Nigerian software engineer detained at JFK and given a test to prove he's an engineer
Mar 2, 2017 | 12:17 pm
#16
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: ONT/FRA
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 878
Um, yes.
As I said, CBP could have handled it better - the approach was incompetent. I'm quite sure I made that clear.
My point, which you seem to have completely missed, was that there is no clear evidence that the "test" was given due to racial or nationality bias.
As I said, CBP could have handled it better - the approach was incompetent. I'm quite sure I made that clear.
My point, which you seem to have completely missed, was that there is no clear evidence that the "test" was given due to racial or nationality bias.
Mar 2, 2017 | 2:06 pm
#18
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2006
Location: DTW, but drive to/from YYZ/ORD
Programs: Hilbert Hotel Infinity Platinum
Posts: 39,439
People from undeveloped countries have higher overstay rates. They also happen to have darker skin.
Mar 2, 2017 | 6:18 pm
#19
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 38,543
Um, no.
Look, I teach computer science at a respected university. I actually understand the questions that were asked. I find it extraordinarily unlikely that the CBP officer actually understood the questions that he forced the detainee to answer, much less understood how to evaluate the answers. As the article states, it seems much more likely that the officer Googled "questions to ask a software engineer" and, when the answers provided by the detainee didn't match the webpage verbatim, declared the detainee had failed the test.
Even if you grant that the exam was legitimate (which it wasn't), how do you expect someone to perform on a technical exam when they've been awake for 24 hours on an airplane, then accused of lying to obtain their visa, then told to take an incredibly vague exam under the threat of deportation? Sheesh, my students have problems with these sorts of questions even when they're awake and have weeks to prepare for them.
If you're going to question someone's expertise, you'd better have expertise at least as great as the person you're questioning. CBP gets no pass on this one.
Look, I teach computer science at a respected university. I actually understand the questions that were asked. I find it extraordinarily unlikely that the CBP officer actually understood the questions that he forced the detainee to answer, much less understood how to evaluate the answers. As the article states, it seems much more likely that the officer Googled "questions to ask a software engineer" and, when the answers provided by the detainee didn't match the webpage verbatim, declared the detainee had failed the test.
Even if you grant that the exam was legitimate (which it wasn't), how do you expect someone to perform on a technical exam when they've been awake for 24 hours on an airplane, then accused of lying to obtain their visa, then told to take an incredibly vague exam under the threat of deportation? Sheesh, my students have problems with these sorts of questions even when they're awake and have weeks to prepare for them.
If you're going to question someone's expertise, you'd better have expertise at least as great as the person you're questioning. CBP gets no pass on this one.
Mar 2, 2017 | 6:25 pm
#20
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 38,543
Balance a binary tree? I'd go to the bookcase second from the right, second? shelf and grab my copy of Knuth and look up how to do it. It's the sort of thing you use so rarely (I haven't used it since school) that it's not worth memorizing.
Mar 2, 2017 | 7:25 pm
#21
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: An NPR mind living in a Fox News world
Posts: 14,343
I would be inclined to say something along the lines of: "You have no idea what you're asking me. Where exactly did you get your PhD and what was the title of your dissertation?"
Mar 2, 2017 | 8:04 pm
#22
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Boulder
Programs: AA Plat, CX Silver
Posts: 2,361
As a generally cranky US citizen, I imagine I'd end up saying something that would land me in the penalty box for a while. At least I know they'd have to let me in.
Mar 4, 2017 | 6:47 pm
#23
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 38,543
Balancing a binary tree isn't Ph.D. level material. It's a perfectly reasonable thing for an older person to have encountered in school (although much less emphasis would be placed on that sort of thing these days, organized containers are now normally from the library or the database, not something you implement in your own code much.) The problem is that it is no longer something most programmers would use in the real world and thus is likely forgotten. Knuth sits on that shelf but I don't think it's been opened in 20 years.
Mar 5, 2017 | 9:13 am
#24
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: SJC, SFO, YYC
Programs: AA-EXP, AA-0.41MM, UA-Gold, Ex UA-1K (2006 thru 2015), PMUA-0.95MM, COUA-1.5MM-lite, AF-Silver
Posts: 13,436
FTA:
"But when he handed his answers back after about 10 minutes of work, the official told him his answers were wrong."
Solving the BST problem in ten minutes is actually impressive. I couldn't do it that fast.
Assuming his answers were correct, mostly likely the CBP was doing a law enforcement trick: lie to the suspect to see if he cracks.
I love that line. Gonna appropriate it.
"But when he handed his answers back after about 10 minutes of work, the official told him his answers were wrong."
Solving the BST problem in ten minutes is actually impressive. I couldn't do it that fast.
Assuming his answers were correct, mostly likely the CBP was doing a law enforcement trick: lie to the suspect to see if he cracks.
I love that line. Gonna appropriate it.