Profiling

[jimboston]

Good or Bad
===

Discuss

[Army of GOD]

I prefer Facebook to Myspace profiles.

[saxitoxin]

Good or Bad

BAD.

As folks know, I'm an older gentleman and getting on in years. But I'm also a sexual creature and I feel comfortable with my body. I've been working hard and putting in time and effort on my summer bod to get it in beach season shape. I like to saunter about Santa Barbara in my short-shorts because they make me feel confident in who I am and allow me the freedom and flexibility to stop and stretch, to jog, or to just hang-out with friends at the crab shack on Alameda Padre Serra. Sometimes the college kids at UCSB will yell out "Hey Uncle Saxi - nice legs!" LOL - we all laugh about that. It's okay because it's all in good fun.

What I do not like, however, is stopping to get searched at the US-Mexico border when myself, my housekeeper Sasaparilla, my girlfriend Esmerelda, my Rex cats Old Tom II and Silly Lady II, my Borzoi Big Bo Bop, Karl Friedrich my assistant, Barto my nurse and Cilantro my pool boy roar up in my black 2006 LA FORZA and my black 1988 Cimarron festooned with "FREE MUMIA ABU JAMAL", "RELEASE THE CUBAN FIVE" and "VIVA LA AZUL Y BLANCO! VIVA LOS CHAPINES!" bumper stickers.

Often, when we approach the Mexican border police I'll give a quick tap on the horn, wave out the window and call out "YOO HOO!" They spout off some nonsense, demanding I wait in line or wait in turn. I'll generally ask Barto to go up and explain we are on a time schedule (I have to exit the U.S. exactly every six months due to my immigration status).

That's when the screaming match starts.

I've been making this crossing for going on 20 years now and it's never been pleasant. It's because I AM A SENIOR.

Well, let me tell you Presidente Calderón, seniors are people, too.

So, yes, profiling is bad.

[CreepersWiener]

It's good if it pays well.

[King Doctor]

Depends, my left hand profile is kind of sinister looking, but my right profile is distinctly studly and buff.


So if it's a right hand profile, then sure.

[Gypsys Kiss]

my left hand profile is kind of sinister looking

I hope that was intentional and not just luck......

[King Doctor]

I hope that was intentional and not just luck......

Intent was all there buddy, I'm just glad that I'm not wasting it on monkeys and troglodytes.

[b.k. barunt]

Profiling? You mean like when i pull up on my bike next to a minivan at a stoplight and hear the door locks go <click>?


Honibaz

[jimboston]

Profiling? You mean like when i pull up on my bike next to a minivan at a stoplight and hear the door locks go <click>?


Honibaz

LOL

If that icon is your real picture, and you staring at the people through a squash I can understand.

[jimboston]

seniors are people, too

Says who?

[jimboston]

No one took the bait.

[thegreekdog]

I'll bite. Profiling is bad.

[InkL0sed]

I hope that was intentional and not just luck......

Intent was all there buddy, I'm just glad that I'm not wasting it on monkeys and troglodytes.

Wow, took me a long time to see what you did there. Excellent.

[pimpdave]

All profiling does is let the bad guys know who we won't be looking for.

[InkL0sed]

In all seriousness, I'd say it depends how it's used. It's tricky.

[thegreekdog]

I'm anti-profiling. Not sure how to regulate it, though.

[jimboston]

All profiling does is let the bad guys know who we won't be looking for.

That assumes you advertise what means and methods you use to profile.

That would be dumb to do. I would not suggest we do that.

Profile yes... but keep the standards secret... and keep them changing and adapting.

[jimboston]

I'm anti-profiling. Not sure how to regulate it, though.

So you say it is bad.

Why?

I have been profiled... and I thought it a very good thing.

[thegreekdog]

I'm anti-profiling. Not sure how to regulate it, though.

So you say it is bad.

Why?

I have been profiled... and I thought it a very good thing.

It encourages illegal police activity (namely stopping and searching people for no reason that such people can control - race, religion, etc.)

[jimboston]

I'm anti-profiling. Not sure how to regulate it, though.

So you say it is bad.

Why?

I have been profiled... and I thought it a very good thing.

It encourages illegal police activity (namely stopping and searching people for no reason that such people can control - race, religion, etc.)

# 1 - Not only the Police profile... it is used by other people, corporations, and organizations.

# 2 - Profiling is often used to judge people based on things that they can control...
-> Clothing style.
-> Type of car they drive.
-> Spending Habits

# 3 - Use of profiling techniques would not / does not necessarily hinder other protections afforded by the law; and certainly not Constitutional protections.

# 4 - Who even said we were talking about police profiling.

[thegreekdog]

# 1 - Not only the Police profile... it is used by other people, corporations, and organizations.

Yep.

# 2 - Profiling is often used to judge people based on things that they can control...
-> Clothing style.
-> Type of car they drive.
-> Spending Habits

Yep.

# 3 - Use of profiling techniques would not / does not necessarily hinder other protections afforded by the law; and certainly not Constitutional protections.

It does and it will.

# 4 - Who even said we were talking about police profiling.

Me.

[jimboston]

My wife and I took our daughters to Disney World earlier this year, and we were profiled.

They had some vacancies on the Club Floor, and we were given a free upgrade to that floor which included a lot of nice amenities.

There were other people who came in on the same bus with us that were not upgraded... why were we chosen over these other people.

WE WERE PROFILED.

We have a Disney Mastercard on which we spend a lot of money.

My wife shops at Disney.Com way too much.

We have like Disney Princess everything!

We did belong to their Book Club at some point.

We register all the Disney movies we buy and accrue "rewards" there.

... from all these seemingly separate sources, Disney is collecting data on me and my family. They almost certainly know the age of our daughters (they are young 3 and 6), they have a good idea of our spending habits, and probably have some idea of our income.

They looked at all this and decided to upgrade us.

Profiling.

They likely made some reasonable guess that if they upgrade us now (while we have young children) we would have a more enjoyable trip (which we did)... and therefore we are very much likely to make return trips (which we are).

This profiling benefitted me... and it's a good thing.

Hence profiling (in and of itself) is not a bad thing.

[thegreekdog]

Good work.

[oddzy]

profiling is a tool. it's the use and intention with which profiling is used that can become troublesome....

[jimboston]

Good work.

meh