Airport security embarrassment

Some people just got stupid with it. On Airlines,this lady was upset & stated sarcasticlly that she had a bomb in her bag. Another guy joked about having a machine gun in his violen case Don't these people know that you can't make jokes in airports like that 

If only airport security was standard at every airport across one country...

One of my best friends is a pilot and I asked him (post 9/11) if the security was actually as formidable as they were making it seem.  He said no.  For one thing, the cleaning crew et al, are (or were not at that time) required to clear security, they just went through the employee's entrance.   he also said that pilots have to practically be strip searched before boarding the plane which he found ridiculous.  Because he is in control of the plane, if he wanted to commit an act of terrorism, it would be easy for him to down the plane without much effort.  Whether or not he had nail clippers on him would not make much difference. 

Also, security varies so much from airport to airport.  He'll clear security in one city and have to be wanded and take off most of his clothes and then walk right through at another airport the same day, with exactly the same things on his body. 

Another thing I find strange, is that after 9/11, there was so much security and now there isn't as much (no more guards with big guns at LAX for example).  Wouldn't it make more sense that if terrorists are going to strike, they would do it when the security guard is down?

I feel that the security measures in N.A. are somewhat cosmetic.  Fly through Columbia.  They know what airport security is all about and there is no doubt.

I just remembered another instance at an airport that annoyed me.  I grabbed one of those plastic bin things to put my handbag in.  It was open at the top and fairly overflowing with stuff.  I didn't want it to fall over and have things fall out.  As I ws doing this, the gruff security gaurd told me I couldn't put bags in the bins.  WTF??  So you want my crap falling out inside your machine.  I was also a little bit anxious because it was a brand new (very cute) bag and I didn't want it to get ruined.

Same thing with a leather coat one time.  I had my laptop with me and had taken that out and put in a plastic bin, I went to put the jacket on the other side of the bin, not covering the laptop.  I was told the laptop had to be by itself...fair enough.  So I go to grab another bin to put my coat in, again brand new (very cute) leather coat and the ar*ehole tells me that I only get one bin per person.  Again WTF?  Unfortunately, I was premenstrual at the time and I started to argue about the legitimacy of the policy and what sort of policy did they have if my jacket got caught somewhere in the machine???  They guy yelled at me in front of everyone and told me he didn't care if my jacket was ruined.  I was so upset I started to cry (note aforementioned PMS), and another gaurd asked me what was wrong.  I ended up making a complaint to the supervisor and the original gaurd was forced to apologize!  Jerkface!

I've had to take off my shoes once. And that was on my first flight here. Funny thing is, since I've flown a couple of time with my son, and take the stroller with, both time I 'forgot' to empty all the junk out of the underneath......books, toys, blankets, spare diapers, hats, mittens, wipes......hehehe......and everytime I go through the security thingy with him and the stroller, the only thing they say is..'we need you to empty everything out of the stroller...' so I put everything in one of those plastic thingys, takes forever......by now they are just in a hurry to get me moving on so the next person can get through. I've even had them help me take it all out!

I thankfully have never been stopped but Im always prepared. I always make sure I dont bring items too personal that could cause me embarrassment. I refuse to name these items.     Also I always make sure all my clothes are clean and folded properly on my return home as I know all bags leaving the international terminal at O'hare get opened and searched.

and quote from StuzMrs -

Ah yes, those items.  They go in the checked baggage.  Even if security opens the bags, at least they can't put a face with the items.   


- what'chyu two talkin bout?!!

Dennis! West London & Slough UK!

and quote from StuzMrs -

Ah yes, those items.  They go in the checked baggage.  Even if security opens the bags, at least they can't put a face with the items.   

Excpet some airports (like Bermuda)  they will open  and search your bag in FRONT of you and ask questions..

My checked baggage was searched one time. I would've loved to see their faces when they opened it, I had "2 friends" a nurses uniform and some other unmentionable things I dunno why they decided to check my checked baggage, I guess they thought they seen something suspicious..

My funniest experience as crew was in Manchester. We go through a crew line that also blends in w/regular passengers. The flight attendant clearing through ahead of me got her bag pulled for something unusual showing up on the XRay screen. The screener (male) opened her bag, rummaged around, pulled out the questionable item and loudly asked "..and what is this, then?" to which she replied "My breast pump". You've never seen a man turn red so quickly
Other funny experience involved a crew check in Atlanta customs returning from Rio. Sometimes they just tag an flight number and check that particular crew. One of the flight attendants is into leather bars and had his entire "repertoire" with him --the customs guys were trying with great difficulty not to laugh.
 

- what'chyu two talkin bout?!!

Dennis! West London & Slough UK!

 

On another note: while my dh is being patted down  it's actually kind of amazing how I can just pick up his coat, bag, keys, passport, mobile, and wallet and no one even glances!

Thats exactly what I was thinking as I was reading that...youd think they would want to be a bit more observant...

I hate taking off my shoes too, so Ive started wearing flip-flops, never been told to take those off 

I was rather embarassed going back to the US after my first visit here, they took out everything in my backpack and questioned me about every little thing. I had some gifts to my son from my fiances family, the security people threw a fit about it. They opened one, said theyd let me through that time but from then on to make sure no one wrapped anything up...I had no idea it would be a problem They were all toys, and I can understand why wrapped things make them uneasy, but they acted like I was trying to conceal weapons, or drugs or something when they were looking at my bag through x-ray..they seem to do this every time, and its not like I have unusual things in my bag...it should be pretty easy to tell I have food, water, and a book in there, my mobile, and my ticket stubs etc...nothing out of the ordinary.

It doesn't bother me so much to go through the line in my socks, it's funny though in Minneapolis sometimes they make me take them off and sometimes not. I think the most "embarrassing" time I've had with airport security was in Amsterdam. Wow, the lady there felt me up and down, quite literally. I was ill at the thought of how many other people's pants she stuck her hands down because I never noticed her changing her gloves in between! I am all for tight security but that was horrible! 

If only airport security was standard at every airport across one country...

One of my best friends is a pilot and I asked him (post 9/11) if the security was actually as formidable as they were making it seem.  He said no.  For one thing, the cleaning crew et al, are (or were not at that time) required to clear security, they just went through the employee's entrance.   he also said that pilots have to practically be strip searched before boarding the plane which he found ridiculous.  Because he is in control of the plane, if he wanted to commit an act of terrorism, it would be easy for him to down the plane without much effort.  Whether or not he had nail clippers on him would not make much difference. 

Also, security varies so much from airport to airport.  He'll clear security in one city and have to be wanded and take off most of his clothes and then walk right through at another airport the same day, with exactly the same things on his body. 

Another thing I find strange, is that after 9/11, there was so much security and now there isn't as much (no more guards with big guns at LAX for example).  Wouldn't it make more sense that if terrorists are going to strike, they would do it when the security guard is down? 

All good points.  One of my brother's pilot colleagues got so annoyed at one point with restrictions over the pilots not having nail clippers or tweezers etc, he asked them if they might possibly want to confiscate the crash axe from the cockpit as well, since it could do a lot more damage than nail clippers or tweezers.  (They weren't amused.) And yet -- at one time, discussions were ongoing about the pilots having access to guns for protection.   There is no rhyme or reason to it all.

Airport security practices are not standard throughout the country.  I do not believe it is even a TSA requirement that you have to remove your shoes (unless you are setting off the metal detector) -- so that part seems to be left to someone's discretion along the line.

The tightest security I've ever encountered has been in the Wichita, KS airport of all places!  Right after 9/11, they had the National Guardsmen with big guns walking all over there -- while the Atlanta & other airports I passed through did not.  (I don't think the National Guard must have much to do otherwise in Kansas...lol.)  They were also really keen on searching carryon bags as you boarded...they picked me out once for that as we started to board.  The lady had looked through my bag, then they decided we couldn't board after all so we all had to sit down again & wait.  Then we got called again to board & danged if the same lady didn't single me out again!  She'd already looked through my bag once, and I'd not left the boarding lounge area!  WTF?  Guess I look pretty shifty.  And sometimes, in Wichita, they've had the metal detector set to such a high detection sensitivity that the underwire in my BRA sets it off -- I've been wanded more than once for that.  Geeesh.

The tightest security I've ever encountered has been in the Wichita, KS airport of all places!  Right after 9/11, they had the National Guardsmen with big guns walking all over there -- while the Atlanta & other airports I passed through did not.  (I don't think the National Guard must have much to do otherwise in Kansas...lol.) 

We had that here in Minneapolis for quite some time after 9/11 as well.

We had that here in Minneapolis for quite some time after 9/11 as well.

I flew out of Logan (Boston) not long after 9/11 and assumed security would be intense -- given that two of the 9/11 planes had flights originating at Logan. I did see an armed guard walk by at one point while I was waiting, but the actual security measures that passengers had to go through were as feeble as they had been in the past. I was pretty surprised.

As a frequent flier, none of this bothers me anymore. Security is something I've gotten quite used and I always plan ahead. But I haven't had to take my shoes off in quite some time.  Other people take off their shoes without being asked I never do it unless I'm asked, in which case I'm ready by only wearing  slip-on/slip-off shoes.   What annoys me is these idiots who wait until the very last second to remove coats and laptop bags, holding up the whole line. Duh. Youve only had 15-30 minutes to do so and about 300 signs and verbal warnings to prepare! Idiots.

Here's an example of inept security:  I've been "chosen" for additional security checks several times (I attribute it to being "non-white". Several times I've been pulled aside whilst my wife gets onboard without question).  Anyway, this particular incident occured when I was alone, just a few weeks after 9/11. I was flying from Washington Dulles to Nashville, KY, where I was meeting up with some soldiers bound for Afghanistan. Long story short, despite having been pulled aside for extra security, none of the idiots working security found a Gerber stuffed at the bottom of my carry-on backpack, which I  had COMPLETELY FORGOT.  For those not familiar, a Gerber is like a Swiss Army knife, only bigger. Mine had a 4-inch knife blade and other sharp tools. I didn't even realize it was there until I got to my hotel and dumped out the contents of my bag!