Airport Security Fiasco?

[Final 3 Greens]

Perkin

A central security system works very well at FRA.
The difference is that there is sufficient infrastructure and an appropriate staffing level to meet the requirements of the German authorities.

Avman

I am surprised that you are apparently acting as an apologist for the problem part of the security community.

Some people on this thread, many on others and a load of people in the media are reporting avoidable and unnecessary problems.

To consider any paying customer as a potential idiot seems to me to some up the situation; Shop assistants face the same challenges everyday and their employment would be terminated fairly swiftly if they behaved in the same way that some of the security staff behave.

Let me give you some personal examples to support my assertion

February this year, travelling on an F ticket from LGW. The airline provides a chauffeur service to get me to the airport without hassle. On arrival I encounter huge queues to enter the central search area, so I ask the first line of security if the fast track is open. He takes great pleasure (big smile) in replying that "we don't have enough staff to man it today, you will just have to take your turn with the others." It takes about 45 mins to get through - travelling F does not make you a better person than someone on easyJet, but it generally buys you a better level of service - not at LGW apparently.

July this year, T4, in the queue for 'Fast Track' security (only one of 2 lines open on Friday peak), which is taking ages. I am near the front of the queue and a lady arrives with 2 small kids to ask if she can go straight through, as she has waited so long she is in danger of missing her flight. Security woman replies that she should have allowed enough time. Lady replies that she was there over 2 hours before, but check in queues were horrendous and now security too. Security woman says she cannot intervene as it 'is up to the other pax.' I immediately let lady and kids in front of me and security woman glowers at me, then makes a comment to a colleague that 'there is always a soft touch who lets these people have their way.' Shop assistants do not abuse their customers, why should security personnel?

LGW again, earlier this year. As I enter the lanes leading to the central security area, a yellow jacketed youth stops me and objects to me carrying a laptop as well as a laptop case, saying I am exceeding the carry on limit. I point out the sign ahead asking people to remove laptops for screening. He then (apparently seriously) tells me to replace the laptop until I have walked about 10 more yards. To give a little context, I have managed to find a time at LGW (3pm, Weds) when there are very few people using the airport and am the only person entering security at the time.... so he wants me to stop, replace laptop, walk for 3 seconds and then take out laptop again? I regarded this behaviour as verging on the abusive and reported the incident to BAA, who said the (temp agency) person was interpreting the rules wrongly and apologised. However, it still happened and reading other posts I'm not the only one to experience it.

Manchester recently. An old couple are berated for not taking off their coats. These people are clearly not the sharpest knives in the drawer, as my old GP used to say about senility 'its God's way of protecting them from being aware of whats shortly going to happen.' Is it acceptable to treat old people in this way? If it happened in a nursing home, would it be okay?

Stansted (a couple of years ago, but have to include this one as its a belter.) I am traveling business class, but the airline has run out of Fastrack stickers. So the check in agent writes her name on boarding pass (which clearly says C) and underneath 'Fast Track.'

Security woman refuses to let me into Fast Track, saying 'for all I know you wrote that on yourself.' When I point out that the boarding pass says 'C', she says 'no sticker, no Fastrack, its the airline's fault.' As queues are very long, I go back to check in desk. Agent is amazed, so calls duty manager of airline, who escorts me back, as they still have not stickers. Then the mother of all rows breaks out between security and airline duty managers about whose fault it is. I am standing there speechless, just wishing to go through.

So Avman, whilst I understand your point of view and am not questioning your personal experiences, there are enough people saying, on here and in other places, that there is a problem for there unquestionably to be a problem.

Considering that the passenger pays for the security provision, the minimum s/he should get is an efficient and polite experience.