There are also those who will stand by a colleague and long time employee of this airline with the not so very far fetched assumption that it was a honest, if a bit daft, mistake. We all make those.
I'll gladly put my weight on his side of the balance just on the knowledge that being a long time pilot of this outfit, he could be the guy I'd least want to fly with and I'd still firmly believe he is not the psychopathic criminal the newspapers and trigger-happy security bozos so desperately want him to be.
I'd also like the community of my peers to stand up behind me the day I unwillingly screw up. Alas, we are the best at crying fool we our employers pushes the cucumber in, but we quick to push it up each other's arses at the first stumble.
Not to mention that anyone that has had the pleasure of dealing with LHR security will know them for the paranoid, bullheaded, pathetically inept, blinkers-wearing glorified shopping-centre security guards they are.
Assumption made. Side taken. I stand by it.
I hope life goes back to normal for him soon.