Airport Security Complaints & Incidents (Merged)
 

Couple of days ago flew UK to Spain. Usual stuff with just one bag; take off your belt; etc etc.

Wife's stuff went through then woman says sorry madam I have to do random bag search.

Opened her big zip up "shopping " type bag took out handbag. Poked around in big bag then opened handbag. Took out my wife's credit card wallet and removed each credit card in turn and examined both sides.

Then took out purse/wallet and unzipped money pocket. Stirred the coins with her index finger. Zipped it up . Moved to banknote section and took out notes and examined each one both sides and put them back.

Then said thats fine and walked off. Unfortunately my wife had no idea how much money she had. I watched very carefully and don't think I saw any notes go up a sleeve.

But what in the name of all that's holy was the point of the whole exercise? Are muslims using exploding credit cards ? Are aircraft being brought down by exploding tenners.

It's having to bite my tongue to avoid alienating these d!ick heds and no doubt making things worse that raises my blood pressure. Grrrrrr!:E

At Changi they say no need to take my wallet from my pocket and put through the scanner, and then it sets off the detector as I walk through. Then they wave the handheld scanner around, it bleeps as it passes over the wallet. Open the wallet and they always look at the credit cards, access cards etc. Clearly these are a major potential threat, and I think you need to take the issue of exploding Barclaycards more seriously my friend.

Actually seeing as credit cards involve interest, muslims cannot have them so we should be safe :ok:

I think taking the p155 out of security, and credit cards in particular, is a very poor idea!

The security men are told in their training that on one of the hijacked aircraft on 09/11/03, a razor blade secreted between two credit cards was used to cut the throat of a stewardess which enabled the hijackers to gain access to the flight deck. Whether that is truthful or not, or an ancecdotal tale to make security staff more vigilant we shall never know.

Just because 5 years have elapsed since the last major aviation incident, it doesn't mean the threat has disappeared. Indeed, the incident at Edinburgh Airport shows that the threat is all too real and it is Airport Security that we rely on to keep us safe!

The fact remains that terrorism remains a very real threat - no matter how much you ever want things to return to normal, they never will be again,

Get used to it!

..........Oh, and as far as honesty is concerned, don't worry! Of all the millions of items opened and searched by the TSA in America since 09/11/03, a handful of items have been reported as stolen (and most accusations subsequently disproved!) In the UK, all Airport ID cardholders have undergone Criminal Record Checks and are certificated as "clean", including the loaders and baggage handlers so often falsely accused on this web-site and Flyertalk!

Maybe not exploding credit cards, but they might have been looking for something like this.

http://www.1sks.com/images/nemesis/nem-nk3.jpg

The best Credit Card Knife we've ever carried!
Slightly thicker than a credit card, the Nemesis Knives Ti-Card is made in the U.S.A. from a strong, lightweight Titanium alloy.

When glancing in ones wallet, the Ti-Card looks like a genuine credit card. Though it's slightly reduced dimenisons minimize the risk of damage to the owner's purse or wallet.

While providing a sharp edge for emergency or only occasional use, the Ti-Card should not affect the magnetic information strips on nearby credit cards.

Well why is it okay to buy litre glass bottles airside.

If I had a choice of facing a razor blade or a broken bottle, I'd pick the former.

Sorry Bealine, but I don't agree with your view, much of the security we pax see is window dressing.

I am sure that there are deep and dark things that we don;t see that keep us safe.

Well why is it okay to buy litre glass bottles airside.

Totally irelevant.

Yes, bottles can be used as weapons, as can plastic cuttlery, dinner trays, ballpoint pens etc, but, this is not their primary purpose. What are airlines expected to do, ban everything that has the potential to be used as a weapon?.

Hidden knives such as the one in my earlier post only have one purpose, and the advert even implies that they are easy to miss by someone looking for them.
When glancing in ones wallet, the Ti-Card looks like a genuine credit card

Totally irelevant.

Applying your logic would suggest that improvised explosive devices are totally irrelevant, whilst purpose designed devices are the real threat.

That is nonsensical, as is your comment.

It is the intention of the owner of an object that is more important than the object, as Israeli screening recognises.

Credit Card Knife
 

looking4idiots2con wow only in the USA could you dream up a need for such a thing.:eek:
Seems like security have a real need to be very careful.

My own twopence worth is that I think the primary job of the security check is to freak out the would be terrorist with there vigilance and then hopefully pick them out using a bit of surveillance (edgy / sweaty palms etc)...or am I just being naive.:oh:

It is the intention of the owner of an object that is more important than the object

I couldn't agree more.

Probably at least 99.9% of owners of a bottle of duty free spirits would have no intention of doing anything illegal with them.

Could the same be said of owners of illegal hidden knives? , Knives that are designed to evade being detected.

Interesting idea in view of THIS

Presumably illegal immigrants don't have criminal records here!!

UFO

I quite agree and I wrote a long letter to the DFT expressing my concerns but, guess what, it went unanswered! I happened to be totally pi55ed off at having a brand new sealed can of Waitrose soup purchased 30 mins before my shift confiscated - what did they think I was going to do, open it stuff it with explosives and weld it up again?

However, the alternative is to let these guys do nothing and face the consequences. You obviously have twigged the dangers from freely available glass bottles and the kitchen implements available at airside restaurants. Any bottle of duty free spirits can become an instant Molotov cocktail in the wrong hands!

At the end of the day whatever the guys in green do, Pruners and Flyertalkers will ridicule them! It's about time you gave them a break - it's a f***ing awful, thankless job that they have been asked to do and frankly, our gallant British Frequent Flyers should be ashamed of the abysmal way they treat them!

I assume you mean Glasgow airport? :confused:

Could the same be said of owners of illegal hidden knives

Please define an illegal knife.

Bealine

I don't need bottles or cutlery, I'll just club the crew to death with my laptop power brick and then strangle the survivors with the mains lead :}

Unfortunately the guys/gals in green don't help themselves.

Only yesterday I passed through a major London airport, the security lady gave me a crate to put my laptop in and then 10 seconds later asked me if I had a laptop.

Sorry, but that is not very impressive for someone who is meant to be alert.

Please define an illegal knife.

I won't attempt to define it. I will let the law do it for me.

The Criminal Justice Act 1988 (Offensive Weapons) Order 1988 specified descriptions of weapons to which section 141 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 applies. This Order adds a new category of weapon, the disguised knife, to the list of specified weapons contained in the 1988 Order.


[I]. The Schedule to the Criminal Justice Act 1988 (Offensive Weapons) Order 1988[2], which specifies offensive weapons for the purposes of section 141 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988, shall be amended by the insertion into paragraph 1 of that Schedule after sub-paragraph (n) the words -
"a disguised knife, that is any knife which has a concealed blade or concealed sharp point and is designed to appear to be an everyday object of a kind commonly carried on the person or in a handbag[/B], briefcase, or other hand luggage (such as a comb, brush, writing instrument, cigarette lighter, key, lipstick or telephone)"

Sorry - brain not too sharp this morning!

...............But then, I am on a day off! :}

My son, home from University in May this year for the Summer recess, got himself fixed up as a temporary Green Man contracted until September. He went through the four weeks training - no problem, and was over the moon because the salary, for a poor student, was first rate!

He went to "shadow" the security staff and lasted just one day before jacking it in and getting a bar job at the legal minimum hourly rate! On that one day, working for Airport Security he was spat on twice, kicked twice, deliberately tripped up on his way to a break and sworn at and cussed more times than he likes to remember! The sad fact was, that all the abuse came from regular, frequent travellers who purport to be "Ladies" and "Gentlemen"! The holidaymakers and overseas friends and family visitors were patient and forgiving!

If you talk to the Men and Women in Green, that is if you can be bothered to treat them as human beings, you will find that this level of abuse is a daily occurrence. That is why half the "arches" are closed at LHR and LGW - the BAA can't retain staff and can't get the loyal staff to do overtime because of the abuse from regular passengers!

A sad indictment of Flyertalk and Pprune posters!

The problem is that it's a positive feedback situation, which leads to problems in any system. Not enough gates open, hacked off security, passengers held up, hacked off passengers start trying to take it out on security personnel....

Mind you to say 'good morning ' to the guy, and then have him grunt at you as if you've insulted him doesn't help matters.

Can offer a couple of reasons.

1a. She has no idea what she's doing.
1b. She's been told to do it by someone with no idea.
2. Is looking for fraud related activities. eg credit cards in different names