Discrimination on Boarding / Additional Travel ID

splishsplash

Easyjet have a notice on their website regarding heightened border controls on flights to and from France, dated Nov 25th of last year.

It sounds like they had an issue with your passport, OP, and asked you for a second form of ID to save having to deny you boarding.

From what you write, you failed to facilitate them without causing a big fuss, so you were almost denied boarding on those grounds also.

I think you should be happy you were allowed to board at all, assuming this is a genuine post.

Moto2

Archergirl wrote: »

I have no idea, the OP mentioned it.
But if it was blonde people with glasses I would be happy to comply.

Is being blonde and wearing glasses a race ??

AlphaQ

phatbear wrote: »

You may not agree with it but oddly you provided it, and if you had done so without probably causing a scene
.........
Email easyjet, tell the Daily Mail, write to points of view (is that still on tv?), go head to head with the gate staff on a jeremy kyle then come back and tell us how you got on.

Great post, would have appreciated if you didn't make ironic comments about running to the TV and emailing the Daily Mail. Your criticism is to some extent constructive, but it is based on the assumption that my reaction to the boarding staff was rude and uncooperative. I admit being shocked at the situation, but I was not rude, did not raise my voice, and attempted to cooperate as best as possible (the fact that I may have been racially profiled did not occur to me for some time). Nevertheless, I do find the staff member's approach unprofessional (at best), asking someone for a additional ID can be done nicely and without threatening the passenger with denying boarding / calling the French Police.

Additional security measures may have been in place but there was no mention of additional travel documentation requirements when I contacted the airport or EasyJet themselves.

I appreciate you disagree with me and that for you this entire "story" may seem over-played. The truth of the matter that the incident was unpleasant, humiliating and inappropriate. Maybe if you had a similar experience you'd understand my point a little better. Either-way I thank you for your opinion but would appreciate a little less spiteful irony.

splishsplash wrote: »

Easyjet have a notice on their website regarding heightened border controls on flights to and from France, dated Nov 25th of last year.

It sounds like they had an issue with your passport, OP, and asked you for a second form of ID to save having to deny you boarding.

From what you write, you failed to facilitate them without causing a big fuss, so you were almost denied boarding on those grounds also.

I think you should be happy you were allowed to board at all, assuming this is a genuine post.

I guess whatever I say will come across as biased but as mentioned above:

- Additional security measures did not mention 2nd ID requirements

- I honestly don't feel like I've caused a "big-fuss", I was frustrated and in shock but I do not think that my behavior could be classified as causing a fuss. My reaction was natural, I simply wanted to know why I was being asked for additional ID and was instead told that I would not be allowed to board the flight and that the French Police would be called. Having traveled to many places including the US, I have no problem with authority / answering personal & security questions but I do expect some degree of respect in return.

mgdavid

AlphaQ wrote: »

........ The truth of the matter that the incident was unpleasant, humiliating and inappropriate. ........

you can take it however you want, but it is not for you to say it was inappropriate. You could say that when you own the airline but until then, it's their ball-game so just suck it up and move on.

Voyager2002

mgdavid wrote: »

you can take it however you want, but it is not for you to say it was inappropriate. You could say that when you own the airline but until then, it's their ball-game so just suck it up and move on.

If an airline staff member was rude, that is inappropriate, and the passenger is the best judge of this.

A completely separate question is whether or not the gate agent acted correctly in requesting additional documentation...

Voyager2002

AlphaQ wrote: »

I admit being shocked at the situation, but I was not rude, did not raise my voice, and attempted to cooperate as best as possible (the fact that I may have been racially profiled did not occur to me for some time). Nevertheless, I do find the staff member's approach unprofessional (at best), asking someone for a additional ID can be done nicely and without threatening the passenger with denying boarding / calling the French Police.

Additional security measures may have been in place but there was no mention of additional travel documentation requirements when I contacted the airport or EasyJet themselves.

I appreciate you disagree with me and that for you this entire "story" may seem over-played. The truth of the matter that the incident was unpleasant, humiliating and inappropriate. Maybe if you had a similar experience you'd understand my point a little better. Either-way I thank you for your opinion but would appreciate a little less spiteful irony.



I guess whatever I say will come across as biased but as mentioned above:

- Additional security measures did not mention 2nd ID requirements

- I honestly don't feel like I've caused a "big-fuss", I was frustrated and in shock but I do not think that my behavior could be classified as causing a fuss. My reaction was natural, I simply wanted to know why I was being asked for additional ID and was instead told that I would not be allowed to board the flight and that the French Police would be called. Having traveled to many places including the US, I have no problem with authority / answering personal & security questions but I do expect some degree of respect in return.

There are two issues here: the rudeness of the airline staff (unacceptable) and their request for additional documentation. On the second issue: I am sure that was not based on racial profiling but on the type of passport that you were carrying. The gate staff need to check that all passengers are carrying a genuine passport or Identity Card, and will have been trained to recognise genuine documents issued by many countries. I would imagine that the particular agent who met you had not been trained about the passports of your particular country. S/he therefore had three options open to her. She could have just not bothered and taken a chance on your passport being fake: not a good idea, particularly not under present circumstances. She could have made contact with a colleague trained about the passports of your country to seek guidance, but that might have taken time, and would have involved a risk of the flight departing without you. Or she could exercise discretion, and ask you to provide additional information and/or documentation to convince her that you were genuine and that your passport was not a forgery. This third option was the quickest and most convenient solution available, and provided a common-sense solution to what could have been a bureaucratic nightmare.

AlphaQ

Voyager2002 wrote: »

There are two issues here: the rudeness of the airline staff (unacceptable) and their request for additional documentation. On the second issue: I am sure that was not based on racial profiling but on the type of passport that you were carrying. The gate staff need to check that all passengers are carrying a genuine passport or Identity Card, and will have been trained to recognise genuine documents issued by many countries. I would imagine that the particular agent who met you had not been trained about the passports of your particular country. S/he therefore had three options open to her. She could have just not bothered and taken a chance on your passport being fake: not a good idea, particularly not under present circumstances. She could have made contact with a colleague trained about the passports of your country to seek guidance, but that might have taken time, and would have involved a risk of the flight departing without you. Or she could exercise discretion, and ask you to provide additional information and/or documentation to convince her that you were genuine and that your passport was not a forgery. This third option was the quickest and most convenient solution available, and provided a common-sense solution to what could have been a bureaucratic nightmare.

That's a fair point and when put like that I agree that requesting a second form of ID is probably the best option, airports should maybe provide some sort of list of "recommended travel ID". My passport however is from a fairly well known country which has been in the EU for over 15 years, which should mean that they are easily recognizable (and part of the training) - also do you think that a forged passport would pass through border control?

phatbear

AlphaQ wrote: »

also do you think that a forged passport would pass through border control?

have you got any idea how many people get swept up by inland teams in the uk with forged docs? Its quite a few and they have managed to get into the country using those documents.

Add to that its not just forgeries which are an issue the gate staff may have thought you were an imposter.

Oddly there use to be a market in a country, which oddly has been in the eu for almost 15years where you could buy geniune id docs, which could be travelled on, and they would sell you one based on the smiliarity of the original owner.

I was also approached a few years ago on las ramblas in barcelona and asked if i would be willing to sell my passport, which i assume, would have been used for the same purpose

meer53

How is being asked for additional ID "unpleasant, humiliating and inappropriate" ?? You had it there, why not just show it and board the plane ?

AlphaQ

phatbear wrote: »

have you got any idea how many people get swept up by inland teams in the uk with forged docs? Its quite a few and they have managed to get into the country using those documents.

Add to that its not just forgeries which are an issue the gate staff may have thought you were an imposter.

Oddly there use to be a market in a country, which oddly has been in the eu for almost 15years where you could buy geniune id docs, which could be travelled on, and they would sell you one based on the smiliarity of the original owner.

I was also approached a few years ago on las ramblas in barcelona and asked if i would be willing to sell my passport, which i assume, would have been used for the same purpose

I am not an expert when it comes to forged documents,it was simply a genuine question. Of course I am sure that the black market makes millions on forged / stolen docs.

I had however assumed that Border control was there to check the identity of the passenger and the authenticity of the travel documents - in my experience, boarding gate staff do little more than scan the boarding card and check that the name on the boarding pass matches the name on the passport.

Nevertheless, as mentioned by Voyager2002 there are two issues here, the rude behavior of staff and the need for a second travel document. I admit, that the discussion on here has made me more understanding of the need for additional travel docs - but someone should provide a warning and a list of recommended docs. A passport is deemed to be a sufficient travel document and I do not usually travel with other documents (if I lose my wallet, get mugged etc. I'd like to have some sort of ID somewhere).

meer53 wrote: »

How is being asked for additional ID "unpleasant, humiliating and inappropriate" ?? You had it there, why not just show it and board the plane ?

Your ability to take four words completely out of context and ignore the numerous posts is impressive. I will add that my issue is mainly with the behavior of the EasyJet staff.