Hi everyone, I’ve been a long term lurker on this site but never really posted, seeing as I’m not a pilot in any professional capacity but I do have a huge interest in aviation. I got as far as going solo for my PPL but had to stop due to monetary requirements unfortunately.
This topic has tweaked my ears though seeing as I work as a security officer at BHX, maybe I can give a little insight into some of the issues.
As some of you have said, the attitude of some of my colleagues towards passengers and crew does make me cringe. There’s just no need for it. I will always be polite and respectful to every person I meet, on what ever position I am working on at that time. Having said that, the way I am spoken to by some passengers and crew makes my blood boil.
Regarding the first post about the body scanner, the reason I ask the individual to remove any items out of their pockets including tissues is because it is an external scanner. Once you are scanned, it will show different orange zones on a generic stick figure that we need hand search. If I can get everything out of your pockets, there’s a decent chance the scanner will display an ‘ok’ message and you won’t need any hand search. Unfortunately the scanner is susceptible to body heat and sweat, resulting in the crotch area being highlighted.
Walking through the metal detector, it will detect metal but it will also alarm at random intervals and ratios. The individual that ‘randoms’ will have a body scan and their shoes swabbed.
As far as I’m concerned, asking someone to remove some tissue isn’t having a lack of humanity, it’s trying to help you get through with the minimal of fuss. Remember, I don’t want my hands round your sweaty crotch any more than you do!
Last week I had the pleasure of being under the eye of a CAA Inspector. All rules and procedures we follow come from the EASA with the CAA being the nominated regulatory authority. There is no grey areas when it comes to the CAA, liquid bags must seal, liquids, no matter how small must be out of the cabin bags, etc, etc, etc. Therefore, when someone asks for some understanding or leaway with regards to an oversize liquid or whatever, what they are expecting me to do is basically jeopardise my position, which I will not do. I won’t be pillock about it and I have no power to take anything off you, I will ask you to surrender it of check it in but that is as far as my ‘power’ goes. What I do have under my sleeve though is, if you don’t want to surrender the prohibited item, your travel goes no further. Again I won’t be an arse about it but I won’t tolerate any abuse from any passenger or crew and until these new X-ray machines arrive, it’s going to be like this.
Now, being regarded as uneducated is just plain insulting. I’m far from uneducated and take great pride in what I do. People seem to forget that my main aim, as I have said to many passengers, is to prevent their family turning on the TV one day and seeing their aeroplane spread across a field, be it being caused my bomb or whatever. That training and compliance is constantly ongoing and monitored. Yes we may be the last line of defence and I imagine intelligence plays a bigger part in stopping threats, but nevertheless, we are needed and I make sure I am always professional in whatever I am doing.
Anyway, I hope maybe that helps as to why some things are done.