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Speaks Tamil, misses flight

WASHINGTON: A Tamil-speaking man in the United States missed his flight from Seattle over the weekend because at least one person thought he was suspicious.

According to a report in Seattle Post Intelligencer, the man was speaking Tamil and some English in a conversation on his cell phone about a sporting rivalry while getting ready to board an American Airlines flight to Dallas' Fort Worth International Airport.

An off-duty airline employee heard the conversation and alerted the flight crew.

"Big misunderstanding"

"It's a big misunderstanding," said Bob Parker, the airport spokesman. "He had a perfectly innocent explanation that all added up" the spokesman said noting that it was mandatory for airport officials to investigate reports of suspicious activity.

The man was supposed to be talking of a sporting rivalry involving his alma mater. "It's hard to triage over the phone," he said.Mr. Parker had no explanation as to why a man speaking Tamil would be considered suspicious.

The person who contacted airport officials could give an answer to that question, he added. The detained person was said to be cooperative and later boarded a flight to Texas.

— PTI

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