‘Mind-blowing’: B.C. mother believes WestJet profiled her due to her tattoos

A B.C. mother is speaking out about an experience she had with WestJet in the hope that it won’t happen to another family.

Brittney Draper was travelling from Vancouver to Terrace on July 7 because her six-year-old son, Israel James, had undergone reconstructive eye surgery in B.C. Children’s Hospital.

They were travelling home on WestJet in conjunction with Hope Air and upon boarding Draper said she notified the crew that Israel had just undergone reconstructive surgery and he needed to be carried onto the plane.

“It was really scary because it was his first procedure,” Draper told Global News.

But to her surprise, when they landed in Terrace, there were police waiting on the tarmac for them.

It turns out, the cabin crew notified the police and airport management out of concern for Israel’s safety.

“If they had concerns, they should’ve brought it to my attention, and I would’ve provided them the documentation they needed,” Draper said.

“I have paperwork. If they had concerns, they should ask first.”

Draper said she was questioned by two police officers and provided them with the paperwork to prove that her son had just had surgery.

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“My heart dropped when I got off the plane, because I was just like, really?” she said. “I was like, am I getting arrested? Like, what the heck is going on right now? It was just mind-blowing.”

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Draper said the police eventually let her go but she believes she was profiled because of her tattoos.

“A lot of people profile me because of my tattoos, they just think I’m a bad influence or a bad person,” she said. “I’m just like, that doesn’t make you a bad person because you have tattoos.”

In a statement, WestJet said it sincerely apologizes for Draper and her son’s experience.

“WestJet cabin crew members are trained to ensure the safety of everyone onboard our aircraft, and to identify issues concerning guest welfare,” the statement reads. “Out of an abundance of caution and care, they followed procedure in consultation with the flight crew and WestJet’s corporate security.

“Due to guest privacy protections, our cabin crew were unaware that Brittney and her family were travelling following surgery as you have indicated. This incident has alerted us to the opportunity and need to address how WestJet can better support our guests travelling through our community partners. We have reached out to Hope Air and will take further actions to connect with Brittney to address her experience.”

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Draper said she knows protocols are in place for airline crew and she has filed a formal complaint but she says people should not be judged by the way they look or act.

“I just wanted other people to be aware that stuff like that does happen,” she said. “It might be a big shock, but it does happen.”