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

[Hikergirl]

I'm not sure I'd call it racial profiling but if the same people are getting randomly selected then its not really random. How many people enter the gates daily? If it was truly random, your chances of being selected 2,3,4,5 times should be very small right? Something is setting off their radar about you, so while I don't know if its race, it doesn't sound like its random to me OP.

 

[nicki401]

I dont think they profile- I got stopped at almost every park when I was there in february. I'm a green eyed blonde. I also got stopped in all the parks by disney research to do surveys for them.

 

[BigAlsGal]

It seems to me they just check the next person they see coming after they've finished the last ones.

 

[Srbright]

I have been picked and I am neither dark skinned nor suspicious looking.

But.... Would you know it if you WERE suspicious looking?

DUN DUN DUN!!!!!!


Stacy

 

[hookedonears]

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...

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...

G R E A T!!!! NSA has been profiling for years. Israelis have been profiling big time for decades, which has worked out incredible for them and they're located at ground zero. Anything they can do to keep us safe is alright with me.

 

[palavra]

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?

Yes, I know. My husband works security at Disney. He has told me about the random process at the gates. I can't tell you exactly what they do, but I assure you, the process is random.

 

[cruisingtwins]

I believe they do profile. It's pretty dismissive to say to a POC they are wrong because white people get stopped too.

If someone gets stopped every single time they are raising some kind of red flag. I think it's hard for family members to see those though. Se the he looks non threantning normal guy does not apply.

 

[palavra]

I believe they do profile. It's pretty dismissive to say to a POC they are wrong because white people get stopped too.

If someone gets stopped every single time they are raising some kind of red flag. I think it's hard for family members to see those though. Se the he looks non threantning normal guy does not apply.

I don't think anyone us dismissing what a POC says. You do not have to believe me, but I do know that the process is as random as it can be.

 

[kandb]

So tired of people thinking everything is racial these days.

 

[Thumper1066]

I am neither a conspiracy nut nor anyone who has ever had any training nor any knowledge of Disney security. I just watch a lot of NCIS. Can you say facial recognition software ? I hope they are using it and pulling a few blonds, grandpas and mid-westerners out to make it look lagit. I just know it makes me feel better, placebo effect or not.

 

[Happyinwonerland]

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?

I'm confused. If the fact that Caucasian middle class people are being pulled out for screening doesn't prove that they aren't profiling, how does your anecdote of being darker skinned and pulled for screening prove that they are? In both scenarios, all that's really been proven is people have been pulled out for screening. People of all races, genders, and ages. People. Not a color, but people.

 

[kandb]

I and my children got pulled over by security at the airport. The homeland security woman gave me a patdown, my children had to have their hands swabbed. We are all lily white. They do it to EVERYONE.

 

[cruisingtwins]

So tired of people thinking everything is racial these days.

Wow really?

Middle class Caucasian people can raise red flags too and that's why they are being stopped every single time. The proof that there is profiling is that the same people are being picked over and over. We have been living in Orlando for the last 8 months and go to Disney a lot we have never been stopped. If it were truly random we would have been stopped at least once.

 

[disndatworld]

I keep getting it all week. I'm a white guy. I asked one of the security guys why. He said, "I check somebody out, and when I'm finished I pick somebody else out. That's all there is to it."

 

[rlbates13]

We were there for a week in March. My wife, myself, and two teenage sons (all Caucasian) were all pulled aside at various parks during the week. It was no big deal. I didn't sense ANY racial profiling in what I saw going on.

I personally am against some of the "safety" measures being taken in society...my feeling is that we give up a lot of freedom in the name of safety (and I don't believe you can achieve 100% safety). I value freedom a great deal and I served our country to do my part to ensure safety and freedom. But...in the case of what Disney is doing, I do not mind one bit to submitting to a bag search or an occasional more thorough inspection.

 

[kandb]

Wow really?

Middle class Caucasian people can raise red flags too and that's why they are being stopped every single time. The proof that there is profiling is that the same people are being picked over and over. We have been living in Orlando for the last 8 months and go to Disney a lot we have never been stopped. If it were truly random we would have been stopped at least once.

Maybe just a coincidence? Statistically there has to be people on the scale that are profiled ALL the time and some on the scale that are not profiled at all and then a bunch in the middle.

Does anyone think Disney would be stupid enough to racially profile people? There's a lot of white people on here that said they got picked all the time. I am white, and if I get picked everytime, I will say, no problem, smile and go on with my day. Should Disney not pick any darker skinned people because they might feel like they are being profiled? Absolutely not.

 

[momto3jboys]

I also just returned home after spending spring break at Disney. I was pulled aside twice for further screening. No big deal, I'm not trying to hide anything and it only slowed me down for a minute or so. What bothered me was them pulling my 14 year old son with Aspergers. He had NO idea what was going on and had a complete meltdown! Totally ruined our Magic Kingdom day.

 

[Disneyliscious]

I personally don't care if they profile or not. If they are screening people, it makes me happy. It takes all of a minute to be screened and if I got chosen every time I wouldn't care because they don't know me from Adam. I think, because we hear so much about profiling in the news, it makes us more alert to watch for it. I understand its a touchy subject but its not like anyone is being cuffed and put on the back of a golf cart. In all honesty, its the lowest level of "screening" that can be done.

 

[tinawv]

Profiling is not necessarily a bad thing; in some situations it is needed

 

[mousefan73]

As an airline employee all I can say is they better have the same policy for the employee entrance and are checking all delivery trucks/ deliveries. If not, then checking even bags for guests is pointless