Recently I was operating crew LHR-DXB-etc. At the security gate our crew bus stopped while a large catering style truck went through the secure area, one out one in as usual. I watched as the driver was wanded and patted down and then got back in his truck and continued on...the truck was not searched at all...not even a mirror on a stick passed underneath for a quick look...nothing, NADA!!! Enough nasty stuff for 50 hikackings could have been on that truck.
We then proceeded through and my collegue was asked to remove his laptop for individual screening. He asked why and was told it's policy, very important blah blah....they didn't even seem to notice the laptop, charger etc in my navbag.
36 hrs later we pitch up at the second 'crew' screening point at DXB (having already passed through the public one) and find that the morons running it have the sensitivity so high that it is essentially beeping continuously. Four of my fellow crewmembers went through ahead of me...all ended up with shoes off, belts off etc etc etc....I think they actually got through in the end by fluke...they walked through the stupid thing between beeps! Seeing this I double checked for nothing in my pockets etc...this particular screening machine is nearly always oversensitive...nothing...watch off, reading glasses etc etc all in the little tray going through the xray machine.
I stood back several feet letting the machine settle down...it beaped 5 times while I was standing there...the only person closer was the screener. "Your machine is broken" No, no pass through. Of course it beeped and I was also required to undress for 4 more passes through...jagging a no beep on the last one.
Airport security is one of the sickest jokes being foisted on the travelling public. I would bet money 'lost' on all this BS is greater than the combined loss caused by the 911 attacks...the terrorists must just be rolling on the ground laughing...the threat of terrorism is infinitely greater than the reality...all they have to do for the foreseeable future is have a satphone conversation between one cave and another discussing their next 'attack' and watch the security beaurocrisy go into overdrive with 'credible' threats. No need to go to massive expense and risk by hijaking an actual aeroplane...just fantasize about it in an email or three and a couple of satphone chats and keep the west quivering in fear and anticipation.
As a tactic 911 was genius. The war on terror cannot be won the way GWB is fighting it...for the exact same reasons Nixon couldn't win in Vietnam. The ONLY way to beat the North Vietnamese was bombing the place back to the stone age..literally...kill every man women and child capable of pulling a trigger...target the schools so no-one lives to be old enough to fight....clearly NOT something that the 'west' is capable of in our 'enlightened' age....so we are fighting with one hand tied behind our backs...unlike our enemy.
What's the answer?
it aint airport security that's for sure...the very best that can be done to avoid another hijack is in place...bullet proof doors and a plane load of potential vigilantees ready to kick the living !!!!e out of anyone who dares !!!! with them and their travel plans.
Bush, Blair etc said after 911.."Go on about your lives as if nothing has happened..be unafraid or the terrorists have won"
Well we would if you morons would let us!!!!!