Take your shoes off - Aviation Security
I have read all the replies to date, and I am not at all happy that Flight Crew are targeted in such a mindless, senseless, manner for security purposes.
I applaud SOP's stand for his Purser - well done, and a welcome ray of sanity amongst the worst efforts in the name of security.
May I ask those who depart from the UK, perhaps from the two largest London airports, what they think of this formulation if, challenged
1. Seek the Senior Security Manager and ask for a private Interview
2. Have the security person who asked you to remove your shoes to be present
3. Ask the Senior Security Manager to summon the Police, as his subordinate ("the security person") obviously holds grave doubts as to your persona and intentions during flight
3. Ask the Senior Security Manager to take notes and register the answers to some questions you are about to ask of the security person
4. Ask the security person on what grounds does he suspect you are a terrorist - as your ID and licence are obviously fakes; as is the relationship with your crew who had been watching
5. Ask the security person if he is finished with his resume of how he arrived at the point where he asked for your shoes to be removed and is he still under the firm belief you are a terrorist and hiding a lethal weapon
6. Make them BOTH aware that you are not satisfied with the security persons summations, reasons, and presentation of evidence which would cause any other reasonable security person to be so far advanced with his suspicions as to ask for your shoes to be removed
7. Ask the Senior Security Manager if he also believes you are a terrorist......if yes.......ask the same questions as in para 4.
8. Ask the Policeman if he too believes you are a terrorist..........if yes ........................ask the same questions as in para 4.
9. If the overwhelming odds suggest the removal of shoes is the only way to prevent a late departure of your flight, then remove them, under protest as before..............and given that this simple act proved nothing was hidden in or about the shoes, make them note the point and ask for a copy of the Senior Security Manager's written evidence.
10. Tell them ALL you are reporting this incident, noting their names/staff numbers/ and time of interview
11. If the Police are present (take numbers) ask them to take notes too, as you will be bringing a PRIVATE PROSECUTION against the security man who has overstepped his authority and has falsely (as proved) and without just or reasonable cause, invaded and trespassed your Human Rights and the policeman's evidence will be used in furtherance of this PRIVATE PROSECUTION
12. Depart from the interview.......smile on face...........depart on time if you can .....................sue the silly b@stards on return !!!
I'm no lawyer but Article 17 would suggest there is no just cause to excede Statutory Law such as stripping off for the benefit of a random check.
Article 17 – Prohibition of abuse of rights
Nothing in this Convention may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein or at their limitation to a greater extent than is provided for in the Convention.
Article 5 – Right to liberty and security
Would suggest, "Everyone has the right to liberty and security of person" and I would take that as remaining clothed under reasonable conditions of a security search.
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for tight security and stopping those who would try to simulate a BA Captain (is that possible ...ha ha) but I am not in favour of random strip security checks that degrade the entire purpose.
As has been pointed out, should the pilot/s wish to inflict fatal force, taking the security check to the naked extreme would not prove the system worked.
A sensible, logical security search of Flight crew is fine, turning it into a circus is plain stupid.
TG