their position untenable.
See, I would be great on the BBC... I could pretend to be 'down with the council estate people' yet be intelligent enough not to say anything out of line.
As someone once said, empathy and sincerity is the best qualities a person can have, fake that and you've made it.”
by Alex, Bristol
Monday, November 17 2008, 4:14PM
“I don't think comparing teenagers in hoodies to a race of people is a very fair..
Anyway, if the conversation had not been recorded, Sam Mason would still have a job. As it turns out, it was and she, in her public position, should know better about modern day issues.
Everyone knows what racism is and this case is no exception.”
by Cazz, Briz
Monday, November 17 2008, 3:26PM
“People have mentioned Hitler, BNP etc... in responses here, that's what the word racism provokes. I don't think that's helpful in this case. If an act of violence was used then I would have to agree with you one hundred percent.
To me this was a natural wariness of anyone who speaks different, looks different and dresses different, especially when you rarely mix and probably only hear bad things about them in the news. The same as old people mistrusting teenagers because they're all hooded criminals.
As it is, the racism word has appeared, she's now unemployable, her teenage daughter will be affected, and the city has been divided on the issue.
Don't you think this could have been handled better?”
by Alex, Bristol
Monday, November 17 2008, 12:18PM
“Cazz, committing genocide (Hitler) and or being discriminative through racism (Mason) are poles apart..
There is no excuse for racism - especially blind ignorance.”
by Cazz, Briz
Monday, November 17 2008, 11:34AM
“I think you're getting it Alex! Lots of people are blind ignorant! Calling it racism is extremely emotive (just look at the record number of comments) people will associate it with the slave trade, Hitler, jews being forced to dig their own graves...
It's not the tool in the bag to fix the social unease of religious clothing.
But it is the tool the sell newspapers...”