Item go missing in security check
Thread Starter
Item go missing in security check
This shouldn't happen - but it has.
An Australian couple at the conclusion of a seven week tour of Northern Europe go through security at their airport of departure.
Cameras and other pocket stuff are loaded onto trays and disappear through the scanning machine. She overlooks a couple of small coins in one
pocket and is taken to one side and interrogated.
He has a couple of hip replacements, the machine goes "off" and he too is taken off line for further investigation. Meanwhile numerous other pax pass through the system without delay.
Eventually both are released and allowed to proceed to collect their previously deposited articles from the trays.
Except that several items are now missing from 'her' tray including her camera which has on its memory card the last three weeks of priceless photos and memories which have waited a lifetime to be realised.
How the hell can this be allowed to happen in a "security area"? Are people being slack here or deliberately turning a blind eye to blatant theft?
An Australian couple at the conclusion of a seven week tour of Northern Europe go through security at their airport of departure.
Cameras and other pocket stuff are loaded onto trays and disappear through the scanning machine. She overlooks a couple of small coins in one
pocket and is taken to one side and interrogated.
He has a couple of hip replacements, the machine goes "off" and he too is taken off line for further investigation. Meanwhile numerous other pax pass through the system without delay.
Eventually both are released and allowed to proceed to collect their previously deposited articles from the trays.
Except that several items are now missing from 'her' tray including her camera which has on its memory card the last three weeks of priceless photos and memories which have waited a lifetime to be realised.
How the hell can this be allowed to happen in a "security area"? Are people being slack here or deliberately turning a blind eye to blatant theft?
Last edited by FullOppositeRudder; 2nd Nov 2012 at 23:43. Reason: grammar
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Perhaps a little naive and too trusting on their part. Best is not to have any valuables as loose items and to keep an eye on your tray at all times. There are plenty of thieves among your fellow travellers and they will take advantage of any opportunity which is presented to them.
Last edited by Hotel Tango; 3rd Nov 2012 at 09:21.
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I only ever place 1 item onto the tray, and that's my bag. Anything else (coins, phone, wallet etc) is placed into the bag and zipped up to keep grubby fingers away...
I'd be surprised if the airport didn't have CCTV covering the area.
I'd be surprised if the airport didn't have CCTV covering the area.
750XL,
smart advice but how do you empty your pockets in good time as not to hold the line? In my local airport there are no tables before the X-ray machines.
In a non aviation context, I move the pictures from the camera memory to a USB stick or my netbook as soon as possible even at the hotel every night. Or so I want to do!
smart advice but how do you empty your pockets in good time as not to hold the line? In my local airport there are no tables before the X-ray machines.
In a non aviation context, I move the pictures from the camera memory to a USB stick or my netbook as soon as possible even at the hotel every night. Or so I want to do!
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Rwy in sight, I prepare myself well before reaching security. Same as 750XL everything goes into my bag. I use a small film cannister to put my loose change in. The only things that go into the tray are my bag, coat and belt. However, you do have a valid point in that it would be useful if all security areas provided tables prior to as well as after screening.
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always amazes me that there is rarely a check on people picking up bags off the carousel on arrival - if you get down early and see an expensive case you could be long gone before the real owner turns up
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Similar thing happened to me at Warsaw (the real one, not Ryanair's Warsaw) a couple of months ago. I put an iPhone onto the tray with my other pocket contents and a very small Asus. I emptied the tray on the other side, went straight to the nearest coffee shop (within 50m), and immediately realised I had no phone.
Back to Security within 3-4 minutes of going through, ignored for 10 minutes by unsmiling military personnel who had suddenly lost all their English and understandably failed to understand my Polish. Eventually told by supervisor, relunctantly called by one of the soldiers, that they had not seen my phone, in a manner that clearly said "P**s off, tough".
I suspect that I failed to pick it up from the tray with all the other stuff, and one of them spotted an opportunity.
Lesson learned; as per above post. Put ALL your loose items into a bag, or coat pocket, to go through the X-ray/sniffer. The only thing that must go through unpacked is a computer and, only in some places, the see-through bag with your bomb-making fluids.
Back to Security within 3-4 minutes of going through, ignored for 10 minutes by unsmiling military personnel who had suddenly lost all their English and understandably failed to understand my Polish. Eventually told by supervisor, relunctantly called by one of the soldiers, that they had not seen my phone, in a manner that clearly said "P**s off, tough".
I suspect that I failed to pick it up from the tray with all the other stuff, and one of them spotted an opportunity.
Lesson learned; as per above post. Put ALL your loose items into a bag, or coat pocket, to go through the X-ray/sniffer. The only thing that must go through unpacked is a computer and, only in some places, the see-through bag with your bomb-making fluids.
Last edited by Capot; 3rd Nov 2012 at 10:53.
I like how people assume it's the security personnel who has taken items. Whilst i'm positive there are some bad apples out there, in the majority of cases I reckon it to be more likely be other pax and in a good deal of those cases, taken by mistake.
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Funny, I've never heard of a passenger getting busted for being light fingered following security. I suspect that few, if any, passengers go through security with the requisite boarding card and ID with the intention of nicking something. So it would be more chance opportunity that might occur once in while.
Even a dedicated black hat is going to think twice about taking something that is not his/hers as being caught is going to disrupt their travel.
On the other hand minimum wage security gorillas have opportunities that no passenger is ever going to have. You quite often hear of them being caught as well. Less so in Europe, likely because they can earn a living wage here.
Even a dedicated black hat is going to think twice about taking something that is not his/hers as being caught is going to disrupt their travel.
On the other hand minimum wage security gorillas have opportunities that no passenger is ever going to have. You quite often hear of them being caught as well. Less so in Europe, likely because they can earn a living wage here.
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750XL,
smart advice but how do you empty your pockets in good time as not to hold the line? In my local airport there are no tables before the X-ray machines.
smart advice but how do you empty your pockets in good time as not to hold the line? In my local airport there are no tables before the X-ray machines.
As has been said before, put everything in your bag and lock it. If they say it needs to be inspected, ask for it to be done in the open on a table, rather than being taken away. Don't worry about speaking loudly about wanting the search done in public 
Oh, and if you have a reasonable amount of bank notes, stick them in your pocket and go through the scanner.
Oh, and if you have a reasonable amount of bank notes, stick them in your pocket and go through the scanner.
Last edited by GrahamO; 3rd Nov 2012 at 17:00.
750XL and Hotel Tango,
Thanks for your input. Winter travel is better because mobiles, car keys are stored either in winter jacket. The problem is at times like now where temperatures are warm enough not to carry a jacket. I might use the free bags offered by my home airport to empty the pockets before the security and put the transparent bag in the carry on.
However the issue remains with the netbook that has to be removed from the carry on. I do try to keep a close look at it while I am being frisked. With a bit of audacity I tend to transfer pics from the camera to the netbook and make a copy on a USB key I carry with my keys.
Rwy in Sight
Thanks for your input. Winter travel is better because mobiles, car keys are stored either in winter jacket. The problem is at times like now where temperatures are warm enough not to carry a jacket. I might use the free bags offered by my home airport to empty the pockets before the security and put the transparent bag in the carry on.
However the issue remains with the netbook that has to be removed from the carry on. I do try to keep a close look at it while I am being frisked. With a bit of audacity I tend to transfer pics from the camera to the netbook and make a copy on a USB key I carry with my keys.
Rwy in Sight
Last edited by Rwy in Sight; 3rd Nov 2012 at 19:16.
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The comments on here are all, quite helpfully, pointing out ways in which passengers can try and make sure that their baggage does not disappear during the security checks. Point is though, as the OP says, it shouldn't happen.
Devising a system of ensuring your passengers property is safe for the short while it is out of their sight is hardly brain surgery, and any competent airport management should be able to come up with one in a few minutes.
Devising a system of ensuring your passengers property is safe for the short while it is out of their sight is hardly brain surgery, and any competent airport management should be able to come up with one in a few minutes.
Last edited by BKS Air Transport; 3rd Nov 2012 at 22:28.
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"smart advice but how do you empty your pockets in good time as not to hold the line? In my local airport there are no tables before the X-ray machines. "
Rwy in sight
You sound like those people in the queue in front o fme who wear heaps of jewelery, mig belts with metal on them, shoes that take agres to take off and pockets full of everything likely to set off a machine.
As was said by Tango
"prepare myself well before reaching security."
You talk about Summer / Winter and not having a jacket, think even further ahead than that and take a clear plastic bag with you to put everything in - it takes no space and can be tucked away somewhere afterwards - plus of course cut down on the crap you carry.
Rwy in sight
You sound like those people in the queue in front o fme who wear heaps of jewelery, mig belts with metal on them, shoes that take agres to take off and pockets full of everything likely to set off a machine.
As was said by Tango
"prepare myself well before reaching security."
You talk about Summer / Winter and not having a jacket, think even further ahead than that and take a clear plastic bag with you to put everything in - it takes no space and can be tucked away somewhere afterwards - plus of course cut down on the crap you carry.