Tightest Airport Security in Canada

[Uncomfortable Silence]

Good job to the Westjet Pilot for stopping this mess...

Prince George AIDS group threatens suit over airport 'humiliation'

Tue Apr 8, 2:04 AM

VANCOUVER (CBC) - Members of an AIDS support group in Prince George say they were humiliated by airline security at the local airport and are considering filing a human rights complaint over the matter.

Seven members of Positive Living North were flying to a conference in Vancouver last week but their flight was delayed for an hour after an airport security guard raised concerns about their "diseases" with WestJet flight staff, said Alison Paul, an AIDS prevention and support worker with the group.

Paul, who's not HIV positive, told CBC News Monday a flight attendant announced the delay of the plane and pulled her aside to talk to the pilot.

The airport security guard had asked for a wipe down because he said he knew people in the group had "diseases," Paul said.

"He [the security guard] said that he had recognized one of the members or one of my group from [Prince George] downtown. He said he knew this person has diseases and that he was trying to keep the staff and people safe in the aircraft," she said.

"I broke down in tears and said, 'I've been travelling with the organization for a long time and never have I been treated like this.'"

After talking with Paul, the WestJet pilot called the security guard's concerns ridiculous, apologized to the group and the plane promptly took off, Paul said.

Members of group said they had been publicly humiliated.

"I was disgusted ... I just thought, 'Who the hell do you think you are? You don't even know me,'" said Tina Joyce, who's living with AIDS.

"What can I say it's not going to happen again?" Joyce said.

"I don't think it was ever our intention to have to wipe down the plane," Richard Bartrem, director of brand and communications at WestJet Airlines, said Monday.

"There was no reason why these people could not travel with us. The captain made that determination," he said.

The Prince George Airport Authority said Monday it, too, wants answers from Garda World Security, the company in charge of its security.

"We are very concerned about the customer service experience at the Prince George airport, whether it's a baggage issue or a parking issue or the overall customer experience," said Todd Doherty, a spokesman for the authority.

Joe Gaviggin, a spokesman for Garda, told CBC News the company has started investigating the incident.

"We just became aware of the incident so we do need to look into it and what action we should take," he said.

Unbelievable ignorance....

[Zapp Brannigan]

I can see the education requirements for security in YXS are pretty high....

[Brint]

wow

[sanjet]

It's amazing the things these CATSA people can get away with. Not a thing will happen to the guards after the "investigation". It trully is sickening, true abuse of power.

Props to the captain on that call.

[invertedattitude]

Glad to see the Captain in turn made the security peon look like a fool.

We all need be reminded that CATSA seems to hire anyone and everyone who applies regardless of education of people skills.

We shouldn't slag all CATSA staff under the same flag, I know quite a few who take their job seriously and do it well and professional even with the poor pay.

However it only takes a few idiots like this guy to spoil it.

[CID]

Lucky they weren't in Egypt.

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/afp/egypt_rights_trial_gay

[Wacko]

When . sees this post he'll see it the guards way... we need to quarantine these people damn it!

It's too bad there's still so much ignorance

[Davecameron77]

It's not so much CATSA as it is the security companies they give there contracts to, in this case GARDA. Theres not really much new here, security guards get a little bit of authority, abuse it and accomplish nothing. There are many more human rights violations that occur every day with security guards abusing there authority, people being beaten, unlawfully detained. I agree this is sad and am glad the pilot had the ability to overrule but if these folks had nothing to do with AIDS this wouldn't be news.

Edited for accuracy

[JBI]

...

[Chuck Ellsworth]

When . sees this post he'll see it the guards way... we need to quarantine these people damn it!

It's too bad there's still so much ignorance

Wacko, are you accusing me of being in agreement with what that security guard did?

Are you accusing me of being ignorant, if so please explain in what context you think I am ignorant.

For someone looking for a mentor in aviation you seem to be limiting your field of prospects.

[Wacko]

No ., I was referring to your idea on some countries in Africa. I don't know how else to separate two thoughts outside starting new paragraph. I think there is a lot of ignorance about HIV and AIDS. I wonder if there were more North American people infected, maybe there would be more funding to find a solution. In fact I believe there is a new idea out there but bureaucracy and money always get in the way. After all... it's more profitable keep selling drugs than releasing a cure.

Anyway, I'm not going any further with this.

[Chuck Ellsworth]

Wacko my ideas on Africa have been formed from having lived and worked in around twenty five countries in Africa.

In the spring of 1997 I was walking along a street in a small town in Namabia with my FO who had spent many years working in Africa before the AIDS epidemic began.

He said that he figured in ten years Africa would be decimated by AIDS for the simple reason there is no workable way to stop the spread of AIDS in Africa.

His forecast sadly has proven to be true.

It has nothing to do with what we as Canadians think it has to do with the reality of how vast and poverty stricken Africa really is.

How do you educate millions who are illiterate and have no money to even buy sufficient food to properly feed themselves?

If you send money or food the leaders steal it and very little ever gets to the people.

The situation in Africa is far to hopeless and complex for most North Americans to really understand unless they have lived there.

Just one poor township Sewato, outside of J-Berg has a population almost half of the total population of Canada.

[What Flaps?]

Don't know who the Captain was for Westjet, but nice job! It nice to see people who know right from wrong or in this case commendable from ignorance. My hat is off to you.

[200hr Wonder]

As an ex resident of PG I can understand the ignorance of some people in that town and why they would get these crazy ideas. Not that is an excuse.

Great job to WestJet for calling a spade a spade and getting the plane going and treating all there guests with the respect they deserve.

[Walker]

Wacko my ideas on Africa have been formed from having lived and worked in around twenty five countries in Africa.
In the spring of 1997 I was walking along a street in a small town in Namabia with my FO who had spent many years working in Africa before the AIDS epidemic began.
He said that he figured in ten years Africa would be decimated by AIDS for the simple reason there is no workable way to stop the spread of AIDS in Africa.
His forecast sadly has proven to be true.
It has nothing to do with what we as Canadians think it has to do with the reality of how vast and poverty stricken Africa really is.
How do you educate millions who are illiterate and have no money to even buy sufficient food to properly feed themselves?
If you send money or food the leaders steal it and very little ever gets to the people.
The situation in Africa is far to hopeless and complex for most North Americans to really understand unless they have lived there.
Just one poor township Sewato, outside of J-Berg has a population almost half of the total population of Canada.

The solution to Africa is arguably very simple, eliminate all agricultural subsidies in the EU, and the Americas, give the UN a half reasonable budget (currently the TOTAL UN security budget for all activities is hovering somewhere in the neighborhood of $5.5 billion, and for reference currently the annual allotment for the Canadian forces (excluding extra special money) is somewhere in the neighborhood of $15 billion.)

presto chango wait 20 years and problem solved... The only issue is it would put our poor western farmers out of a job, and would eventually rebalance the global political/economic power structure, and it would be less in "our" favor... so its never going to happen, IE the situation is indeed hopeless....

Of cource this is all coming from an ivory tower academic, and the poorest place in the world iv ever been to was an all inclusive resort in Mexico, so it is totally possible im completely out to lunch!
BTW, if anyone knows of any flying positions in Africa for a young ~1000 hr recently graduated bleeding heart who's looking for a stern whap of rality, let me know!

[Cat Driver]

Walker, just go to Africa for the experience of having been there.

Africa is so vast and so diverse it boggles the imagination.

My only regret was I did not go there when I was younger.

Hands down the most interesting place that I have been to in Africa was Luxor in Egypt.....

[SQ]

this story shows that a minimum of education is necessary, even for being a garda dog...

captain's reaction does not need a wow as his decision was the most human and basic he could take