ANCPER, you say that like it's a bad thing :O By that definition aviation, more than any other industry, is chock-a-block full of pedants, professionals who follow the regulations and procedures to the last letter. How many pilots or engineers would you think just use the procedures and regs as a "guide" only, and allow themselves to make decisions based on whatever is easiest or least inconvenient. In the av game it's everyone's responsibility to make sure that the people you are working with or for are safe, is it not?
Re the "What's in a name? When is a tool a tool?" I guess someone with the appropriate knowledge is employed to determine that, it's not you or me, but I'd say it's someone usually far removed from the frontline. Just for reference, the item needn't have been confiscated, you could have told the screener that you wanted to mail it back to your home address. It would have meant stepping back out of the line or even being escorted to the Post Office. I've done it with one of those tiny (40mm) Swiss Army knives, it's a fair bit of work but you get the satisfaction of beating the system :E
I do agree that customer service is certainly not something many of these security officers waste time on refining :(. I've experienced the "I'm right even when I'm wrong" and the "step out of the queue" attitudes firsthand. In this country we expect everyone to be polite, even the cops, however it's probably a bit unrealistic given that we are prepared to accept hard faces and machine guns when we go to overseas ports. Ultimately, we are all victims of the world we live in, "the System". Talking about the failings of it gets it off our chests, but nothing will change it, it's an entire industry worth squazillions. :sad:

ThereISlifeafterQF, if you have a regular requirement to carry compliant CO2 cartridges e.g.no larger than 28g or 50ml in a lifejacket or for bike tyre inflation, with a max of 4, contact QF DGs ([email protected]) and request a Letter of Approval. It's free and can be used at check in, for all QF and Jetstar flights, validity until 31/12/14 atm but when updated will go for another 2 years. I'm no longer at QF, but trust me they will go out of their way to help you :D

Concur re the letter from Qantas DG. I find it does tend to "smooth things" at check in, mostly because they know you know what you are doing and have probably done it before.

ThereIS
I carry a copy of the relevant regs just in case although I have always found Qantas very good indeed when it comes to flying with DG.

It's called a SHIFTER

We are told from day 1 that no one is exempt from the LAGS wanding and explosive trace detection. Yes I know, why do we have to do the crew when the skipper can pitch the nose down etc I completely agree with you, its a waste of time

When I grab a pilot most of the time they dont mind etc worst case was being called a lowlife. I dont care what you call me tbh this job is funding my flying.

I dont blame them being pissed off either, the way some of my colleagues treat crew is pathetic and they are sour partly because they have tried and failed in life and this is all they can amount too.. They have a real chip in the shoulder as you would say.

People aren't going to declare their items if they think they are 'safe'. When asked the DG's/security questions, they will simply answer 'no', as they don't think they have anything dangerous with them. Almost no-one will take the time to read or listen to the question properly & then consider what they have with them in light of the information provided with the question.

The whole system falls down right there!

If people actually declared everything that *could* fall into the 9 Dangerous Goods classes then the entire system will slow to a crawl.

an aerosol deodorant can is a class 2 (gas)
perfume, after-shave and spirits are class 3 (flammable liquid)
vaseline, lipstick, muesli-bars, clothes are class 4 (flammable solid)
shoe polish is class 3 (flammable liquid) or class 4 (flammable solid)
all batteries are at least a class 8 (corrosive) and maybe class 6 (toxic)
Depending on my mood I am a class 9 (noxious or irritating) and in winter can be a class 6 (infectious substance)
heck., a magnetic compass and laptop hard-disks are class 9 (magnetised material)

It's all well and good to have definitions for DGs and security prohibited items, but problems arise when barrier people unthinkingly enforce such broad definitions.



And just in., another example of security theatre where our pollies, their families and staff and public servants do not need to be screened when entering the Canberra Parliament House.
Senator Bill Heffernan smuggles fake 'pipe bomb' into Parliament House, says building 'no longer secure' - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
Liberal Senator Bill Heffernan smuggles pipe bomb into federal parliament | News.com.au