Last month, an airplane Karen was caught on camera on a United Airlines shuttle bus at Los Angeles International Airport hurling racist insults at an Indian American family. The verbal attack was directed at photographer Pervez Taufiq, who recorded the entire incident.
Now, the woman on the video has been identified as 64-year-old Arlene Bunch—and you’ll never believe the reason she gave for her despicable behavior: Bunch told Fox 11 Los Angeles that a medical condition was the reason for her racism.
“[Taufiq] pushed me to the side to get in front of me and the lady made him go back to the end of the line and he’s talking to his wife, ‘supposedly they are first class. Obviously, with no class and look at the way they’re dressed… they’re white trash,’” Bunch told the outlet.
She also said Taufiq was “aggressive” as they got on the shuttle.
“He looks over to me and says ‘shut your big f**ing mouth you white trash’ and then my husband steps in. None of this is in the video,” Bunch stated. “And most people know me as a very kind, calm person, but since the brain injury, I can get agitated very easily.”
Bunch also insisted that Taufiq was being “racist” after he requested that security remove her from the bus, which they did. In his Instagram post, Taufiq expressed gratitude to United for removing Bunch but was “blown away [that] these types of people still exist.”
Taufiq, who posted the clip on his personal Instagram account, said that the woman harassed his entire family. “Your family is from India, you have no respect, you have no rules, you think you can push everyone, push, push, push,” Bunch said in the video.
“That’s what you think you are. You guys are f**king crazy.” She also stuck up her middle fingers while Taufiq filmed her.
“I’m going to record your f******g tandoori a**... your tandoori stinky a**,’ Bunch continued.