This thread is trivialising a massive security shortcoming, namely that - despite the fact that hand luggage is flagged as requiring a secondary inspection due to explosive residues - a passenger can retrieve that item, disappear into the crowd and possibly BOARD ONE OF THE FIVE FLIGHTS THAT PUSHED BACK, TAXIED AND DEPARTED between the alarm being raised and effective measures being taken.
The politicians are of course all spouting the usual "body scanners wouldn't have made a difference wuggawuggawugga more staff wuggawuggawugga minor shortcomings in procedures", but this incident strips away the paper-thin veneer from the fact that there appears to be no effective response scenario for serious security breaches.
The latest reports say that the passenger did not "flee the scene" and perhaps he really DID think that his processing was finished, but 2 questions remained unanswered:
How can a passenger retrieve items that are flagged for a secondary screen with no intervention from security staff?
Why was there no immediate security response?
Unfortunately, this fits the pattern of my MUC experiences:
I saw an orphaned bag on the platform at the underground station at the airport, loudly called out for an owner (being mocked for my efforts in the process, despite the fact that domestic terrorists were at the time on trial for attempted crimes similar in target and scope), informed the police and WAITED 20 MINUTES until 2 officers sauntered down and did ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, allowing trains to enter the station and discharge their passengers to mill around a potentially dangerous object.
We've all smirked at the headless chicken TSA approach and been appalled by the Jean-Charles de Menezes incident, but an appropriate response wouldn't be out of place in these times.
Just in case it's the real thing.
As the Royal Marines say : Train hard, fight easy. Train easy, fight hard, die