What annoys the tits out of me about the BAA and the congestion around the airport to get through the checkpoints is the lack of foresight.
There are numourous checkpoints all around yet they seem to insist that we use only two or three at a time. For example, on the south side there is the main one near Cargo which causes all the congestion but what about the one opposite the Hilton and the other one down by the Harrods Aviation? Barely used except by crew buses and small vans.
As for the central area, this one is a nightmare yet there is another one under t1 which is rarely used to full effect. Also, I recently was taken through the one at T5 which then brought us under tunnels to get to T3. Why dont they make more use of this one...Nightmare for the crew bus because it took forever but as for delivery trucks to the central area...perfect!!!