Security at Malaga

[Sarl]

A scary story!

Last Sunday, I returned to LHR from AGP with my daughter.

Approaching the usual hand luggage security checks, we both commented on how one of the staff was far more interested in playing with a small football and talking to the attractive young lady at the next security desk than he was in his x-ray display screen. He certainly took no notice when our bags went through! Our concerns were further fuelled when a body search completed on my daughter could only be classed as ineffective. I would point out that my daughter is a First Officer and therefore very concerned with security at the sharp end.

Worse however is to come.

On Tuesday, my father who is 82 also returned to the UK although he was flying Jet 2 to LBA. He always carries with him, a Swiss Army penknife, sharpened like a razor blade, although in his defense, this has been a constant companion for many years. I had reminded him before my own departure to ensure that this was placed in his checked in baggage as he rightly did on the outward journey.

Unfortunately, approaching the security desks, he realised that he still had the penknife in his pocket and panicked! Instead of admitting what he was carrying, he placed the offending item in his shirt pocket waiting for it to be discovered.

Surprise, surprise! Walking through the sensor to collect his hand baggage, he set it off thereby prompting a body and additional hand sensor search. Did security at AGP discover the 3" bladed knife in his shirt pocket? No they didn't and he blithely walked onto his Jet 2 flight with this lethal weapon on his person!

I can happily defend my father as he is 82, lost his wife of 58 years just two months ago and can in no way be classed as a terrorist threat. However, what if he was a sympathiser and working in conjuction with younger people?

What is indefensible is the security at AGP and if three people from the same family can experience such pathetic checks in the space of two days, how bigger problem does this airport really have?

I consider this to be an extremely serious issue and one that should be taken up by people who have sufficient influence and authority to get it reviewed.

Scary in the extreme!!

Sarl

[HolyMoley]

You should see the security checks on crew there - that'll scare you! It's a joke.

[TightSlot]

I can happily defend my father etc. etc.
Well, yes you can - he's your father and I'm sure you feel great affection for him. However, that is just one possible view. Another might be that he foolishly travelled with a sharp object in his possession, and then rather than surrender it, moved it to a location where he hoped it would not be readily found. If it had fallen from his pocket in flight, it might have been used by another person intent on mischief.

I assume that in both of the incidents that you have detailed, mindful of your own security, and that of all the others present in the departure lounge, you immediately raised your concerns with a Manager at Malaga and had the incident logged by the authorities for further investigation? You may also have advised the Crew and/or Handling Agent that you had evidence of a major breach of basic security? I also assume that you have attempted to contact the various Spanish and British legislative authorities once back in the UK to chase up your concerns?

If you took these actions, or something close, then I will be interested to know the results, as any possibility of enhancing security must be welcomed. If you did not take these actions, then I am bound to wonder just how serious an incident you view this as being - in other words, it reduces your complaint to suitability for a coffee morning chat.

Aviation security is not just the responsibility of the security services - it is also the responsibility of the travelling public, who should behave sensibly and assertively.

--------------------
Per Ardua Ad Ibiza

[unwiseowl]

I'm sure the terrorists will be grateful to pprune for this intelligence:rolleyes:

[Angus Meecoat]

It's not just AGP, it's most Spanish, Portugese, Italian airports.

There seems to be a totally different mentality in these places to Aviation security and maybe it's the culture, don't knock it though.
How many threads on pprune and in newspaper articles have there been recently about breaches in security in UK and USA airports despite all the increased checks and the BAA zealots recruited direct from the Gestapo.

None of is it is fool proof, unfortunately there are always going
to be breaches, intentional or not.

[co pilot]

I now regularly take metal cutlery to work as all the cabin crew seem to!!!
This is from a UK airport, daily.

[hostie]

I have to agree with Tightslot

Aviation security is not just the responsibility of the security services - it is also the responsibility of the travelling public

I recently witnessed inexcusable lacks of security in a middle eastern airport

I was operating crew and did initially 'assume' that my senior crew would report this matter

Upon getting home I realised that it was my personal responsibility to report what I had seen and not to rely on others to do it

I contacted the security duty manager who passed the information to the right dept

This took approx. 2 mins of my time and could make a huge difference

Please don't be afraid to report these matters,
crew and passengers are the best eyes and ears available
please use them and advise of any concerns immediately

[Sarl]

Happy to report that the incidents have been reported and logged and I will certainly detail any response I receive.

Incidentally, I in no way condone what my dad did and in his position would of course have surrendered the offending item. Age obviously hasn't increased his commonsense.

However, I really don't think a shirt pocket could be classed as a place to hide a knife and anyone completing a body and hand scanner search and not finding the knife should be ashamed of the way they are doing their job!

Even Fred Karno would have been embarrassed at this ineptitude!

Sarl

[Musket90]

Security screening at any airport, whilst vitally important, can be a very repetative and boring job so one of the major challenges for airports is to maintain the vigilance and enthusiasm of the staff who carry it out. From my experiences at various EU airports, UK airport security by far is the best, so it's not surprising non-UK airports are seen to be deficient. It's a combination of culture differences and training.

[J1J]

The point of it being a shared responsibility is very true. I have had a similar experience recently when travelling on BA from Mauritius, where items not even scanned were labelled up as having been checked. Alarmed at this I discussed the matter with one of the cabin crew and followed it up with BA in writing, must say however they were very slow to respond and aknowledge my report.

[fernytickles]

"Security screening at any airport, whilst vitally important, can be a very repetative and boring job "

Mustket 90 - while I don't disagree with you, I don't think that makes the lack of attention to detail excusable. If you looked at some of the routes the airline crews fly, perhaps the same could be said of their work environment? One of the reasons that airline flying is so relatively safe is that it is repetative and (should be) fairly routine. We always use the same checklist, the same terminology, the same type of aircraft and the variants are the crew, the destination, the weather and the passengers. The weather and the destination, while they may vary a bit, are often a repeat of something which has already been experienced on a number of occasions. The crew are people you probably have flown with before, and the passengers you don't generally intermix with that much when you are in the flight deck.

I doubt any pilot would be let off the hook for using "I was bored 'cos I'd flown that route 5 times already this week, and just forgot" or "I was bored 'cos I'd flown that route 5 times already this week and was more interested in playing tiddlywinks/reading my book/listening to the footie results" as their defence.

I don't know if the security staff do use that as an excuse, but personally I don't believe it is a valid one.

Sarl - I am sorry to have hijacked your post - I hope you won't mind... :uhoh:

[bluesafrica]

My son flew 6 months ago from Paris via BCN to Malaga with a big Leatherman (what he forgot) in his hand luggage, no problem...
Blues

[Wee Weasley Welshman]

You can go on the internet. You can find there commercial organisations that will sell you lethal knives disguised in belt buckles or boot soles. Often as not they will also sell lethally sharp knives made of plastic and mounted in items such as hairbrushes.

All these items will easily sail through any routine airport security search no matter how many weetabix the guards had that morning.

Therefore one has to conclude that the current arrangements are mere window dressing with the purpose of making the public believe that weapons cannot be got onto aircraft.

They can - with ease and impunity.

Most people in the industry realise this.

I am minded to give the guards a break. They are on minimum wage performing a pretend job. That so many stay cheerful is commendable in the extreme.

Cheers


WWW

===============================


Good grief!

Just to show how witheringly easy it all is try Googling ' disguised plastic knives '

in 0.19 seconds the results showed the following retailer as its second hit...

http://www.pagebydave.com/stealth.html


It only serves to illustrate the lunacy of mass screening. The screeners know its a pointless waste of time - so they don't bother much.

Whereas proper profiling would result in high risk passengers undergoing a proper search that might readily discover disguised weapons.

Proper profiling would fall foul of various laws though. It'll take another Sept 11th to get those laws looked at - which is, errmmm, disappointing?

Cheers

WWW

[bluesafrica]

Can't really see the point why these check points are removing small nail scissors and similar items from old ladies...Does it really serve our safety, I doubt.
Blues

[EGHI_or_bust]

My wife and I travelled through AGP last Sptember. She had kept her make up with her in her vanity case, which on the outbound leg was in a suitcase. Security searched everything and were very worried about a pair of nail clippers that had a fold out nail file. Much flapping of hands and consulting with colleagues ensued and after several minutes the nail clippers were repatriated to the make up case and we were allowed through. Kinda dispells earlier theories?

[pipex]

Just go to the duty shop and buy a bottle of wine. Could a bottle of anything be a dangerous weapon or it's just my imagination?

[bluesafrica]

Well, according the security professionals, nail cutters must be far more dangerous!
Unbelievable!
Blues