I think people would be quite comfortable with that r0bert. I can imagine watchers of that TV show Border Security would be happier if only MOMA (Men of Middle Eastern Appearance) were searched at the airport.

'I'm sorry Yaqoob, as you have dark skin , and a long beard (ha what were you thinking), we believe you are more likely a terrorist, so we must strip search you behind that screen'.

' He darky, come here, come heeeeere, our risk profile says more of you lot are terrorists.'

I believe this happens anyway, they just don't say it's policy. That would be racist if it was policy.

Suze,

Do you think Employers should be able to say, 'Sorry I cant hire you, you may decide to become pregnant for 9 months. I'd just feel safer hiring a man'?

There's also the issue that their risk assessment is all wrong. It's the parents that are more a danger to the children than strangers, seeing as 92.35% of child molesters are family members.

Really they should attempt to sit all children next to female strangers, then male strangers, then mothers, and at a last resort then fathers.

Yay, I can put my feet up and enjoy a peaceful flight while some chick looks after the kids.

What chance priests!

Houellebecq that opens a real can of worms. You'd need a super computer to work out seating arrangements and detailed profiles on every passenger.

Is a step dad a higher risk than an uncle or grandfather?
Scout leader vs youth paster?
A single mum is a higher risk to kids than a married father (unless sexual abuse is thenonly thing you care about).
Do you take the time children are normally in someones care into account, on a raw numbers game women are more likely to abuse or neglect kids in their care than men so should only male stewards be allowed to serve food to children?

All sorts of games can be played when you start using risk reduction and think of the children to enforce other biases.

Agreed about the border security shows from the little I've seen.

R0bert

My feeling is that the airlines are trying to protect themselves from the risk of being sued if there is an incident. To this end, when they are booking the seats they can use whatever algorithm to arrange the seating. However, when everyone is seated then to try and move someone while openly stating the reason is deeply offensive and should be avoided at all costs.

Similarly, women should be quietly kept out of positions for which their sex makes them not suitable.

Tony I never said it was ever ok to molest kids by females, but not men. It's disgusting and criminal no matter who is the perpetrator. We all know that paedophiles are predominantly male. That is an undeniable fact.

Houlebeck, "Do you think Employers should be able to say, 'Sorry I cant hire you, you may decide to become pregnant for 9 months. I'd just feel safer hiring a man'?"

No, they are not meant to say that, but they find other ways to ensure they don't have to hire them. But then, you already know that, don't you?

As a mother, I will protect my child without a care what others think, and I can understand why airlines have had to take this stand.
My husband feels the same way.