Airport Security Fiasco?
Paxing All Over The World
I recall the head porter at an upmarket London hotel saying, "When people walk into our hotel - their arms drop off. They cannot even pick up a newspaper on their own."
He told me that 28 years ago and it's as true as it ever was.
He told me that 28 years ago and it's as true as it ever was.
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Wow, having read every post on this thread I felt I had to add my own contribution. Nothing to do with the thread, just that posting here means you're intelligent because everybody else is a thicko who left his brain cell at home when he/she went to the airport.
BTW was that psychologist friend one of the 10% or one of the 90%?
MENSA anyone?
BTW was that psychologist friend one of the 10% or one of the 90%?
MENSA anyone?
Join Date: Aug 2007
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I believe it's called "silent protest" and I don't blame them one bit, the whole security charade is designed to reinforce the control mentality of the current government.........
GR
BHX yesterday afternoon.
One is now no longer permitted to drop off passengers in the vicinity ( i.e. 3 full traffic lanes, each separated by a wide pavement) of the terminal.
It costs £1 to stop your car. (I was thinking of suggesting to Ms. RevMan that she applied the fast vehicle exit technique that she learned during her SAS training, but though better of it.)
And then - complying with the security instructions - I took off my jacket, removed my notebook from my carry-on, removed all metal objects from my person, only to be informed that I was only allowed one piece of carry-on luggage.
I looked at him and said "I'm following instructions. I am required to present my notebook separately and to take off my jacket. Please help me understand what I'm not doing correctly"
"Well, you'll have to put it back in your bag afterwards"
90% thickos? I'd say it's 99-and-a-lot-of-9s-after-the-decimal-point-percent at BHX
One is now no longer permitted to drop off passengers in the vicinity ( i.e. 3 full traffic lanes, each separated by a wide pavement) of the terminal.
It costs £1 to stop your car. (I was thinking of suggesting to Ms. RevMan that she applied the fast vehicle exit technique that she learned during her SAS training, but though better of it.)
And then - complying with the security instructions - I took off my jacket, removed my notebook from my carry-on, removed all metal objects from my person, only to be informed that I was only allowed one piece of carry-on luggage.
I looked at him and said "I'm following instructions. I am required to present my notebook separately and to take off my jacket. Please help me understand what I'm not doing correctly"
"Well, you'll have to put it back in your bag afterwards"
90% thickos? I'd say it's 99-and-a-lot-of-9s-after-the-decimal-point-percent at BHX
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Revman,
Sad to say, I saw a similar thing at LHR not long ago. Guy in the queue, has small bag and laptop in hand. Told quite firmly, that as he can only have one item of hand luggage, he must put the laptop into the bag. Expressing consternation, he did so, only to be told a few seconds later at the check point to take it out for screening. Doh!!
It really is very difficult to take these security people seriously.
Sad to say, I saw a similar thing at LHR not long ago. Guy in the queue, has small bag and laptop in hand. Told quite firmly, that as he can only have one item of hand luggage, he must put the laptop into the bag. Expressing consternation, he did so, only to be told a few seconds later at the check point to take it out for screening. Doh!!
It really is very difficult to take these security people seriously.
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STN yesterday - welcome to the 3rd world: e-parking bus from Mid-stay - you know, one of the little ones that you really should be issued with ear defenders to ride in. Online check-in so avoided the terminal groundside scrum. Terminal is a good word for that place - not enough litter bins, so plant holders overflow with pax rubbish, the filthy, shabby toilets with their silly narrow access corridors that force people to barge past each other with their bags on the way in and out, etc. Fairly quick through security this time, having squeezed past the re-packing queue and the piles of discarded gear. Small hold-up while the staff discussed their pecking order for the next tea-break with their supervisor. Then past the shoe-checking machine Obersturmbannführer - why is there an extra machine for checking shoes, when we've already just been through a scanner? Stroll quickly and purposefully through the spending area, blinkers firmly on. Off the train at the first stop - one set of escalators still being mended (only a week, so far). Pitstop at the next set of matching toilets (see above) - down to one hand-dryer; attempt to report this to the cleaning staff, but they don't speak english as their primary language and whatever theirs is, it ain't mine. Maybe next week will be better......
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Boarding a flight at KLIA the other day and passing through security at the departure gate (i.e. the second security check after immigration), I was appalled/amused to witness the following conversation between a hapless pax whose hand baggage had just been x-rayed and the security agent.
Security: "You have something inside bag?"
Pax (Indian labourer): "What I am having?"
Security: "You have something inside? Show me!" (Opens bag and finds tube of toothpaste).
Security: "This you cannot take, lah. Limit is 100 kilogram - this one 200 kilogram, lah" (while pointing to the 200 ml content declaration on the tube and squeezing it so hard that it becomes apparent that the tube is less than half full - i.e. within the 100 ml limit...........). Removes tube and throws it in bin.
How can we take this type of security seriously?
Security: "You have something inside bag?"
Pax (Indian labourer): "What I am having?"
Security: "You have something inside? Show me!" (Opens bag and finds tube of toothpaste).
Security: "This you cannot take, lah. Limit is 100 kilogram - this one 200 kilogram, lah" (while pointing to the 200 ml content declaration on the tube and squeezing it so hard that it becomes apparent that the tube is less than half full - i.e. within the 100 ml limit...........). Removes tube and throws it in bin.
How can we take this type of security seriously?
Coppula eam se non posit acceptera jocularum
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"I'd risk flying with terrorists to escape this airport hell"
From the Guardian last Saturday. I particularly like the comment:
All very tongue in cheek of course. I mean, nobody would seriously suggest two tier security according to how lucky the passenger was feeling? Would they
? Just a dig at risk adverse mentality, or rather I do not feel any safer because I wave a resealable plastic bag with my toothpaste inside when glaring gaps in security are obvious.
Some of the comments are equally interesting. The whole world can see the current security arrangements as the disruptive farce that they are, with such a level of disruption that by default it seems that the terrorists are winning. Unfortunately, the measures are in place and no government is going to back track for risk of liability if something then happens.
...as I later removed my shoes, recalling that the sole apparent justification for this was that one complete halfwit had failed to set fire to his trainers some years ago...
? Just a dig at risk adverse mentality, or rather I do not feel any safer because I wave a resealable plastic bag with my toothpaste inside when glaring gaps in security are obvious.Some of the comments are equally interesting. The whole world can see the current security arrangements as the disruptive farce that they are, with such a level of disruption that by default it seems that the terrorists are winning. Unfortunately, the measures are in place and no government is going to back track for risk of liability if something then happens.
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Ok! i haven't been on for a while and someone has probably already mentioned this but.. even today a pax had a bottle of brandy in their bag. When i asked if check in had asked about liquids he said yes. When i asked why he hadnt told them about the brandy he said"thats right make it seem like i'm in the wrong. anyway she wasn't specific" I asked how specific would you like them to be and got verbal abuse. People wonder why we have queues. I'm more worried that that pax can vote and serve on a jury!!!!!!
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There's an article in today's FT under the headline "Ferrovial seeks quick Heathrow fix". BAA are quoted as saying 98 per cent of pax visiting Heathrow in July and August queued for less than 10 minutes to pass through its central security facility. We've heard this from BAA before but few reconcile this to their own experience.
I've been through Gatwick several times during August. I've been timing the trek through security. One constant has been that once past the boarding card check it takes me 10 minutes to get through security. It has taken between 5 and 15 minutes to get to the boarding card check.
So look again at the BAA quote. Are they being clever with words?
Does "pass through the central security facility" mean exactly that, and thus excludes the time spent queuing to get into the facility?
Given BAA's dreadful performance it smells of cheap spin to me.
I've been through Gatwick several times during August. I've been timing the trek through security. One constant has been that once past the boarding card check it takes me 10 minutes to get through security. It has taken between 5 and 15 minutes to get to the boarding card check.
So look again at the BAA quote. Are they being clever with words?
Does "pass through the central security facility" mean exactly that, and thus excludes the time spent queuing to get into the facility?
Given BAA's dreadful performance it smells of cheap spin to me.
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And then - complying with the security instructions - I took off my jacket, removed my notebook from my carry-on, removed all metal objects from my person, only to be informed that I was only allowed one piece of carry-on luggage.
I looked at him and said "I'm following instructions. I am required to present my notebook separately and to take off my jacket. Please help me understand what I'm not doing correctly"
"Well, you'll have to put it back in your bag afterwards"
I looked at him and said "I'm following instructions. I am required to present my notebook separately and to take off my jacket. Please help me understand what I'm not doing correctly"
"Well, you'll have to put it back in your bag afterwards"
Regards, SD..
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I was thru STN around Mid-day last Tuesday and, having expected the worst, was agreeable surprised. I was hand luggage only and checked in on line so straight to security. slightly surprised that the shoe check is not compulsory! There is a central lane thru which one can walk freely and 2 taped off routes where you get your shoes off and have them Xrayed. Which lane you go thru seems to be a matter of choice! A bit over 5 minutes to get thru and no raising of stress levels at all!
Coming back on Wednesday there was a huge milling crowd at Passport control but, while I was waiting, they opened another 3 checking desks and I was thru in about 10 minutes, this was at about 1730 ie a busy time and beats the stated maximum time of 45 minutes to get processed.
I am thru again in 10 days and, while not looking forward to it, I am not too worried about a stressed up start to a week in Bavaria!
Coming back on Wednesday there was a huge milling crowd at Passport control but, while I was waiting, they opened another 3 checking desks and I was thru in about 10 minutes, this was at about 1730 ie a busy time and beats the stated maximum time of 45 minutes to get processed.
I am thru again in 10 days and, while not looking forward to it, I am not too worried about a stressed up start to a week in Bavaria!
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graphitestick, who I assume is a 'skurity ofiser' displays the arrogance so typically seen at the security area in the UK.
Instead of taking a deep breath and being polite to a customer (no matter how irritating), a sarky question is asked and then s/he bleats about receiving 'verbal abuse.' Frankly his/her question strikes me as verbal abuse.
When will these people realise that the pax pay their wages?
As an expat who travels frequently throughout Europe, I only come across this attitude in the UK, security in France, Germany etc is efficient, polite and sometimes even humourous.
Instead of taking a deep breath and being polite to a customer (no matter how irritating), a sarky question is asked and then s/he bleats about receiving 'verbal abuse.' Frankly his/her question strikes me as verbal abuse.
When will these people realise that the pax pay their wages?
As an expat who travels frequently throughout Europe, I only come across this attitude in the UK, security in France, Germany etc is efficient, polite and sometimes even humourous.
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As Final 3 greens said...
'As an expat who travels frequently throughout Europe, I only come across this attitude in the UK, security in France, Germany etc is efficient, polite and sometimes even humourous.'
Strange that, isn't it, that we in Britain pride ourselves on having a sense of humour and being tolerant and yet the supposed 'miseries' in countries like Germany seem to be able to handle things much better?
I've visited quite a few European airports over the last few years and always found things easier than here - the one that springs to mind is all the messing about at STN to get a connecting Air Berlin flight that was at the NEXT gate - all because of the usual thing - why is there NEVER anyone to ask when you need someone???
'As an expat who travels frequently throughout Europe, I only come across this attitude in the UK, security in France, Germany etc is efficient, polite and sometimes even humourous.'
Strange that, isn't it, that we in Britain pride ourselves on having a sense of humour and being tolerant and yet the supposed 'miseries' in countries like Germany seem to be able to handle things much better?
I've visited quite a few European airports over the last few years and always found things easier than here - the one that springs to mind is all the messing about at STN to get a connecting Air Berlin flight that was at the NEXT gate - all because of the usual thing - why is there NEVER anyone to ask when you need someone???
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Just to counter this whole British security people are w&nkers thing, I'd like to praise the people at MAN T1 who are almost without fail polite, courteous and often jolly. I've had occasional issues at AMS with extremely rough hand searches (almost complained to the supervisor on one occasion), and some pretty arrogant security personnel, but those seem to be a minority there.
The airport staff who really p!ss me off most in the UK are the miserable tw&ts they employ to check, sorry, glance at, my passport on arrival, who often cannot even be bothered to give an appropriate greeting for the time of day, or even say hello. And I thought we British were supposed to be good mannered...Their counterparts in AMS are most cheery and welcoming - they all carry firearms, so dont even really need to be polite to anyone!
UK immigration if you are reading - good manners dont cost anything!
The airport staff who really p!ss me off most in the UK are the miserable tw&ts they employ to check, sorry, glance at, my passport on arrival, who often cannot even be bothered to give an appropriate greeting for the time of day, or even say hello. And I thought we British were supposed to be good mannered...Their counterparts in AMS are most cheery and welcoming - they all carry firearms, so dont even really need to be polite to anyone!
UK immigration if you are reading - good manners dont cost anything!
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Oh, and another thing, the security arrangements at airports like AMS where most flights are checked at the gate, seem to work much more smoothly than the way its done in the UK. But hey, you'd need to give some of that valuable retail space away to more room at the gates/pier areas if you did that... 
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We were leaving the ewekay in June via LGW - with our 2 sproglettes aged 2 and 3 months - after our annual trip back to see family in friends.
The security team insisted on passing the bootees of the 3 month old through the x ray machine.
The security team insisted on passing the bootees of the 3 month old through the x ray machine.
Well I'm not Security myself, but contrary to Final 3 Greens, I can share graphitestick's frustration with the type of pax he/she gave an example of. If Brandy isn't a liquid what is it then? If Final 3 Greens considers graphitestick arrogant, I would consider F3G a typical confrontational and just as arrogant type of pax.
I never have problems with security (touch wood) because I use my nut and fully comply with all requirements. Furthermore I make sure that I'm READY before I reach the security check point. It's so easy really.
It's mainly idiot pax who slow the process down - not the security personnel.
If Final 3 Greens considers graphitestick arrogant, I would consider F3G a typical confrontational and just as arrogant type of pax.I never have problems with security (touch wood) because I use my nut and fully comply with all requirements. Furthermore I make sure that I'm READY before I reach the security check point. It's so easy really.
It's mainly idiot pax who slow the process down - not the security personnel.