Tuesday, December 20, 2005

Discrimination or Common Sense?

Seems that Qantas and Air New Zealand have caused quite a ruckus down-under. Both airlines have a policy of not seating an unaccompanied child next to an adult male. This strikes me as a common sense precaution. Some 95% of child molesters are male. If you're rolling the dice by sending a child on a long journey alone, why not up the odds of a safe arrival by seating the kid next to a woman?

But no. Mark Worsley was offended. Now right-wing politicians are up in arms about the "war on men" and left-wing politicians are in a tizzy about equal rights violations. Since this is one thing the two sides can agree on, odds are this policy has seen it's last days.

Sure, the vast majority of men aren't dangerous to children. Of course, it's even less likely that a man will blow up the airplane he's riding in, yet he still has to submit his shoes to a search. On the off chance. Can't be too careful. Better safe than sorry. And so forth. Was Mr. Worsley just as horrified that he was considered a potential terrorist?

Can't this guy just suck it up and switch seats? You know... for the children.

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