Baggage snatchers sink to a new low

[Scrubbed]

Twenty minutes after David Cox checked in his bags at Sydney Airport, he watched astounded as a baggage handler was driven across the tarmac wearing the camel suit he'd packed in his luggage.

The 34-year-old marketing manager was heading to Melbourne with a crocodile suit and the camel costume, both checked in as luggage 40 minutes before the departure of QF425 at 10.30.

Twenty minutes before take-off, as he sat at Gate 4, directly in front of floor-to-ceiling glass, Mr Cox's attention was drawn to the occupants of a baggage trolley tug being driven across the tarmac below.

What went past below was the trolley tug driven by a man, with a passenger wearing the top half of Mr Cox's camel suit. Gobsmacked, he watched the vehicle - and the camel-headed handler - being driven back and forward between the terminal and the plane.

"My jaw dropped," Mr Cox told the Herald last night. "And it wasn't just the one run, it must have gone around a couple of times."

At Gate 4 on Wednesday morning, things happened very quickly once Mr Cox had spoken with a Qantas worker at the customer service desk.

"I said to them: '20 minutes ago I checked my luggage through. I've just seen someone wearing part of the contents on the tarmac, and I want to know right now what you're going to do?' They were down within two minutes."

Qantas has advised Mr Cox the incident is now the subject of a full inquiry by the airline's internal investigations team and that it will reimburse him for dry-cleaning the camel's head.

"I don't see it reflecting poorly on the airline, they were as appalled as I was that it happened," Mr Cox said.

Images of Schapelle Corby - and her claim that an airport worker had hidden drugs inside her boogie board bag - came to mind on Wednesday morning at the domestic terminal.

Mr Cox hoped his experience with the camel's head helped the defence of Schapelle Corby at the Gold Coast woman's Bali cannabis-smuggling trial that Brisbane baggage handlers planted drugs inside the cover of her boogie board. "The only question mark here is how it got from my bag onto his head."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sounds like the snatchers have been on the p!ss again. Lucky Cox wasn't carrying his Batman-suit-with-the-@rse-cheeks-cut-out... bought on sale on Oxford St.

Baggage snatchers..... pillars of the community:

Terrorists, thieves, what else????

[chimbu warrior]

Good thing he wasn't in Darwin, or it would have been the crocodile suit they wore, and the NT News would have had a field day!

[PROPSWINGA]

David should have called in the police and told them there was a camel running loose around the airport tarmac apron......with security the way it is, surely someone would have shot it!:ok:

[Eimar Moron]

...meanwhile, back at the airport, as the ASIC card-holding bag snatchers are rummaging through passengers' baggage to amuse themselves, the operating crew of the aircraft have had their nail clippers confiscated by the heavily tattooed security guard who tips the scales at 160+ kgs, her demeanour as uninviting as her appearance.

Eimar Moron.

[Buster Hyman]

Good thing for that Corby woman, Camel head smuggling carries a harsher penalty over there!

[Howard Hughes]

Oh Buster, we can always count on you!!;)

Cheers, HH.

:ok:

[Turbo 5B]

Honestly, some passengers have noooo sense of humour.
Why else would you have a camel suit if not to have a laugh?

[HGW]

I hope you feel the same way when the scumbag is going through your bags. Lowlife vermin but the union will protect him because it was just for a laugh.

[Ultralights]

Dixon even called up a radio station to promote the companies sough stance on theft, and security in the baggage handling area! and he was shot down by being told, im sure it happens all the time, and we never find out about it, its just because he got caught that your are aware of it.

dixon was struggling for answers...


priceless, maybee if you paid them what their worth, they wont have to rummage through bags to steel clothing to cloth themselves!

[HGW]

Perfect, it is always someone elses fault. Good union answer.

[KLN94]

Hear the offending baggage handler prick got sacked. Good action.

[Rabbit 1]

Could be more to this than meets the eye. I recently had a baggage lock go MIA after I elected to check the bag in, all based on the new security procedures. Get back to base, lock gone but nothing missing and no damage at all to the lock loops or zips. Yes, the lock was secured before check-in. I elected to buy a lock based on what's happening in Indonesia at the moment.

Wasn't a cheap lock either.

[Scrubbed]

maybee if you paid them what their worth Dunno if they'd be that happy with a huge pay-cut.

Baggage snatchers...... the wharfies of the air.

[BlueEagle]

Years ago talking to an airport policeman he told me how easy it was for a thief with a spoke from a motor cycle wheel to knock the rear hinge right out of a Samsonite or Delsey or any similarly hinged suitcase, open it at the back, feel round for hard and hopefully expensive objects, remove them then replace the hinge, no tell tale broken locks or catches, don't find out until you get home/the hotel.

Ever since then I have always put a strong strap right round, pulled very tight but not one with a simple push and click plastic fastening. Apparently the thieves don't waste their time with bags with straps on as tell tale cut straps in the hold or baggage hall area are a bit of a give away!

[virgindriver]

Paid what they are worth... I know three years ago that baggage handlers in Sydney were earning up to $120k a year (thru taking turns in doing the double shifts when it's someone's turn to take a sickie).... not bad money.

[VH-Cheer Up]

priceless, maybee if you paid them what their worth, they wont have to rummage through bags to steel clothing to cloth themselves!

Camel suits, of course, being absolutely basic clothing essentials no child (or baghandlers) should have to go without in 2005.

Give me a break...

And they wonder why people want to carry their personal wardrobes on board and stash them in the overhead lockers?

[Rabbit 1]

Makes for an interesting thought though. Check-in baggage and security scan something that looks sus. Bags gets opened and nothing found, but lock now defunct. I would have thought a sticker or something similar would at least allow you to know the luggage was inspected way down in the vaults of the airport. Didn't happen in my case.

[Scrubbed]

baggage handlers in Sydney were earning up to $120k a year (thru taking turns in doing the double shifts when it's someone's turn to take a sickie) That's what I'm talking about......

[bigfella5]

mmmmmmmm............worked on that side of the fence off and on for a couple of years whilst waiting for that elusive flying job..........80-90% of them...GRUBS!!!!!.........world owes them a livng etc etc etc.
Not surprised to hear Dixon on the radio say that they get 35 complaints per week re: interfered with baggage.............typical.
Hire mainly contract labour Jeff my boy...whaddya expect!:\

[Eimar Moron]

....but ALL issued ASIC cards, no doubt.

[Ultralights]

on my last big trip, Syd-Tokyo-Hawaii-LA-NY-London-Paris-London-NY-Orlando-Miami-LA-Hawaii- Syd.

my baggage survived Every flight untouched (it was strapped and Taped)
Untill arrival back home, The strap was Missing, the tape was broken and the bag re-taped back together with "fragile"tape.

to say i was mighty Pissed off was an understatement.

[Howard Hughes]

My old man threw bags for QF around 20 years ago.
Even back then he would tell me stories of how baggage handlers would throw bags up against walls, just to see if they would break and what came out!!

The only good suitcase is a hard one with a strap around the middle and 2 independant locks.

Cheers, HH.

:ok:

PS: He earned considerably more even back then, than I do now.

[Rabbit 1]

Looks like we are damned if we do and damned if we don't. Submit unsecured luggage and risk it. The alternative is to battern down the hatches, lock everything and still pick up lockless baggage at the other end.

[Ultralights]

and we wonder why more and more gets crammed into overhead lockers!

[Warren Rabbit]

Don't much like condemning a whole group for the practices of a few, but I think Scrubbed's analogy of the wharfies of the air is pretty close to the mark. From my experience with my golf clubs, I'd be surprised if any bagsnatchers have ever paid for golf balls. Can't see too many leaping to their defence?

[Buster Hyman]

In my MHL days, I found the Samsonite Oyster to be one of the easiest bags to open. Made sure I avoided them after that.

[Nudlaug]

Looks like the "Safety Pooch" would be the way to go then.

http://www.kevincoffee.com/security_pooch.htm

Heaps of plastic wrap would do the same I guess

[Lodown]

Can't put a lock on the bage in the USA anymore. Homeland Security will cut the things off to inspect anything that piques their attention on the scanners. They tell passengers to leave the bags unlocked. In my experience, if they do check, they'll leave a little calling card in the suitcase to tell the passenger they've been there doing their job.

[Scrubbed]

Check it out.............



SACKED......

An average of one passenger a day complains to Qantas about baggage interference but it took an outrageous mishandling stunt caught on film at Sydney Airport for the airline to concede it had any security problem at all.

Qantas has sacked a baggage handler caught on closed-circuit television removing a camel costume from a checked-in bag and putting the top half on his head before parading in view of passengers in the domestic terminal.

Twenty minutes after Mr. David Cox checked in luggage containing a crocodile costume and the camel suit, he saw a worker wearing the top half of the camel on the tarmac.

Qantas's chief executive, Geoff Dixon, had issued a press release within hours to say the worker had been stood down after being identified on film. He said cameras had recorded the baggage handler opening a large bag inside the airport and putting the camel costume on this head before leaving for the tarmac.

"Qantas has many systems and procedures in place to mitigate against such behaviour and activity and our operational and security record is among the best in the world. That said, this incident shows we still have some issues that need to be addressed on the behavioural front."

Mr Dixon said later that Qantas received an average of 35 complaints a month about interference with baggage, which he said was a small amount considering the airline moved 30 million passengers a year.

Talkback radio and the Herald were inundated with calls from people with similar stories to tell. One Herald reader said a friend found a foam cup with coffee dregs in his bag after a Virgin Blue flight to Brisbane. Another man said his wife's underwear was removed on a flight from Sydney to the Gold Coast.

A former Qantas employee, who did not include a name, said they once saw an employee take a skateboard from a bag and ride it around the handling area. But a former baggage handler said they rarely had the time to search bags.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

But what about the union??? Where were his 10 written warnings, counselling, therapy sessions???

What a tool......

a former baggage handler said they rarely had the time to search bags In between watching the footy, naps in their bat-cave, f***ing off to the pub, standing around watching the drizzle and insisting it's a lightning hazard, etc, etc.....

[Eimar Moron]

It's a wonder Geoff hasn't considered replacing the lot with Chinese coolie labour - this little incident might provide the trigger he wanted.
Qantas loaders motto, "No care, no responsibility taken."

[tobzalp]

Camel suits are the new black.

[OZBUSDRIVER]

OH WHAT A FEELING NA NA NA

[Animalclub]

TAA put a camera inside the hold of a B727! Gosh, horror.

Apparantly management offered all those that thought that they might be on film the opportunity to resign.

More people resigned than were on the film! Tells a story in itself as I'm sure things haven't changed.

[Buster Hyman]

So a camera on the flight deck is okay then?:E

[Brutus]

$120k per year for snatching bags?

Where do I sign and how much do I pay for the endorsement?

[wishtobflying]

Don't know where you get that figure from. I rang up about a baggage handling job advertised, just to find out what the story was, and was told the standard is $13 per hour. You'd have to do a lot of triple time shifts to get up to $120k.

[Ultralights]

bag chucker + busted lock + e-bay = 120K PA! :)

[rammel]

Don't know about $120k but in my time there the most I managed one year was maybe $75k although there were rumours of 1 or 2 earning over $100k.

To do this you would need to do alot of o/t as in double shifts and days off and not have a clue what your family is doing. It sounds attractive and is when you 1st start but working till 2 in the morning and being back by 7am (this was in the days before oh&s cracked down on min breaks eg 10hr between shifts) is not something most people can do for any length of time.

I'm not trying to say that is is right that they may earn that much, but if there is that much o/t and the company does not put more people on whose fault is it. It is not as if it is earnt by working M-F 0900-1700 there is a broad range of crappy hours spent there.

[AnyGivenSunday99]

120K - Not on your life old son.... especially at some airlines!

I know a lot of people have been very upset by the whole camel suit thing, but those that cause the damage to baggage are in the minority, and I can vouch for this after working as a bag boy at VB for a period of time.

There are a lot of people doing that job who love it to death (not for me however) and do all they can to do the right thing. They bust their asses (i didn't ) for $15 and hour, don't get any recognition, and then get screwed over (that's why I left). There are however, some that dont give a proverbial rats....

In saying that, however, I don't know what goes on at QF, as the union presence there is a lot stronger. Long story short, I was tempted into the job with the prospect of big money. Let me tell you - BIG MISCONCEPTION.... im still driving a bucket of poo jap car with 300,000km on the clock....

[Ozgrade3]

120K for a baggage handler would be well nigh impossible.

Last financial year I made 48K.......................to get that I had to work an average of 71 hrs a week. One fortnight I did 159 hrs, including a 24 hr shift.

At better companies you would have to get call ins (at double time) pluss extra sifts, double shifts etec etc. You would be lucky to crack 80K. Some dupervisors with their higher pay rate might crack 100K. But that would be averaging 80-90 hrs a week.

Try working 6 x 17 hrs shifts a week.

Airline drivers work, what 32 duty hrs a week?? and get 80+K.

It pisses me of severely when I hear jet jockies crapping on about how baggage handlers can earny more money than the pilots. They "can" make twice as much as a regional pilot but by doing twice the hrs.

Me thinks some people dont know when they are on a good wicket.

[schnauzer]

What a bizarre post. Oz, you seem to be a pilot (or Porter?)who doesn't like pilots or understand their occupation.

Couple of questions for you:

Do you think that Porters SHOULD earn more than pilots?

Do you think that Porters aren't on a good wicket?

Do you think that Pilots ARE on a good wicket?

Ozgrade3 - you really should think carefully about things before posting that sort of stuff.

Let me explain the difference between pilots and porters. WE (pilots) have have an inordinate amount of training leading up to the job, and then whilst on the job we undergo more checking than any other profession. WE have arguably more responsibility than any other profession. Poters have a big ZERO of the above.

The very fact that a Dash 8 pilot complains about the fact that a Porter earns almost as much as he does seems more than reasonable to me. Same goes with the fact that a 737 (or A320) FO complains that the Porter earns almost as much as or more than he is also more than fair.

There is such a considerable difference in Professional training, responsibility and conduct, yet the pay difference does not reflect this? Those jet jockey's should be complaining bitterly I say, and f**k you if you don't like it.

Got it now?

Jeeez Louise....

[VH-Cheer Up]

Schnauzer Zieh dich doch dein Kopf wieder rein, du Kerl! (Pull yer head in, ya mug!)

For someone who wants the forum to think they're a good pilot, you display remarkably poor reading, listening and comprehension skills.

Ozgrade was explaining how bag handlers DON'T earn $120k pa. And the only way they can earn more than the Aussie average wage is by effectively doing two people's work (71 hours a week = twice national average week of 35.5 hours). And then he earned $48k... Which you're jealous about? Get a life, mate. while he was doing this for $15 an hour, he was loading baggage into a 737NG where the drivers were earning how much? And you don't see who had the better deal? Try getting the NG drivers to swap places with Ozgrade not for a week, but just for half a shift, and see who thinks they are on a better wicket then.

I know I really shouldn't rise to the bait, but fair dinkum Schnauzie, you've got absolutely no compassion for your fellow man. Everybody who works to support getting the pushback happening on time deserves to be treated like a Mensch. Something you seem incapable of, judging by this and past posts of yours.

Ozgrade3 - you really should think carefully about things before posting that sort of stuff.

Do I hear the pot calling the teapot schwarz? Ach, Ich glaube you are just trying to get awarded the Ironic Cross!

VHCU

[Pimp Daddy]

They way it used to work in bag snatcher land for a few was you came to work, clocked on, then pissed off to your gardening/landscaping etc business you ran on the side.

Hence the uproar when QF tried to introduce thumbprint scanners for clocking on and off in snatcher land, shock horror they might have to work their entire rostered shift, cue stopwork meetings etc and QF backed down to using swipe cards which are much more easily handed off to your mate than your thumb.

[swh]

See the paper said the baggage handler was in his early 30's with two kids, removed part of the costume from a closed bag. Paper also indicated that he was dismissed.

[Ozgrade3]

Schnauser,

I bow my head in defference to your superioir skill and grovel humbly at your feet begging for forgiveness...........while I'm there would u like to me to shine your shoes for you as well, Sir?? . I have read your post most carefully and will quietly return to my proper place in society. I should not speak for I have no skills what so ever as YOU are a PILOT and I am but a lowly baggage handler. My CPL, Grade 2 Instructor rating, Instrument rating, ME Training approval and 1500hrs being mere trinkets on the doona of aviation.

Are you saying that a porter should not be able to earn more than a pilot, irrespective of the hours he works. or should we get paid $7.00 an hour to reflect our relative status.

Your attitude is one that makes others in the industry think pilots are wankers (apologies to the majority of pilots who are not) and are openly laughed at. Many a decent pilot will cringe at reading your post.

Thankfully you attitude is not representative of pilots in general. I have had the pleasure........no, privilage, of working with a great bunch of guys an gals(pilots) first with Impulse during the short independant jet ops period and more recently REX. They respected us for what we do and we gave the same in return....and we worked as a TEAM. Strange word that for some......there is no I in TEAM.

But like you said, what would I know, for I am only a baggage handler with ZERO responsibility.

[HotDog]

I don't care how much a baggage handler is paid. All I care about is not having my luggage rifled and interfered with. Not much to ask surely. This mistreatment of property is not confined to Australian baggage handlers alone. My ex company also reverted to the installation of cameras into the bulk hold which showed the incredible skill of opening locked suitcases in record time and was instrumental in the conviction of the perpetrators. Several of my suitcases were damaged due to careless handling during my flying career. On one occasion, a bottle of scotch, inside it's box, broken and spilt all over my clothing. It seemed as though any bags with crew tags on them received extra special treatment. There is no excuse for pilfering and interfering with passenger baggage, it is totally unacceptable and "Camel head" deserved to be sacked.

[slice]

$120k pa is a bit of an urban myth I think. The vast majority of baggage handlers earn less then 50k pa and to the tw@t who called them porters - you have obviously never lifted anything heavier than the silver spoon out of your arse from which you now speak. I have had three loading jobs - loading for VB was physically the most demanding with 4 loaders on 25 min turnarounds for 170 pax AC - you get fit but as anyone who has had to crouch in a 73 hold moving bags will know that it kills your back!

As for pilot's salaries - well I think industrially as a group we only have ourselves to blame with fractured unions and a propensity to undercut each other at the first opportunity. A previous thread has canvassed the idea of a single top to bottom Union, but I am sure some at the upper end would balk at such a proposal.
:ugh:

[virgindriver]

Just to add some facts to my suggested $120k for baggage handlers- friend of mine at the white rat was given letter roughly 3 years ago addressed to all captains written by GD talking about areas of cost savings. In this letter it was stated the baggage handlers at Sydney were earning up to $120k. There would have been a couple hundred of these letters sent.

[Buster Hyman]

GD...facts....same sentence?:rolleyes:

[rodwalloper]

There is no I in TEAM but there's a ME if you look hard enough.

[Eastwest Loco]

Tarmac terrorists - always have been.

The shallow end of the tarmac gene pool has a lot to answer for, and have had for years, as does the Total W@nkers Union that protects them.

Give me a break.

They have overall been a blot on the industry since I can remember, and that was when I was growing up with a father who was a LAME for TN at MEB.

There are quite a few really good ones who love their jobs and work hard, but overall - the fish that John West rejects.

EWL

[the mustang ranch]

well-syd domestic baggage handlers--- i think rock apes is how i would best describe them --- yeh there are some good hard workers there that generally care about their job's but to my mind -- i would not piss on most of them if they were on fire...
and i just love the bullsh.t(spin) the twu put out on the cammel head incident"he thought the bag was suspicious so he opened it"...or "he had a brain snap"--- what -do these these rock ape's have brains.
but hey the best part was the SNP security guards that walked up there and had there photo's taken with the bloke's parading around like gala's
my source's tell me that GD was fumming and rightly so when news broke of this.. especialy with there corby matter hanging over like a dark cloud in regards to drug running between the domestic ports.

well what will the end result /fall out be-
----- the main idiot has already been sacked-- with the company wanting to sack the other 8 baffoon's that came into/touched the cammel head .
the twu threated industrial action over more sacking's will only add more fuel to the fire regarding the contracting out of baggage handling at SDT- in other words if you bafoon's want to walk out --don't bother comming back you will be locked out. and the whole area contracted out.
-yeh the twu will carry on but there are manager's and other company staff trained on ramp equipment-- there will be minor delay's -but after a couple of weeks contracted staff will be ready to take over and you bafoon's(twu) will be arseholed to history.
and further more the SDT ramp manager should be asked to leave or demoted for not maintaining disapline there.
the wors't thing the company did was let twu surpervise twu-- in other word getting rid of the asu supervises-- resulted in the total lack of disapline there at SDT ie pissing of early, not wearing company ppe and uniforms ,comming to work under the influence of drugs and alcohol , theft of peoples property/money from their baggage damaging company aircraft and equipment-- the list just keeps on going.

[RENURPP]

Yes, but they do not have to go through security as they are less of a risk then we are.

[Ultralights]

Yes, but they do not have to go through security as they are less of a risk then we are.

just image!! a pilot, suffering a brain snap!

[Chris Higgins]

Or showing up on the flight deck wearing a camel's head!

[Scrubbed]

The party's over for the baggage snatchers......



Qantas will install closed circuit television surveillance in baggage handling areas at terminals across Australia and in the holds of some of its planes, the airline said today.

The move comes a day before Bali prosecutors are expected to present their sentencing submission on Schapelle Corby, who faces a possible death sentence if convicted of drug smuggling. She claims more than 4kg of cannabis was planted in her luggage.

Qantas chief executive Geoff Dixon said the airline also would increase loss prevention measures, including increased inspections of staff entering and leaving the workplace.

The airline's announcement comes just days after a baggage handler who allegedly removed an animal costume from a passenger's checked-in luggage at Sydney airport was stood down.

The passenger has claimed he saw the handler on the tarmac wearing a camel head costume that had been packed in the luggage.

Mr Dixon today said Qantas already had more than 900 CCTV surveillance units in operation throughout Australia, mostly at airport locations.

"Significant additional equipment will ensure, as closely as possible, 100 per cent coverage of key baggage areas in terminals owned or solely leased by Qantas," Mr Dixon said.

Mr Dixon said very few airlines placed surveillance equipment in the holds of their aircraft.

Qantas' decision to upgrade its already extensive security measures was a result of heightened public concern around baggage security, he said.

"We believe Qantas has been at the forefront of aviation security, having invested $700 million in security measures over the past three years.

"Our own statistics show that, despite recent publicity, incidents of baggage tampering within Qantas are extremely rare."

He was confident Qantas' decision on the new security measures would have the support of all of its staff (apart from the baggage-snatchers).

--------------------------------------------------------the airline said today How can an "airline" say anything at all???

Stupid bloody journos are bringing down the fruits of their "profession" to the average low intellect of their own staff.

The baggage-rummagers wil have to find new ways to amuse themselves now but I'm sure, in the meantime,the travelling public will pay for their audacity:

"Hmmmmm...... FRAGILE!!! Hey Johnno, this one says fragile! Look... Oooops, I dropped it. And now Macca/Bluey/Mohamad/Yusuf/whatever accidentally ran over it with the tug!!!"

:rolleyes:



Footnote: Apparently Pakistani baggage-snatchers are now tasked with"rummaging duties" in the hopes of finding contraband or whatever. Just imagine the FILTH going through your baggage down in the hold with no supervision.

[Sheepdog]

I dont know why it hasnt been refered to the Police. As its stealing, he converted the item into his own use, therefore should be charged . No sympathy, after loosing so much property over the years at airports and when you enquire about it you are receive by some nose picking union moron who shrugs his shoulders and say tough!

and far as the wages go come on guys its a pure labouring job, if you dont like it the get out and go back to school and get another job.

[HGW]

It won't matter how many cameras are installed as I was unloading a can right next to another airline baggage handler who was going through a bag right in front of a SACL camera. Security is a joke when you can enter and exit a secure area without being screened. You would think the union would be demanding this as a priority but no, absolute silence on this one.
Are they on commision?.

[Eastwest Loco]

HGW

You are obviously in the jobs, and as disgusted as the rest of us by this practice that has gone on for God knows how long with little or no action, so please excuse yourself from following comments.

The Tarmac Wankers Union is very quick to leap in and threaten removal of staff when there is a threat that some unlawful activity is about to result in redundancies.

Why? Loss of funds from members. Easy!

When that little weasel Tasmania has (in the short term by the look of it - and what a bloody joke he is) as a Minister for Tourism, Ken Bacon was in charge of the TWU down here, he demanded Eenie Weenie employed full time porters, or he would shut off the fuel. Some lame dropkick in Head Office gave in to the red Bastard. He is apparently standing down due to diabetes. Thank you God. My apologies to anyone I have offended with that remark, but I am bitter enough to wish it on the weasel, and nobody else.

We had a great crew of porters, but when Ansett took over and decided to shut down the operation, the TWU (along with the FCU I might add) could not be found by their members. Totally left in the cold. Take what you are given - the Fat Man and the Bodjie own us, so it is mind over matter - we don't mid taking their money, and you don't matter.

Jobs were gone - revenue stream gone - TWU gone.

Two faced bastards.

Maybe those who carry out this sort of deed at our airports deserve them. The hard working porter does not.

EWL

[Buster Hyman]

A bit harsh there scrubbed.

But, if we're going to generalise, anyone heard of Takeaway Ray? Come on, some of you thieves that sit up the front should!!!:E :ooh: :ouch:

[HGW]

The good thing about this forum is that I know the unions read it and it is a perfect way of letting them know what we think of their crap double standards.
The TWU wanted to shut down VB because of supposed "security" issues but seem to have no problem with the camel antics and even defend the fu@*wit. Drug running is just the tip of the iceberg. The frightening thing is that we make flight crew be screened and enforce religiously Triple A baggage reconcilliation but let any ba#tard with an ASIC walk through an unmanned gate carrying whatever they like in or out. One day it will be something that will stop a plane.
Come on Nightingale, if you are fair dinkum endorse the sacking and demand everybody is screened with every gate manned. As before I am sure their will be a deft silence. It would also help stop the thieving as it would be harder to get the stuff out.
Flight Crew have the power to make it happen by demanding it. I know I wouldn't be keen on flying ifI didn't know what was on the aircraft.

[Eastwest Loco]

Well said HGW, but please keep your head down and do not give any hint to identity.

A mate of mine discovered an illegal freight operation operating with a Lear from the back corner of Sydney Airport, and while attempting to take infra red pics of the loading noticed holes appearing in his vehicle. He left.

The bastards are pure evil.

EWL

[Scrubbed]

Did he call the cops?

Why was he taking pics?

Sounds like a bit of a fairy tale.....

[Z Force]

Whatever did happen to Ray?

[SkySista]

Buster, didn't Takeaway get a mention on that "Best thing you've seen stolen" thread in JB a couple of years back?

Something about lightbulbs.... :E

Or am I thinking of someone else?

[Buster Hyman]

Don't remember that one sista, but the AN Administrators are looking for a CFM-56 I hear!:ooh:

[SkySista]

Buster, the mention of Ray is here, not sure if meaning same guy or not (how many could there be???)

I don't know if our legendary Captain "Take-Away Ray" has been mentioned yet. He was most famous for bringing his blown light bulbs from home and replacing them with the functional hotel ones. Was caught because the home bulbs were different!

thread here (http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=76546&perpage=15&highlight=youve%20seen%20stolen&pagenumber=4)

Sky

[Buster Hyman]

Thanks Sista...I was getting all misty reading that!:E

[Jet_Black_Monaro]

I knew an FA that was flying with Ray one day and they had run out of a particular mixer. She went up to the flightdeck and asked Ray for one. He duly reached into his bag and voila.

Ray got resigned from AN about 1999-2000 I recall.

When the meeting was over, the managers reached down for their briefcases and.........

:ooh:

[SkySista]

Buster, that thread (along with the exploding lav one) will go down in my book as one of the funniest things I have seen in these PPrune halls..... :E

It's funny, took a few goes with the 'search' thingy to find it, don't know why it wouldn't find it the first couple of times.... straining the brain going back that far I guess..... :)

[Eastwest Loco]

Scrubbed

He was attempting to take pics as the operation was not legally licensed to carry cargo.

The Police were not called in for the same reason that nothing was done about the open threat on the lives of the family of the East West CEO by the fat man in the presence of numerous other guests at a reception at the Governor of NSW's residence. There was no point. Reason being obvious with the reputation of NSW's finest at the time. Finest Police force money could buy.

The surname of the East West Cargo Express senior employee starts with a W, and he had wide experience, much of it in New Guinea.

If you were not subjected to the kind of tactics the TNT/News group used, then I suggest you check around others that worked for EW, particularly in the Cargo side of things.

I have was followed on call patterns by TNT vehicles, as was Chrissy my then Hobart counterpart.

A pair of Nissan EXA Turbos ensured we could blow them off easily. Our choice - not that of the Company, but it worked.

It was THAT ugly at the time. Much less so down here than in Sydney and Melbourne but you had to be very aware of who was on your six so as not to allow accounts to be white anted.

The corruption that was endemic in the TNT/News operation was a thing to behold. With a PM in your back pocket, you can do nearly anything you want it would seem.

At least I outlived the fat b@stard.

There is a God after all.

Best regards

EWL

[Yarra]

Did TAR not end up with Impulse on the 717?

[Sunfish]

The Fat man was very nice to me but GM was reported as being white as a sheet one day when he incurred his displeasure.

Rumor has it that the best paid guy in TNT was the supervisor of the Container "repair" workshop, where they had to, er cut open and then repair bits of container.

[topend3]

Unfair to tar all with the one brush. It's all about the culture a company creates, and the culture in a QF baggage room is very different to other airlines/ground handling contractors.

This is underlined by the stance of the unions on this one...

[F/O Bloggs]

Can someone explain to me why Baggage Handlers are not security screened prior to going airside, yet aircrew are.

There are no logical reasons that I can think of.

What the?

:confused:

[Eastwest Loco]

topend

Understood, agreed with and correct.

The TWU culture does NOT extend as I understand and have experienced to ground handling contractors.

The point is however moot, as the contracted ports are seldom inflicted by the virus Herpes TWU.

Thank God for that,

Best regards

EWL

[Ozgrade3]

For obvious reason i cant go into specifics but for most airlines these days, there is a security gard assigned t each plane on the ramp who screens ech person before they enter the aircraft, including cleaners, catering personel, engineers etc.

Additionally the catering trucks are supervised by security, in that they inspect each food cart, monitor the loading of the food trucks at the flight kitchen, then seal the trucks before they leave. Then the guards accompany the trucks and supervise the loading of the aircraft, where once again an inspection is carried out.

[Capt Claret]

OzG,

Your information is in direct contradiction to every caterer, cleaner, baggie and ramp person I have asked about screening throughout the network I fly.

'Tis only the operating crew in my partof the world who are scanned, making a mockery of the whole system! :mad: :mad: :mad:

[Rollingthunder]

Ozgrade3

Perhaps in your neck of the woods - but certainly not a common practice worldwide.

[schnauzer]

Jeez, not on Planet Oz there isn't, Ozgrade 3. What planet are you on?

I'm in those aircraft you speak of, including down on the ramp doing preflights on a daily basis. There ain't no security nazis to be seen anywhere around the acft. They lurk in the shadows, waiting for those unfortunate enough not to wear their hi viz vests or not hold the hand rails of the jacobs ladder.

But they sure as sh1t dont screen any maintainers / caterers / cleaners....

[F/O Bloggs]

OZGRADE 3,

That does NOT happen at Perth.

[Blip]

I'm amazed the current affairs programs haven't picked up on this subject.

Perhaps they will when Corby is found guilty. :mad:

[Ozgrade3]

Of course i know whos applies the security procedure and who does not. But for obvious reasons I wont say anythig more.

Good practice however.

[F/O Bloggs]

OG3,

Whats the bloody point. Perth does not do what you are purporting.

Fact - Aircrew have to be security screened and baggage handlers do not.

Result- A system with holes in it that nullifies any justification for aircrew going thru the secutity checkpoint.


:yuk:

[Ozgrade3]

Its an individual airlines decision, but well worth while if you ask me.

However you are missing the point about aircrew beeign screened. Its nothing to do with secirity per se, its all about LOOKING like something is being done, making joe public think that the transportation secirity admistration, DOTARS et al are actally doing something. Confiscating nail clippers is spin doctoring at its worst.

The real security work needs to be done by the ASIOs, FBI's of the world, catching the bad guys before they get anywhere near an airport.

[schnauzer]

There's something seriously wrong in your top paddock ozgrade3. Probably explains why you are now pitching bags for a living....

[Buster Hyman]

REAL security screening would see aircraft cordonned off, all vehicles screened, all Ramp & Catering staff screened, Refuellers, Engineers, Customs, AQIS, Feds screened. The PAX, CSO's & Crews would be screened just as thoroughly. There is one element that is missing from the above, but most of you will figure it out anyway.

OG3 is quite correct in saying that the PAX, Crew & CSO screening is more for show than effectiveness. There are far too many holes in the system for the current airport procedures to be considered relevant. Bemoaning the fact that crews are screened & Ramp staff are not doesn't solve the problem, it only highlights certain peoples prejudices.

There you go schnauzer, now you can belittle someone else with your scintilating wit!:hmm:

[Don Esson]

Buster and Ozgrade couldn't have put it better.

Stand by for the barbs to fly from the ignorant.

[Ozgrade3]

mmmmm schnauzer, if you cant retort with a counter arguement, one can allways resort to a personal attack.

[Buster Hyman]

"...It's quiet...Too quiet!" :ooh:

[Ultralights]

radio news report tonight, a survey of 1000 Pax through sydney yesterday revealed 87% are afraid or do not trust baggage handlers to treat their baggage appropriately

[Capt Claret]

What? ONLY 87%???

I cringe every time I see bags being thrown and dropped from/onto trolleys. :{

[Ultralights]

being a regular on Stravel domestically, and being standby, i have lost count on how many times i have seen my bag being thrown into the cargo after the loader is removed! only to see it wrapped in tape when it arrived on the conveyor at my destination

[Boney]

Yep, if I was to travel to Indonesia, I would be sealing my bag and take a photo of it sitting on the weigher at check-in.

If you are lucky, the baggage handlers will just steal ya camera, but if you are unlucky they will fill it up with weed (but forget to take it off).

At least if you have a photo of your baggage sealed in some way before boarding, it may help you if arrested.

As you can see from the news, by simply saying "why would I buy 30K of wacky weed so I can sell it for 10K?" does not make a scap of difference, just ask Chapel - so sad, what a disgrace!

God help her

[Ultralights]

if you go to bali/indonesia, just take the indo equivilent of $10,000 in your pocket! if they find something, 10K later,they saw nothing!

[Boney]

And if you get into trouble overseas, don't expect that lying little Johnny to do a single thing to help you out, especially if it conflicts with the agenda of Bush.

[HotDog]

why would I buy 30K of wacky weed so I can sell it for 10K

I'll tell you why Boney, the "wacky weed" in Bali is absolute ****e and you can sell "the good stuff" to your ilk for more than 30K!

[Kaptin M]

This Schapelle Corby case, in my opinion, should now make the suitcase the responsibility of the carrier, once it leaves your care and is entrusted to the airlines' staff.

And now to the Indonesian officials side of things.
Indonesia, that country that is the epitome of cleanliness, honesty, and uprighteous behaviour.


quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"The defendant's actions can ruin the image of Bali as a tourist destination," he (Prosecutor Ida Bagus Wiswantanu) told the panel of three judges who must ultimately determine Ms Corby's fate.
"The defendant's actions can make Bali look like a drug haven and affect young people's lives."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Is this guy for real?
Bali - infamous for the Bali bombing that killed and injured scores of innocent tourists a couple of years back.
Bali - the place where you can buy fake Rolex watches, fake Ray Ban sunglasses, fake Louis Vuitton merchandise. And countless other fake (copy) brands that sell openly in the shops, and on the streets as the Government turns a blind eye whilst the genuine manufacturers copyrights are blatantly broken, and millions of dollars annually paid to the pirates of these trademarks.

How about Australians boycott Bali for a month and see how THAT impacts on this pious little part of the world!

And as an epilogue, I hope that this case now leads to the airlines being named as the party legally responsible for the contents of pax baggage, once it is checked in.
This may well entail a slower check-in, as baggage is x-rayed and perhaps searched PRE-FLIGHT, but it sure as hell will put an end to the organised drug running, and thieving that currently exists!

[Ultralights]

with the corby case, and now the other nine mules, i thin a lot of schoolies will definatly think twice before departing for bali!

expect to see Surfers as busy as ever come schoolies week!

Indonesia, that country that is the epitome of cleanliness, honesty, and uprighteous behaviour.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA honesty! hahahaahahahahaha thats a good one! this from a country that has the reputation as the most corrupt on the planet!

[gaunty]

All of which reveals an issue that I had missed, chain of custody of the evidence.

Given that we hand over our bags after the routine "did you pack it yourself and has the bag been out of your posession since you did" and we don't see it until it comes off the carousel at the other end right into the hands of the sniffers I suspect even Perry Mason would have little trouble in sending the prosecution packing:rolleyes:

There is a "custody" hole the size of the universe in the time between when we last and next see it.

There is a company in the US that sells security packs for sealing baggage to prevent this very thing. The device misses the point exactly, why should you have to take these precautions.

Given the recent arrests of nine dimwits including the ringleaders (although I suspect that particular form of vermin are way down the pecking order) maybe the AFP and Indons have upped the anti a notch and between them forced the arrests into a jurisdiction that will actually do something beyond the ritual slap on the wrist they get here.

It will only take a series of public executions of the ringleaders before even the brain dead in our society get the message.
The Indons should not be portrayed as the villains, it is impossible not to notice the signs and penalties.
I was working in Singapore in the early seventies when they cracked down on drugs, closed the nighclubs and known hangouts, applied the death penalty and very strict entry control to the extent of banning entry to long hair and hippies.
Prior one did not even need to buy marijuana just go sit in the Lost Horizon nightclub under the Shangri-La and take deep breaths.
It might have pushed the better organised underground at least they knew where they were, but it stopped the local market in its tracks.

I recently took my family to Bali and I was most uncomfortable with the entry and exit procedures given our baggage was out of our personal control. I usually travel hand luggage only.

The passenger is searched and profiled to distraction, yet a baggage handler can drive around wearing a passengers stolen camel head costume and the best the airline can do is sack him.
Why aren't the AFP charging him and putting him away.
I wont even go near the ethnicity and background checking of the handlers.

Kaptin M gets it exactly right: make the suitcase the responsibility of the carrier, once it leaves your care and is entrusted to the airlines' staff. maybe then the airlines will begin to take it seriously

I would have no problems with and would rather be subject to the same scrutiny outbound as you are inbound in regards to drugs etc baggage then placed into a sealed container by the authorities before it goes to the baggage snatchers at that point and released likewise at the other end.

[SkySista]

Ultralights,

when i read that quote in the news the other day, i just about fell off my chair laughing!! :}

"Ms Corby's actions jeopardised bali's reputation as a drug-free tourist attraction"

I'd love to know what the hell that Govt guy was smoking to make a statement like that! :E

Every man and his dog in Oz knows that's one of the main things that goes on there! When you can't walk along the beach for 20m without being offered hash, well, that doesn't quite make the 'drug-free' countries list!!! :E

[VH-Cheer Up]

Haven't been to Bali except for a technical for yonks, but when I was last there, night-times especially, every other (apparent) local that passed by would hiss "h'seesh"...

Drug free? Gimme a break.

[Boney]

Hot Dog

"sell the good stuff to your ilk"

Isn't this site amazing how huge the assumptions are made by people. However, you seem to be the one who is an expert on the price over there??? ummm - keep puffing the magic dragon!

[HotDog]

keep puffing the magic dragon

Yes Boney, that's what you should do; it might cure your paranoia about John Howard and Bush!

[the mustang ranch]

they didn't call mrs sorhato or what ever you spell that name---MRS 10% for nothing ---the indo's are well open to the bribe,grafting,corruption etc etc -- its the normal way of doing business there.

[HotDog]

So what's that got to do with Chapelle Corby:confused:

[Eastwest Loco]

Kaptin M

I am 120% in agreement with your thoughts on the Indo police. The finest police force money can buy.

The Schapelle Corby case is to my mind a disaster not of her own making, caused by our TWU mates.

Boycotting Bali however is all well and good for us, but it does not get the message to the right people. Since they blew up my favourite watering hole the normally gentle Balinese who are generally Hindu actually lost their happy thoughts with the Muslim Javanese who now have generally buggered off home. If we wipe Bali off as a destination, then our mates there - and I have a good few - are going to be hard pressed to put food on their tables. Never confuse the Balinese with the general populus of Indo. They are a totally different lineage, and a particularly attractive Asian race.

Indonesian police are like the Military - they get their job by either buying it or having a daddy who is a General. I have personally paid a bribe to clear a traffic infringement. I was advised it was the way to go. The only reason the 9 were arrested recently is that the right palms were not greased. Good thing too - that is several kilos of heroin that will not be killing our kids.

Get ****ty with the Indos by all means people, but please do not take away the livelyhood of the good hard working Balinese.

Terimah kasih banyak

EWL

[psycho joe]

What I don't understand is why didn't Corby realise that her light boogey board had just grown another 4 kilos when she picked it up off the carousel.
I would have checked the bag, zipped it back up, ripped off the tags, put it back on the carousel and just walked away......and then dedicate the rest of my life to mercilessly stalking the bastard who put it there!!

[HotDog]

ABC news reported this morning that Federal police found no evidence that the Marijuana was placed into Chapelle Corby's bag by Brisbane baggage handlers.

[Ultralights]

has a dna test been done on the pot to find out where it was grown? oh i forgot, indoneisan investigators dont rely on foresic evidence..

[SkySista]

Joe, she would have had about 2 seconds to realise her bag was 'heavy' before she'd have got jumped on. I think generally they know there's stuff in the bag, they let it on the carousel to see who picks it up. So she was screwed as soon as she walked over to get it.

Anyway, that's assuming she even GOT that far before they nabbed her.

Loco is right, punishing the Balinese won't do it, what they gotta do is start refusing university places to all those rich Indonesians' kids... that'd stir 'em up then! :E

[Eastwest Loco]

psycho - If you have flown into DPS you would be aware that you are lucky to get posession of your baggage at all until after it has gone into the cab. It is glommed by the local "porters" who assist you with your baggage through immigration for a 10.000 rupe fee - 2 pounds of **** all in the overall picture. If you cut up rough, be assured everything will be thorougly gone through by customs as they are no doubt on a sling from the porters and if the bag snatchers miss out, so do they.

Yes Skygurl - denying a few Uni positions and slots at Australian Pilot training facilities would indeed do a far better job than robbing the sweet people of Bali of their living.

Best all

EWL