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Stanstead Screening Nazis

Freight Dogs Finally a forum for those midnight prowler types who utilise the unglamorous parts of airports that many of us never get to see. Freight Dogs is for pilots and crew who operate mostly without SLF.

Stanstead Screening Nazis

Old 16th Mar 2014, 00:17
  #21 (permalink)  
 
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Without any reference I was under the impression all European states have waived the 100 ml restriction for pilots except UK. Perhaps some smaller units see through the fingers, someone hinted BFS had a relaxed attitude?
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Old 16th Mar 2014, 01:12
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Meanwhile, you are sitting at the controls with a crash axe in the cockpit. Did the moron's name tag say "Obtuse"?

Glad I'm retired from the airline goat rope.
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Old 16th Mar 2014, 05:47
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I do not miss STN!

I see nothing has changed at STN! When all this started after 9/11 we regularly went through STN and they had some pretty moronic security then. Worst one was when a colleague had a packet of cup a soup taken off him. He protested that it was not a liquid or gel only to have the smug response that when it had hot water added (200ml) it would be a liquid and over the proscribed limit!
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Old 16th Mar 2014, 07:16
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Flyray

Just to let you know that you are entitled to ask the person who is searching your belongings to wear a clean pair of disposable plastic gloves; if they ask why, tell that that for reasons of hygiene for your belongings you insist as they may have been in contact with germs or alike from other searches, and that you do not know what they may be 'carrying.' Also point out that you may have something contagious (!) that they may not wish to contract.

You are entitled by law to ask for this.

Good luck.
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Old 16th Mar 2014, 08:41
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Hi Flyray, as a European freight dog I understand that all uk airports enforce the 100ml rule for pilots at present, however for the rest of Europe it doesn't matter, as you pointed out though the security guys at STN normally demand that your bag travels in the hold, if you can't get access to catering or bottled water airside there's normally a water fountain at the search area.
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Old 16th Mar 2014, 23:47
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Sad as it sounds, don't blame the worker ant security guy, he gets his ass busted for not following the "rules" , just as you as a pilot are expected to follow SOPs/ air law unless there is an exceptional circumstance.

As an Engineer, we have the same problems of being refused to carry through a bottle of water, but happily take gallons of hydraulic fluids, engine oils through etc .. Justifying your tools is always good fun as well, and I have watched a colleague have his spanners x-rayed, although what they expected to find inside spanners was beyond me!

The best way to deal with it is to make sure you are within the rules, and don't give the security guys a hard time, as they are only doing the job they are asked to do, no matter how daft you or I think the rules are, and most of the time they agree with you.

Still a PITA though
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Old 17th Mar 2014, 01:24
  #27 (permalink)  
 
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Without any reference I was under the impression all European states have waived the 100 ml restriction for pilots except UK. Perhaps some smaller units see through the fingers, someone hinted BFS had a relaxed attitude?

Hinted that BFS had a relaxed attitude? Either they had a one off or they were having you for one. I have recently not been allowed to take my flight bag through security because the staff have deemed it "too big" for hand luggage and it had to be carted around through over-sized baggage in the main terminal by Servisair. On asking about it I was told the rule used to be that anything that didn't fit through the xray scanner had to go but it was now changed but noone could tell me what to. It amazes me that security personel seem to have greater knowledge over where the bags are going than the crew, especially when it is the crews' bags.

And forget about taking liquids through unless they're <100ml in the transparent plastic bag.
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Old 17th Mar 2014, 02:33
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I have watched a colleague have his spanners x-rayed, although what they expected to find inside spanners was beyond me!
I watched 120 soldiers having to put their hand carry items through an x-ray machine in Canada. What were they carrying? L85 5.56mm assault rifles and bayonets!
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Old 17th Mar 2014, 02:51
  #29 (permalink)  
 
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I fly in Asia where the rules are adapted for the circumstances and the liquid rule is exempt for pilots at all our airports. But travelling through LHR T3 recently as a pax, I observed appalling behaviour from a security screener. An elderly passenger of middle eastern appearance in western dress was confused as to the exact procedure and was asking the security man what to do. The screener ignored the passenger. After several times asking, the passenger assumed the screener was deaf and tapped him on the shoulder and which point the idiot turned around and shouted that he was not to be touched and if it happened again, the passenger would be arrested. The poor passenger looked visibly shaken, I explained what I considered to be the procedure while the idiot stood there continuing to stare blankly at the wall. I considered raising the point at the time but realising the idiot had far more powers that his intellect could cope with, I said nothing.

As expected, myself and the poor other passenger got special treatment, myself being asked some very leading (and rather stupid) questions. The poor old guy was shaking at the end of it, I felt I had to apologise for my country. As we were in the ''by invitation line'' we were both travelling on premium tickets, in my case the Airport Passenger Duty was GBP188. Is that what we're paying for?

I made a note of all the details and addressed them to a security manager at LHR from my work e-mail so he could see I was employed in the industry. I haven't had a reply.
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Old 17th Mar 2014, 08:24
  #30 (permalink)  
 
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Sometime ago whilst passing through enterprise security cargo crew were ahead of me. One of them forgot to take his iPad out of a soft leather crew bag. He was told to remove it and that they would like to search his bag to which he agreed. The bag was lifted off the table by a single female member of security and placed on the floor on her side. The iPad was declared safe and when the capt asked about his bag was told that she had to wait on another member of staff to help her lift it back up onto the table due to health and safety. So there we were all waiting until another member of security turned up to assist in lifting the bag. They took a strap each lowered down with straight backs and lifted it back onto the table. It was like a demonstration on how to lift objects correctly according to the H&S manual. I looked at the staff member who had swiped my ID card and they just looked completely embarrassed to be associated with this person.
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Old 17th Mar 2014, 13:36
  #31 (permalink)  
 
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I watched 120 soldiers having to put their hand carry items through an x-ray machine in Canada. What were they carrying? L85 5.56mm assault rifles and bayonets!

Dan - Thats got to be the best way for a person that has had no training on the weapon system to a make sure there are no live rounds in the chamber or magazine and so the rifle is safe to fly!

Makes sence to me..
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Old 17th Mar 2014, 19:44
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Not all screener's are a*holes but the job tend to attract people that just can't handle the power they're given. And The UK policing mentally is not helping matters.
In MAN I was told that my bag was too big for the x-ray machine. I said, it will fit just fine. It's too big for the trays, was their response then. Me.. WTF Took me almost an hour to get through, and I lost the Body Shop winter collection for my partner.. but that was of course my fault
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Old 2nd Apr 2014, 13:05
  #33 (permalink)  
 
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Security matters/manners

I would just like to reply to A&C post of 13/03 regarding security at BHX.

I only go through there as a pax these days (once/twice a month normally) so no idea how they now treat the crews.

From a passenger point of view they all seem to have been to charm school and I get treated to a customer service attitude that most banks would die for. This I may add is in sharp contrast to my previous experiences back about 2 years when the instructions to strip were given by (apparently) ex sergeant majors.

The only time this charm slips is when dealing with a lot of the bucket & spade brigade who are(usually) either inebriated, illiterate or too ignorant to understand that <remove coat and belt> applies to them.

Just thought I'd stick up for the few amongst the many who do their job with some semblance of humanity while maintaining what passes for security at British airports
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Old 2nd Apr 2014, 15:16
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Its not uncommon to hide a round in an assualt rifle. This is done in case the person has a ND and when they do an ammunition check and everyone one has the issued amount they can`t find the guilty bastard.
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Old 2nd Apr 2014, 15:18
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Obviously you have not noticed the Nazis in the TSA? Maybe they all go to the same charm school?
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Old 2nd Apr 2014, 16:57
  #36 (permalink)  
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They probably do but most of us go through the known crew member program in the US, and don't have to deal with multiple brown shirts.
KCM is something that the UK authorities would never allow because it is such a nanny state.
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Old 25th Apr 2014, 19:31
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They are dense. Once had a half full 150ml bottle of CK1 confiscated as it was over 100mls. Who employs these idiots?
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Old 26th Apr 2014, 04:17
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Bird control guy dispatched to shoot rooks. He had to pass from airside across a road back in to airside. He was spotted being frisked. In one hand he was holding a box of shells and in the other a shotgun. BFS.

The guys there were (with very very few exceptions) pleasant and efficient.(I passed through there every six days out of ten for 28 years ).
They realise that they MUST follow the asinine rules. It is instant dismissal if they don't. The interpretation of the rules starts with the head of security and her rules will be adhered to.(resistance is futile) .

I have every sympathy with the crap they have to administer.

Glad I pulled the black and yellow handle and retired.
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Old 26th Apr 2014, 14:03
  #39 (permalink)  
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I went through the UK security a couple of years back at a big Midlands airport. The people there are doing an important job, but to be honest are not the nicest bunch, especially when they frisk the same crew day in day out year after year.

Anyway the guy in front was an engineer or cargo loader. Seemed to be a fitness fanatic and had obviously cycled in judging by his lycra gear and back pack. Anyway he was absolutely dripping with sweat and set off the arch alarms, had to be frisked!!! I was laughing so much at the face of the stasi security guy....
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Old 26th Apr 2014, 18:17
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Liverpool once stopped me for a random search. Only last year. Upon finding two passports in my bag decided to 'detain' me. The fact they were both in my name didn't seem to convince them it was legit. As I got more irate I informed them they were making it up as they went along and the contents of passengers document wallets was none of their business. Any moment now they'll realise how ridiculous this is I thought to myself. Nope. I actually called the police to have them charged as they weren't getting anywhere. And even then they had to check with the Border agency that some occupations are entitled to two passports.

I don't find manchester too bad. But low cost cancer has ruined lpl. Both in arrivals and departures. Haven't paxed through there since and never will.
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