'King' Khan is detained at Newark: Flag burning ensues.

It was just a few weeks ago that Continental Airlines caused a controversy by forcing former Indian President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam to undergo routine airport security screening - an 'affront' to his status as a dignitary.

Well, now the Americans have 'done it again,' by daring to detain Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan at Newark Liberty International for an unthinkable 66 minutes.

Outrage ensued - with 'King' Khan's fans burning U.S. flags and protesting at what they decried as 'ill treatment' of their beloved star. Indian politicians angrily demanded an investigation.

But an investigation into what, exactly?

The rest of us regularly get detained at airports. What makes Shah Rukh Khan so different? Or is it just another example of this curious mindset which argues that certain people (be they former presidents or Bollywood legends) apparently don't need to abide by the same rules as the rest of us.

I mean, let's set the record straight here. Shah Rukh Khan is an actor. Yes, he might have starred in over 70 Bollywood hits, but he sure as hell doesn't have diplomatic immunity! For people to expect Americans to treat him 'differently' than the rest of us is offensive and fanciful!

Shah Rukh 'King' Khan: Not really a king.

(I don't care how famous Khan is over in India, but I'm willing to bet that most of the people working at Newark Liberty have never heard of him - hence why his protestations of 'Don't you know who I am?' would have gone unheeded!)

Khan at least had the good graces to deal with the situation diplomatically - telling his fans: "Let's put this behind us, think positively and move ahead." But he did add cattily that this experience means: "I certainly wouldn't like to travel with my family to the U.S."

But let's put this into perspective, please, Khan!

He was detained and questioned at Liberty International for 66 minutes - not even the length of one of his movies! Instead of complaining, he should be grateful he wasn't strip-searched or presented with a big man in a latex glove!

Now, I've been detained at Liberty International on two occasions - probably due to my somewhat checkered Immigration history. I will admit that it's annoying and inconvenient and I have some very valid reservations about the conduct of certain Immigration Officers.

But being detained? It's just part of life following the attacks of September 11th, 2001. Shah Rukh Khan should know: He was in America to promote a movie about post 9/11 racial-profiling in the United States.

So just as I argued regarding former-President Kalam, I don't see why there are a few angry people who feel that so-called Indian 'dignitaries' should receive special treatment at the border. The rest of us 'normal' people are forced to submit to the indignities of the security screening process and immigration. What makes people like Khan so different?

On American soil, Khan's really not much more of a superstar than I am - which is why I'm actually pleased to see him being detained at immigrations.

The fact that he was put through the same meat-grinder as the rest of us makes me feel like the Border Control staff at Newark are actually more egalitarian and more meticulous than I'd previously given them credit for. It makes me feel safer.

And if Shah Rukh Khan feels so 'traumatised' by his detainment? Perhaps it was just the injection of humility the Bollywood legend needed.

When are you too important to frisk?

In my role as Militant Ginger, I've flown back and forth across the Atlantic more than a few times (once, both back and forth in the same day!) Having tried most major carriers, my personal favorite is Continental Airlines.

[So, Continental, if you've got any first class upgrades available next time we fly, remember this endorsement! - Editorial Bear]

My fondness for Continental only increased today, when I read this story on Yahoo:

US airline probed after ex-Indian pres searched
By ASHOK SHARMA, Associated Press Writer – Tue Jul 21, 11:18 am ET

An Indian police investigation was launched Tuesday into employees from Continental Airlines after India's former president was frisked before boarding a flight to the United States.

Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel told Parliament: "This act of frisking the former president ... is absolutely unpardonable and beyond the scope of the laws of our country,"

Full story here.

I'm personally thrilled that Continental demanded former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam remove his shoes and go through a metal detector before boarding the flight - because that's exactly what the rest of us are expected to do.

It's nothing personal - I have enormous respect for Abdul Kalam - generally regarded as India's finest president and literally a 'rocket scientist' to boot (he was a former aeronautical engineer with India's Defence Research and Development Organisation.)

However, the idea that celebrities, dignitaries and VIPs should be allowed - nay, expected - to bypass airport security is just offensive to me.

The fact is, airport security is there for the safety of everybody - including worthless peons like myself, traveling economy (i.e. cattle) class. If the honorable former President of India demands that passengers such as myself are screened, frisked and prodded to ensure his safety, surely we have the right to demand exactly the same of him.

It's not a question of reverse snobbery (well, not entirely.) Having been brought up on a diet of James Bond thrillers and adventure stories, I can see that giving a dignitary carte blanche to bypass airport security is just a disaster waiting to happen in our post 9/11 world.

Hell, only last week I watched poor old Captain Jack Harkness have a bomb surgically inserted into his stomach (to blow Torchwood headquarters to smithereens.) What guarantee do I have that A.P.J. Abdul Kalam is carting the same sort of equipment around in his small intestine?

[If you missed the dreadful five-episode farce that was Torchwood: Children of Earth, you can buy the DVD here. - Editorial Bear]

No - Continental Airlines were absolutely right when they demanded Kalam pass through the metal detectors. I hope they stand firm against criticism and show the world that, when it comes down to the safety of passengers and crew, we're all equal.