PAXboy
7th Nov 2001, 18:16
Letter in paper 7th November.
Sir, I have in the last five weeks travelled from, and therefore been subjected to security checks at, Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton, Stansted, Nice, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Berlin Schönefeld, Düsseldorf, Geneva, Zurich and Dubai airports. Only at Düsseldorf, yesterday, did I have a security check thorough enough to make me feel that it was unlikely that another passenger could have brought something dangerous on to our plane. I usually travel with a normal laptop and with a pocket computer.
Only at Düsseldorf was my computer checked to see if it worked. At all other airports they only checked my laptop. Only at Düsseldorf was my belt checked thoroughly (presumably to see if I had one of those magical new plastics which when heated can become as sharp as knives but when cold can be moulded to look like a belt).
I continue to travel, but it would be nice if the words about heightened security at airports post-September 11 were matched by reality. I would feel safer.
Sincerely,
ALEXANDER DUFFY
This is the level of customer trust that has to be reached.
I am tempted to point out to Mr Duffy that, checking to see that a lap top can be switched on and boot up, is no guarantee that it does not contain a bomb ...
Sir, I have in the last five weeks travelled from, and therefore been subjected to security checks at, Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton, Stansted, Nice, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Berlin Schönefeld, Düsseldorf, Geneva, Zurich and Dubai airports. Only at Düsseldorf, yesterday, did I have a security check thorough enough to make me feel that it was unlikely that another passenger could have brought something dangerous on to our plane. I usually travel with a normal laptop and with a pocket computer.
Only at Düsseldorf was my computer checked to see if it worked. At all other airports they only checked my laptop. Only at Düsseldorf was my belt checked thoroughly (presumably to see if I had one of those magical new plastics which when heated can become as sharp as knives but when cold can be moulded to look like a belt).
I continue to travel, but it would be nice if the words about heightened security at airports post-September 11 were matched by reality. I would feel safer.
Sincerely,
ALEXANDER DUFFY
This is the level of customer trust that has to be reached.
I am tempted to point out to Mr Duffy that, checking to see that a lap top can be switched on and boot up, is no guarantee that it does not contain a bomb ...