Airport security embarrassment

Obviously screaming is not the answer.  But that's what i want to do with about 78 percent of the people in line.  I'm just glad I don't have to fly much.

This isn't really embarrassing for me so much as it was for the security guard but...

On returning home through Manchester earlier this year, I was two breaths away from crying all through the security line. As I approached the scanners, I handed my clear ziploc baggy of film to the guard and politely asked them to hand-check. The nasally accented return was "No" and "We won't do that" followed by the age old "The machines won't affect your film."

Now, I've flown enough as a photographer to know that yes, the machines, especially the modern ones, will affect my film. I realize, however, that not everyone might know that, so I sucked up my losses on 10+ rolls of film (some high speed, many unprocessed), and let it go.

Or rather, I would've let it go 'mentally' had I not caught the same guard out of the corner of my eye making a snarky laugh and comment to her coworker about how she just lied to me, and how these stupid passengers expect guards to yadayada, so on. You can of course imagine that my rolling of the eyes at her as I picked up my laptop and repacked my bags was quite reflexive.

Still several breaths holding in tears, might I add.

Just as I pick up my backpack to walk to my gate, a tentative middle-aged guard approached me and reluctantly said he had to search my bags, that they saw something "suspicious" and just wanted to "make sure."

I swear, I never heard so many apologies in my life. He was afraid to look at me!  I had to take out alllllllllllllllllllllllllll of my camera and computer supplies and peripherals for him to look through (I never check any photographic or computer item), my lips quivering and eyes watering and nose sniffling the entire time. You could tell he was genuinely upset and apologetic for doing it, and that I was only picked out because the snarky female guard wanted to "teach me a lesson**." In fact, I think I even smiled despite wavering in tears, because he recognized that a young woman crying over leaving her boyfriend should probably be off-limits when it comes to picking on customers.

I mean, gosh. I got better treatment of myself and my equipment flying in central america. I'll save my immigration officer complaints until after I'm safely in the country come September... 

**Not a conspiracy theory -- I've been selected for searches before, when the scanning guards have a question about what's in your stuff, they don't wait for you to repack it before bringing you aside.

a young woman crying over leaving her boyfriend should probably be off-limits when it comes to picking on customers.

anybody could pretend to be upset, in tears over leaving a boyfriend.  Including terrorists.

tristatek, You might want to remember to try as hard as possible to keep your composure as both in the US and the UK they are now evaluating people on what they consider suspicious behavior- anxiety, symptoms of distress, etc.  You are more likely to get pulled for additional checks if you appear to be overly emotional. 

I'm not a stoic person, but it might help to remember there are many people leaving loved ones in emotional circumstances. The security staff certainly can't be interested in the details of each one, they are just there to do a job.

I'm quite certain they weren't picking on you.

tristatek, You might want to remember to try as hard as possible to keep your composure as both in the US and the UK they are now evaluating people on what they consider suspicious behavior- anxiety, symptoms of distress, etc.  You are more likely to get pulled for additional checks if you appear to be overly emotional. 

I'm not a stoic person, but it might help to remember there are many people leaving loved ones in emotional circumstances. The security staff certainly can't be interested in the details of each one, they are just there to do a job.

I'm quite certain they weren't picking on you.

I am a stoic, even cold and detached, person. =) That said, I'm not going to let government evaluation of suspicious behavior regulate any emotion I might be feeling regarding the impending distance between me and my loved ones! If they waste their time, energy, and resources targeting me for possible terrorist activity, that is their perogative. I told the story not because I criticize their need to check citizens, but because the guard who did so was painfully and obviously embarrassed about it.

I'm quite certain I was pulled aside on the female guard's whim. I watched her snickering in the background as he went through my things. He was extremely apologetic; he barely looked at my stuff, and when I asked if I could repack it myself, he thanked me and apologized again. By that time, I was so amused, I was smiling.

so why not call the lady out on it?  File a report, ask to see a supervisor, sorry, i don't want to know which airport, but was it in the US or another country.  Just curious why you didn't make a big stink about it.  The rules and regulations of airport security are there for our protection, it's your righ to speak to someone in charge if you feal you were being treated out of spite.  Just curious as to why you did not take that route.

I don't mind being searched or having to remove shoes, belts, etc.

What bothers me is when the way they make you leave your items on the belt unattended, with other people's things getting dropped on top of them, and walk off somewhere else to be searched.  Anybody could take your things, even by accident.  It's also a great opportunity for a thief to switch your suitcase with an empty one. I don't see why you can't have your bags next to you while you are being searched. The security guard is right there watching you.

There is absolutely no respect for personal property.  Once when my sister was in Heathrow, the security guard just walked off with her handbag, with her money, credit cards,  ID and passport.

I don't mind being searched or having to remove shoes, belts, etc.

What bothers me is when the way they make you leave your items on the belt unattended, with other people's things getting dropped on top of them, and walk off somewhere else to be searched.  Anybody could take your things, even by accident.  It's also a great opportunity for a thief to switch your suitcase with an empty one. I don't see why you can't have your bags next to you while you are being searched. The security guard is right there watching you.

There is absolutely no respect for personal property.  Once when my sister was in Heathrow, the security guard just walked off with her handbag, with her money, credit cards,  ID and passport.

good point... i rarely fly, so havent really experienced any of this stuff, but i would worry about my stuff disappearing from the belt while im being searched or whatever...

  It's also a great opportunity for a thief to switch your suitcase with an empty one.

This was highlighted on the recent BBC program ''The Real Hustle'' of just how easy it was for a con man to walk off with your bag from the other side of the x-ray machine. So easy.

This was highlighted on the recent BBC program ''The Real Hustle'' of just how easy it was for a con man to walk off with your bag from the other side of the x-ray machine. So easy.

Shhh.. I always worry about that, but try to convince myself that nobody will steal my stuff right at the security check point! 

Shhh.. I always worry about that, but try to convince myself that nobody will steal my stuff right at the security check point! 

It's after your stuff has gone through the X-ray machine and is sitting on the belt waiting for someone to pick it up.  I don't think security cares much about what happens to it at that point, since it's already been cleared as safe.