Unoifoxos,
I wear a belt to keep my trousers up, not as a fashion accessory. So if I remove the belt for the security muppets, whose responsibility is the resulting indecent exposure?
Why did Frankfurt security deem a dual ended 2/4BA spanner 2 inches long a threat to security? While a set of tweezers with sharp points 6 inches long weren't? Who are the muppets there?
Why, at LHR T4, have I seen on several occasions, the Xray operator get up and walk away, leaving the queue stalled for 10 minutes until another one appears? In the so called 'Fast track', too? What sort of muppet incompetents are the supervisors?
Liquids are the biggest laugh. I can take more than 100mL if I put it in what looks like a medicine bottle and it has a label on it from a pharmacy that says 'Mr radeng, Elixir, take as directed' or whatever. Since I can make a label on the computer (and thus, one presumes, could someone with an evil mind) what's the point? How do I know I can take more than 100mL if it's medicine? The DfT web site tells me so....The problem is that some medicines aren't available in 100mL bottles.
LHR and LGW seem more worried by the fact that there isn't a pharmacy label on the box that the medicine comes in. I have to explain the label is on the bottle which is in the box.......a more secure arrangement. They take the bottle out to inspect it. Unfortunately, it's nearly always sticky. I hope they don't lick their fingers - it could have unfortunate results for them.
The biggest problem is underpaid security people, and not enough of them. If we had a rule that anyone held in a security line for more than 10 minutes had to be given £50 for every 5 minutes they were delayed, they'd get enough bodies and gates open. Same way if they had to pay £50 for every 5 minutes that bags were delayed by more than 15 minutes. You would need to make the rule indepedent of airport charges so they couldn't push them up, but it might make Bloody Awful Airports start putting customers higher up the priority list!