Polish Aviation Security
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Polish Aviation Security
Another day, another dollar, another Ryanair experience from Modlin. I approached security with care, remembering the way in which a new iPhone disappeared there, 6 months ago, from the tray while the owner (me) was bring distracted by a unnecessarily aggressive body search. Now I stow such things firmly concealed inside the bag.
I took out my laptop, emptied my pockets, jacket off, belt off, etc etc, and stepped through the archway. No alarm bleeping, but an immediate aggressive body search, which found only a handkerchief and my passport in a pocket. These items were accusingly placed in a tray and sent to be re-examined by the X-ray scanner to make sure they were not deadly weapons.
My hand baggage came through the scanner, and was immediately seized on by an unsmiling, wordless female, who delved into it and removed various chargers and connectors, a camera, two books and a pen and placed them into a tray, pointed at them and screeched "electronic things" before sending them back to be re-examined in the scanner, presumably to confirm that they were "electronic things".
I invariably travel with this stuff in my hand luggage; never before has it caused a scanner operator to be suspicious.
She missed the plastic bag with liquids and toothpaste I had forgotten to remove with the laptop, and the Sony smartphone that was also in the bottom of the bag.
The whole pointless performance was done with no other words or even eye contact. While it was going on a consignment of bottles of water, perhaps 300 - 400 on several pallets, destined for the departure lounge shop, was waved through without a second glance. Neither the bottles nor the workers taking them through were checked in any way.
I have seen good, mediocre and bad security all over the world, but nowhere does the combination of stupidity, bad training and rudeness come together quite as powerfully as it does in Poland (at any airport), a country where people are otherwise welcoming, generous, friendly and charming. I wonder why?
I took out my laptop, emptied my pockets, jacket off, belt off, etc etc, and stepped through the archway. No alarm bleeping, but an immediate aggressive body search, which found only a handkerchief and my passport in a pocket. These items were accusingly placed in a tray and sent to be re-examined by the X-ray scanner to make sure they were not deadly weapons.
My hand baggage came through the scanner, and was immediately seized on by an unsmiling, wordless female, who delved into it and removed various chargers and connectors, a camera, two books and a pen and placed them into a tray, pointed at them and screeched "electronic things" before sending them back to be re-examined in the scanner, presumably to confirm that they were "electronic things".
I invariably travel with this stuff in my hand luggage; never before has it caused a scanner operator to be suspicious.
She missed the plastic bag with liquids and toothpaste I had forgotten to remove with the laptop, and the Sony smartphone that was also in the bottom of the bag.
The whole pointless performance was done with no other words or even eye contact. While it was going on a consignment of bottles of water, perhaps 300 - 400 on several pallets, destined for the departure lounge shop, was waved through without a second glance. Neither the bottles nor the workers taking them through were checked in any way.
I have seen good, mediocre and bad security all over the world, but nowhere does the combination of stupidity, bad training and rudeness come together quite as powerfully as it does in Poland (at any airport), a country where people are otherwise welcoming, generous, friendly and charming. I wonder why?
Join Date: May 2009
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Airport security is theatre at its best. Irregular travellers believe it must be working because it is so painful. Regular travellers, including aircrew, know this but have no choice but to grin and bear it.
But, as bad as it is, it appears to me meeting the intended purpose.
But, as bad as it is, it appears to me meeting the intended purpose.
Join Date: Jun 2002
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I'm glad it's not just me then. Excluding the UK, it appears that the further East you go, the more unpleasant the security staff are. The have a firm grasp of pointless, trivial things and totally ignore the real threats. And they are unpleasant to boot. They appear to be nasty people employed to tick their country's aviation security boxes and they'll turn on you if you interfere. They'll also remove/confiscate/steal anything you are unfortunate enough to lose track of. With the exception of the last sentence, the UK is just the same. My best experience? Italy. There they don't really care what you are carrying. What they really want to make sure about is that they have the REAL crew in front of them. And being Italian, they are pleasant as they go about their business.
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Last edited by Piltdown Man; 17th Apr 2015 at 17:24. Reason: Removal of duplicated word
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Just a mention for Geneva airport security - they are (in my experience) unfailingly polite, pleasant and cheerful.
What baffles me is the consistently different standards at different UK airports. City is SO rigorous (to the point where security is a real pain - the only downside to my favourite UK airport), in real contrast to, say, Heathrow.
What baffles me is the consistently different standards at different UK airports. City is SO rigorous (to the point where security is a real pain - the only downside to my favourite UK airport), in real contrast to, say, Heathrow.
Agree. The Italians are great. Seems to me that they are doing a careful job but doing it well and as you suggest, with a smile on their faces. I've been through LIN/MXP/FCO/FLR/VRN/BLQ and VCE and all of them have been fine. Frankfurt are nice enough too. Been through there a lot lately. No problems at all. LHR and LGW recently haven't been too bad but only flying from the UK to IRE so there may be a little more trust there. Like Geneva ZRH are very nice. And the Scandinavians are great. Haven't been to Poland. May not bother now 
