Originally Posted by
SaltyDog
The HR department at every airline profiles. They look for a certain person with certain qualities, etc. No one likes it, but we all worked hard to get profiled by our respective airline companies and others we still would want to work for in the future. Customs just busted 226 grams of cocaine in SDF being shipped from Venezuela in a bike. I'd bet they used profiling to track it and seize it. Nothing is pure and clean in our Republic, mistakes are made, but am sure if the govt. had seized any one of the 911 hijackers competently, the howls would still be made and were with one. This Eagle pilot and those in a similiar situation will see this program improved, but the govt is not threatening to remove his licenses or ratings. Only his employer is threatening his job.
Big difference.
Depending on the profile used, that is fine. For example previous DUI, accidents, and incidents. However, EEO prohibits an employer from making employment "decisions based on stereotypes or assumptions about the abilities, traits, or performance of individuals of a certain sex, race, age, religion, or ethnic group, or individuals with disabilities; and
denying employment opportunities to a person because of marriage to, or association with, an individual of a particular race, religion, national origin, or an individual with a disability. Title VII also prohibits discrimination because of participation in schools or places of worship associated with a particular racial, ethnic, or religious group." (
Discriminatory Practices)
No, the feds have not taken his certificates away. But being on the watch list impacts his ability to clear security. This directly affects his employer for dead heading (may take too long to clear security to make the flight). It affects
him directly by making him show up to work sooner to clear security (this may also affect the company regarding rest periods). And being on the list could make commuting virtually impossible.
Actually, the fact that the feds have NOT taken his certificates away begs the question Just How Worried About Him Are They? If he were a real risk of taking down an airplane, wouldn't taking his certificates be the first logical step to stop him? He IS SITTING at the controls: the bullet proof cockpit door is not gonna stop him!
The whole idea of a TSA watch list is absurd. It negatively impacts people who are no threat, while giving the bad guys a warning of being under investigation. Maybe the TSA figures the bad guys won't change their names.