Now just hang on a minute, with the exception of a few mollifying remarks much of this thread has degenerated into a "were better than you" type bashing. I’ve travelled in and out of the US a number of times in the last year and my experience has been mixed. Yes, the provision for security srceening and indeed some of those doing the screening has been woefully inadequate. But that is not necessarily a fair or accurate picture.
Let’s examine the realities… take the facilities…US airports have been designed with the idea that all comers may enter the airside, pax and weepers and greeters. The concept of the pax only airside has only come to the fore in the last 11 months. As a result the layout of terminals works against an efficient processing of passengers…major re-design is needed.
Of course these changes in infrastructure will take a long time to implement and in the meantime we will have to deal with what they’ve got. Sure add more x-ray machines but that won’t solve the problem improve it but solve it sadly not.
The people problem is another thing all together:
For example the case of the US Marine explaining (with difficulty) to the JFK security worker (who appears to have only a rudimentary grasp of poor English) that the cap badge on his dress hat (in his carry on baggage) would be unlikely to present a security threat (bear in mind that the photo ID he was using was none other than his military ID card) While the weekend warrior on guard at the security checkpoint gave him his ‘baddest stare’.
Or the ‘new man dad’ pax at the security checkpoint that refused to take his sleeping toddler out of its pushchair so it can be run through the X-ray machine while the MIA security bod (with incredible patience and humour – I’d have been rude) explained for the umpteenth time that the stroller had to go through the machine and there was no way he was gonna put it through with the sprog still in it. While the now stalled queue behind ‘new man dad’ stretched back into the distance.
Then there was the case of ATL which had queues for security stretching out of the terminal. Lines controlled by a big hardass looking policeman who marshalled literally hundreds perhaps even a thousand people with efficiency and good humour which improved the experience of all those travelling.
Swings and roundabouts you see – there will always be an element who think that a uniform buys them the right to be rude to all and sundry – and it’s not limited to the US.
I have to say that every enounter I had with cops in the States (OK I haven’t been arrested for anything either – but including being stopped for speeding and a doing a U-turn) The cop in question has always been courteous and professional – (but maybe I’ve just been lucky).
Yes there are elements of the US security system that need work but it is starting from a relatively low datum point and it appears to be improving rapidly.
Yep some of the people working at security checkpoints would find a job at McDonalds a mental stretch but some elements of the great travelling public equally do their best to bollox things up too.
Yep, there will be from time to time over-reactions by pax and or security types but it’s important to remember that the real picture may not be as it is reported – just what fits the whatever angle the journo writing the story decided to put on it.