[Closed] Airport Security -Hmmm

Liquids were relaxed a couple of weeks/three weeks ago.

They were going to, but they bottled it. 100ml restrictions are still in place. http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Publictransport/AirtravelintheUK/DG_078179

It's a good job you aren't a terrrrrist, WCA!

Jeeze, forget terrorists.

They let WCA on a plane??? 😯

No wonder B.A. is aerophobic...

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I also travel quite a bit & have found scissors, screwdrivers & other junk (on separate occasions) in my hand baggage after returning from trips.
My most common flight route is Brussels > Roma....

They miss stuff occasionally but as we know the scissor ban and liquid ban weren't actually about stopping terrorists so that's not a problem.

usual stuff scanners don't work just some guy pressing a button etc

flew from santa isobel to CdG to Heathrow to aberdeen - through security each time ....

got home and found 2 200ml bottles of hand sanitiser gel in my laptop bag ....

how ever i did have to remove my harddrive and 2 laptops and all cables relating to it from the laptop bag and scan it through as per normal in CdG .....major kerfuffle - usually its just the laptops out.

was in the states at george bush intercontinental flying to phoenix and got scanned by the super xray 360 thing n got told off for wearing my endura zyme shorts which had a popper fastener (metal) and a sewn in(metal) key clip in the thigh pocket

I made it through Manchester with a 10 inch spanner in my hand luggage, buried in a forgotten pocket. Didn't realise until Dubai airport security collared me and confiscated it. Was a good spanner too 🙁

I've left some small liquids in the hand baggage a few times no problems, plua apart from Heathrow T5 and the odd other airport they miss the titanium in my shoulder. I guess that I don't fit the "profile".

However (don't try this at home kids) try making a mobile call in the baggage hall in a US airport. They don't point guns at you but it comes close. Very OTT.

try making a mobile call in the baggage hall in a US airport. They don't point guns at you but it comes close

never had that .....

passport control - where they warn you not to with huge signs i can understand - but in baggage hall people were making calls/texts , charging phones/laptops the lot while waiting on the baggage

trail rat - it's fine to do everywhere else I been to just not the USA

there is no rhyme nor reason to us security .....

on my way through LAX i was made to take off my very minimal sandals for going through the scanner - same ones i always fly in and never have to take off !

They never seem to be bothered about me taking a traditional double-edge razor through. Scanned every time, not an eyebrow raised.

I regularly go through with water bottles. It's such an annoyance having to buy them again on the other side of security I just put them in my bag and see what happens. 50% of the time you just walk through. I would advise that you pick your airports for this tactic as it may create aggro in countries where the gaurds are a little bit aggressive and armed with guns.

It would seem that a Sigg bottle is not as dangerous though as you always see people taking those through.

I think you need to be more or less Terminator to set off a metal detector through, uh, metal content. They're set to go off randomly though, so you'll get a search 25% of the time anyway.

I seem to have the unusual knack of altering the laws of probability though as I set them off nearly every time I go through. Pat down, bag search, shoes x-rayed, water confiscated etc. Wouldn't be so bad but they then lock me in the pointy end with the bleedin' fire axe.

The continent has a far more civilised approach.

Not sure if even the powers that be have a valid insight into what's required.

Mrs and I were unlucky enough to be in Manhattan during 9/11. Given the hoo ha ongoing over the following week, we checked in to JFK 5 hours early for the flight home as we expected ourselves and our luggage to be scrutinised, x-rayed and generally turned inside out by the ever friendly US security staff.

I was particularly concerned as I had our still camera, video camera, spare batteries and charging cables in one pocket of the suitcase. The video camera had gone on the blink, so I wouldn't have been able to show it working if asked. I didn't want to bin it as it had lots of 'unique' footage on the tape trapped inside.

Sure enough the X-ray machine picked up the mass of electronica, batteries and wires, clearly worthy of closer examination. The guy looked at the screen, then at us, said nothing and put it through. No extra questions, no opening of cases, nothing. Okay, we didn't fit the profile but lots of middle eastern blokes in Islamic garb checking in to our flight went through just as smoothly. Got the feeling the staff really didn't have a clue.

Since then, my mother in law has had manicure scissors seized from her handbag after it was swabbed and tested positive for explosives, my wife has had roll on deodorant taken and my father lost a tiny keyring penknife he forgot he was carrying, such was the 'risk' these items presented. Conversely, we can all carry glass bottles or highly inflammable spirits on board, provided they were bought at duty free.

You have to wonder how much of the security pantomime is PR BS and how much is actually designed to stop terrorists.

They found the Kolsch I'd forgotten about in my carry on in Dusseldorf.. though to be fair he gave me the option of drinking it there and then 🙂

I did ask if I'd been allowed to keep it if it'd been alt bier

Recently had a (less than 100ml) tube of toothpaste confiscated at security. No other liquids in hand luggage (only one night away - use all the hotel freebies :wink:) but since my toothpaste was not in a clear plastic bag I got busted. Was told I could buy a bag for a quid (!) or lose my 60p tube of toothpaste. Tried to reason with the guy and make him see the insanity of the situation but he was having none of it. Maybe he gets commission on their rip-off plastic bags.

I've just smuggled a [s]budgie[/s] condor through security at Liverpool.

It's all a marketing exercise as the recent issues with frieght flights have shown. It's still quite probable that anything of value in your suitcase will get nicked, if they can take stuff out undetected they can get stuff back in.....

I've just smuggled a [s]budgie[/s] condor through security at Liverpool.

No you haven't it's a Baby Robin!

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Having flown internally and to and from Europe, when you really study airport security you can only come to one conclusion;

IMHO airport security in the UK is to placate the British traveling public and to allow some very poorly run airports enough slack to get people onboard planes.

Also it allows the Government to say that we are tackling “illegal immigrants”, obvious when you think about it. Checking people who book flights where you need a passport to board a plane, its visible and cheap.

Its not about [i]actually[/i] catching terrorists, its about making you think they are/can/would.

anotherdeadhero - Member

Its not about actually catching terrorists, its about making you think they are/can/would.

Oh god yeah, so much hype and bullshit.
On a recent Florida jolly I was packing my cabin baggage to come home and realised that my pipe, matches, lighter and baccy had made it through security coming out without a murmur. They were zipped into a side pocket of the bag and I'd forgotten about them.

BTW: In Goteborg airport they offer free plastic bags for your liquids.
Now how pleasant is that?
In Brussels (my home aiport) there is a dispensing machine. Granted Goteborg is a comparatively small airport but I like the concept.

Last month I realised that I had been flying for over a year on internal UK flights with a fairly large leatherman in the lid of my Rucsac. I found it airside while repacking my bags after security had taken my Zovirax away from me as it wasn't in a plastic bag.

All I can conclude from airport security is:

1. The people making the rules are morons.
2. The people administering the rules are morons or constrained by morons dictates (see point 1).
3. The "Terrorists" have won.

Most airports give the bags away, in my experience.
Not Bristol, however.

I've had a locking Swiss Army Knife confiscated, dammit. It was hidden lost deep in a bag I'd previously used for a camping trip. Otherwise, just the usual waterbottles. I wish that I could take my tiny Leatherman through so I wouldn't need to check in any bags.