Just Back. Issue 1: Profiling at Park Entrance..

[ps17]

Headed back home on our annual spring break, this is first of series of reports. I know that a lot has been written about random selection. Here goes our take: We think that Disney's policy is "Randomly" check suspicious people or those that might be concealing something. While you are at it, also "randomly" check everyone, particularly elderly, kids, women - those that look least likely to cause any problems.

I say this because on this recent trip, I was travelling with family - wife and kids. I am the only darker skinned person - family is your typical Midwest white suburban. I think that every time we went through a turnstyle, I was selected for the inspection. Everytime the security people just look you up and down and then make that determination. I think the one time that I escaped selection was when there was a more "suspicious" looking person that got flagged.

It does wear on you to get flagged repeatedly. Not saying that I agree or disagree with the policy, just reporting what we think - again, this is opinion.

Not sure what the right thing - if you are going to make it random, truly make it random and select every "nth" person. Or just check everyone.

We were just at Universal as well - now we did not go through the main gate (entered from the Hard Rock entrance - and they checked everyone. You did not have to have everyone place your stuff onto the baskets - just needed to carry phone and wallet in your hand as you go through the detector. Can't imagine that this would slow entrance to the parks (as you likely will have to wait to get your tickets scanned).

Again, not a big deal, but just a thought -Our opinion: check everyone or make it random. Or leave it the same - but own up and remove the "random" tag. Opinion - no flames please...

 

[han22735]

When we were there in January I was selected probably 5 times over 8 days...wife and daughter not a single time. I don't think race has anything to do with it.

 

[auralia]

My husband was picked twice and I was picked once all 3 times at magic kingdom over two days. We are middle class, white (/german/french descent if you want to be specific) with 2 kids under 10.

 

[CAS239]

The selection is random. To have a greater chance of not being selected, then enter the park early in the morning or anytime when tons of other people are entering. If you're entering when it's only you and a few others, chances are that much higher.

The selection is indeed completely random though. There are current and former Disney security people that have posted on here that have touched on how it's random

 

[Disneylover99]

I was screened once over the week of Christmas. My husband wasn't screened at all. It seemed random to me.

 

[Leafsgirl36]

I don't think race has anything to do with it, I am a pale Blonde Canadian and I was picked every time I went through at both MK and HS along with my day trip to Universal Studios.

 

[AngiTN]

I don't believe they are picking suspicious looking people or basing it on skin color.
DH has been picked often and he is white and not at all suspicious looking.
I have been picked and I am neither dark skinned nor suspicious looking.
We are both middle age white suburbanites and appear to be just that.
We have been randomly selected

In addition, I've witnessed a good number of people being selected and it was the most random group of people possible

 

[Chelley00]

One of my white female friends was selected four times, her husband who immigrated from Pakistan five years ago wasn't selected at all. I don't think racial profiling really fits.

 

[JoWilly]

Headed back home on our annual spring break, this is first of series of reports. I know that a lot has been written about random selection. Here goes our take: We think that Disney's policy is "Randomly" check suspicious people or those that might be concealing something. While you are at it, also "randomly" check everyone, particularly elderly, kids, women - those that look least likely to cause any problems.

I say this because on this recent trip, I was travelling with family - wife and kids. I am the only darker skinned person - family is your typical Midwest white suburban. I think that every time we went through a turnstyle, I was selected for the inspection. Everytime the security people just look you up and down and then make that determination. I think the one time that I escaped selection was when there was a more "suspicious" looking person that got flagged.

It does wear on you to get flagged repeatedly. Not saying that I agree or disagree with the policy, just reporting what we think - again, this is opinion.

Not sure what the right thing - if you are going to make it random, truly make it random and select every "nth" person. Or just check everyone.

We were just at Universal as well - now we did not go through the main gate (entered from the Hard Rock entrance - and they checked everyone. You did not have to have everyone place your stuff onto the baskets - just needed to carry phone and wallet in your hand as you go through the detector. Can't imagine that this would slow entrance to the parks (as you likely will have to wait to get your tickets scanned).

Again, not a big deal, but just a thought -Our opinion: check everyone or make it random. Or leave it the same - but own up and remove the "random" tag. Opinion - no flames please...

When we were there a couple weeks ago I got tagged 3 times and my wife once. We are very Caucasian, on the older side, and carried no bags. So nope I don't think they are profiling anyone unless they think our type of folks are the "usual threat". To be honest I have a sneaking opinion that they are specifically targeting the opposite of what would normally be considered the "usual suspects" just to show that they aren't profiling.

 

[Ellwood970]

What does the screening entail.

 

[AngiTN]

What does the screening entail.

Emptying your pockets, including cell phone and walking through a metal detector
That's it, unless you happen to set off the detector and then I suppose they wand, though I haven't experienced that myself

 

[carlyle688]

I wear a lot of bracelets and I set it off, so they just wanded me and I went on my way. I am also white, middle age -- so, yeah, definitely random.

 

[jbharr1]

Choosing every nth person isn't random. It's the opposite of random

 

[thisismyusername]

We've taken 3 trips since the detectors were put in place, and we have been picked almost an equal number of times for random screenings. FTR, both white skinned with light eyes and dark hair. If it's slower and the security guards are looking for someone to screen, it was usually whomever walked through the turnstile first.

 

[missnic]

See, DH and I thought we were being 'profiled', because we're two adults, no bags, no kids. We've been selected at least 3/4 of the times we've gone. btw, we're both white, mid 30s, nothing else to set us apart from anyone else. I think it's completely random.

 

[TJA]

We were just there over Easter week and couldn't believe how many times we were selected. We are white American family -- I'm a 5' female, blonde hair, light skin. I walked in behind a woman who was wearing a long black outfit that looked very "lumpy" (maybe she was pregnant? But the lumps were in different spots...). I don't think she spoke English -- we made contact in the bag line and smiled at each other -- I commented what a busy day it is and I could tell she didn't understand me, but she seemed very nice, maybe shy/nervous. Anyway, there was a guard standing at the head of our line and he let that woman walk by and asked ME if I would go through the detector. It didn't bother me, in fact I was kind of used to it by then as I had been selected 3-4 other times already, but I did ask what their criteria was because I seemed to get chosen every time! He said it was totally random, but that seems like such a waste of resources to me! Seems like they should choose someone who might be wearing clothing that could conceal something dangerous? Which leads me to another funny thing that happened -- an elderly woman who actually seemed like she could've used a wheelchair got chosen to go through the detector. A man nearby said very loudly -- "gee, I feel much safer now" lol! It was funny.

 

[magicjojo]

The fact that the security guards are stopping lots of middle class white people, or grandmothers, etc.... does not mean they aren't profiling. And if the stops are intended to be random there would almost certainly be some bias shown if we looked at a large data set. However do the guards have a formula they are following? Is it just every nth person? Is it random? Are they allowed to make judgement calls? Does anyone outside of Disney know?

 

[SarahInMN]

When we were there in January (for about 5 days), I was pulled over for extra screening 5 times. I'm a 40 year old white woman who was carrying a Dooney and Bourke Star Wars tote.

 

[Maliboo]

If it was truly random, they wouldn't be wearing ear pieces. Someone is telling them who to scan.

 

[magicjojo]

Yes, it's clear they are pulling over plenty of white people for screening. But the plural of anecdote is not data. The only way we could really know if a bias was being shown would be to look at a large data set of people screened over a period of time. OTOH I'm sure Disney has considered this and although people here claim the screening is random it might intentionally not be, although we don't know the criteria used.