If it’s any consolation, the staff channels at LGW are just as bad. I have never met such consistently anal ‘security’ staff anywhere else.
A couple of recent examples:
(1) Having queued for 10 minutes in the morning rush, Captain’s flight case is randomly searched. Security person finds a miniscule bottle of sterilising gel, which has been sat, forgotten, at the bottom of his case for weeks if not months. “This is liquid, it needs to be in a plastic bag.” Person then ambles off to find one while the entire crew waits. Captain decides it’s not worth the hassle and tells one of her colleagues not to bother as he hasn’t got time to wait. Instant response; “Well, if you’d had it in a plastic bag you wouldn’t have had to wait in the first place.” Result, one highly - and unnecessarily - p1ssed off captain who then needs calming down before we get to the aircraft. A CRM dream . . .
(2) My flight case is randomly searched. Security person attempts to open the front flap, which won’t as the lock is jammed. I am then asked to open it for him, at which point I explain I can’t because it’s jammed. My entire case is then emptied, right down the year old Mars Bars, every folder and piece of paper is leafed through, and the empty case is X-rayed again. My blood pressure rises by the second as security person tries to remember where everything went, and end up repacking my own case. Am finally declared safe to be put in control of a 400mph bus. Thank God they didn’t find the flight deck crash axe . . .
I’m afraid it’s peanuts and monkeys folks.
