When I read this thread & (some of ) the attitudes therein (never mind the totally "unfit for purpose" industrial legislation) I am so glad I p1ssed off from the UK 21 years ago.
Tourist, you may be cheaper than Itch, but, in the old days we subscribed to "get what you pay for", hence why 17 years seniority may have commanded a premium.
Regretably in the i-phone generation, we seem to have lost the notion that experience has any value, & seem to believe that a steely eyed OS-X ace will do just as good a job as an old f@rt in all circumstances.
It is surely cheaper to keep all the young guys, but, should no consideration be given to the difficulty one of "advancing years" may have in sourcing alternative employment. The younger you are, assuredly the easier it is. Of course experience should count, but , in this cheapskate world it doesn't. Apart from loans to pay for the "coveted" ATPL/MPL /TR I would wager that older guys have more commitment in terms of families/mortgages etc. . yes you retort, but they have worked for long enough to have had the opportunity to have taken care of them. . . so, I shall settle for my final uttering. . . I think you are behaving like a disrespectful little
to someone that possibly/probably trained/mentored/tested you. Congrats on your sense of levity.