Saw this over on Consumerist last week... Dr. Sivaprasad Madduri, a 65-year-old urologist, was arrested while flying from Missouri to a medical convention in Las Vegas last June: Toilet proves short cut to jail for Indian doctor.

Dr. Madduri's attempts to go to the bathroom apparently angered and frightened a flight attendant, who wouldn't tell him why he couldn't use the lavatory (the pilot was using it), despite Madduri's explanation that he was taking a medicine that acts as a diuretic. Listen to the urologist! When the plane landed he was arrested, spent the night in jail, and was told the next day to plead guilty and pay $2500 if he wanted a quick resolution.

Read about Dr. Madduri's crappy, humiliating ordeal here, in his own words. All this, for trying to go to the bathroom! I think it's pretty clear that the flight attendant overreacted, then proceeded to put this guy through hell. Having spent a long night in jail, to avoid a protracted and costly legal fight, Madduri actually pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault and paid the $2,500—a decision he now regrets: Doctor now regrets pleading guilty over incident on airplane.

The flight attendant's freak out wouldn't have anything to do with Dr. Madduri's skin color and ethnic background, would it? Because yeah, he just happens to be of Indian descent. Never mind the fact that he immigrated to the United States 38 years ago and has lived and worked here like any other respectable citizen. There was a brown man trying to go to the bathroom, and that just seemed a little shady. That's racist!