I think the pro-UK security “those are the rules” and “I don’t care about your crash axe comment” posters should ask them selves why there are so many problems with crew in the UK. Why does someone start a topic specifically mentioning his past 20 years experience in the UK? Is this purely due to rebellious, obstinate and cocky crew? Where does effective safety & security stop and power-play & humiliation start?
From a flight-crew standpoint UK Security is by far the worst experience in europe. Talking to you like you are some kind of animal and waiting for you to make a mistake so they can start their power-play. If you say “good-morning”, either you don’t get a reply or they think you are testing them or you are being sarcastic, amplifying their need to make life more difficult for you. Let alone using the word “please” in a sentence when you are been given a command.
LBA and BRS airport are the worst to my opinion. Having the same management with the same political, generic and content-less replies on crew complaints even frustrates my company. Out of all our double daily lay-overs, by far the most complaints are received by these two airports. Last year higher management flew out to LBA to escalate the matter after multiple flights were delayed due to incidents between crew and security. And yes, the Dutch are direct, however we are there to work, not to be subject of power-play and humiliation with delays as a result since they refuse crew their spare lenses since they are in a fluid. Last year, in BRS a flight was delayed for 1,5 hours after crew refused to have mascara confiscated since according security it had been a liquid before?
Like Will mentions, AMS airport security for pax is already quite innovative, but also for crew it is quite laid-back, only swiping your hands, belt and carry-on. No scanner at all, unless you are random. However, in LBA they have already tried to take away nasal spray and (the before mentioned) spare lenses unfortunately left In a bag.
Others (among myself), have had their bag quarantined for 10-15 minutes in LBA before they received the provoking question “if the bag had been in their property the entire time”. Try any smart answer and the supervisor would be there within a heartbeat.
In BRS the other week the fast lane entrance (which we normally use as crew) was closed. An employee directed us to the pax security entrance. When entering, the first Interaction with security over there was a (disguised) reprimande why we were not using the other entrance.
What these UK airports (with their local rules) forget, is that we have 64 destinations in entire Europe. All having their own rules, ways of operating, etc, etc. Furthermore, more and more airports use the swipe method, discarding the need to take anything out.
Off course I try to comply to all the rules, however when I make the mistake of forgetting that a yogurt of two days ago is still in my bag at 05:00 in the morning at the 4th different airport that week, I don’t need to have my bag quarantined for 15 min and subsequently emptied in front of my crew and all the pax (including spare underwear). As a summun I was confronted by the supervisor since the respective employee concluded I was mocking him due to due to my phoney laugh because my crew now knew the type of underwear I was wearing.
Above are a just a few recent first and second-hand examples. When I put on my uniform, I have the responsibility of multiple crew and +150 pax. I am not a terrorist, criminal or animal. UK security should ask them selves the question why there are so many problems with flight crew. I do not have these problems in any other country (well, maybe sometimes in Germany ). UK security could start with saying “good morning”, having a common sense (being only allowed to anwser “yes” or “no” sounds familiar) and avoid any form of provocation or power-play, just because they can.
We are all adults, more-so professionals in the same field, having to support each-other to keep our workplace safe. Having my yogurt from breakfast or nasal spray taken away like the lolly pop of a little child does not make my specific flight more safe. I do not need to give examples of how active crew might proceed when they are up to something bad. One thing is for sure, they do not need need any materials for that.
Security rules are a means to keep us al safe, not a goal on itself. Common sense and humanity should prevail.