Security At Heathrow

[tgeezer]

After having my bag turned out by an inordinately suspicious clown at Heathrow I wonder how any baggage is safe. I carry everything in the cabin for speed and security of items but now am wondering if the most convenient way is to put all in the hold. Supposiing I had done that and an unusual item was seen on the cabin baggage xray what happens? Obviously since the argument that noone wants to die no longer applies, accompanied baggage is in the same level of threat as unaccompanied. Security seems divorced from reality and I feel it quite likely that if they can't get the passenger's assurance they woud not allow any suspicious bag in to the aircraft and toss it aside. Do they have a more sophisticated way of making sure?, from what I've seen I doubt it. If they are not going to toss it, why have any check at all? Does anyone know if the chap who tried to smuggle something in his shoe was European looking? I suspect so, if not, then from what I've seen, more of the security at Heathrow fit the profile of a suicide bomber than I do.

Edited October 31, 2008 by tgeezer

[ClaytonSeymour]

Does anyone know if the chap who tried to smuggle something in his shoe was European looking?

Not really. You can view his mugshot here: http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=h...ficial%26sa%3DN

[OriginalPoster]

Does anyone know if the chap who tried to smuggle something in his shoe was European looking?

Not really. You can view his mugshot here: http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=h...ficial%26sa%3DN

That guy might look the part but who knows, next time it might be a blue-haired grandmother from Idaho who has explosives in their shoes.

[ClaytonSeymour]

That guy might look the part but who knows, next time it might be a blue-haired grandmother from Idaho who has explosives in their shoes.

And tonight I might find pixies at the bottom of the garden, who'll provide me with the forthcoming winning lottery numbers.

[technocracy]

Airport security in the UK is an utter joke however you look at it!

Particularly with this liquid ban which they imposes stricter than any country in this region.

On our recent visit back to the UK we (me, my wife and 7 month old baby) flew from Laos via BKK via SIN to Man on the way we carried a Thermos flash full of boiled water and some prepared milk in a bottle or 2. VTE, BKK and SIN we just told the security there is milk and water for the baby they had a quick look in the bag before x-raying and sent us on our way.

Returning - we came through check in and this time we has some pre-mixed sealed cartons of milk and some water in the Thermos. Utterly no common sense applied - cannot take the water in the thermos because it not clear and cannot take sealed cartons! You have to put the milk in a clear container . . yeah good idea . . when I open the carton of milk it will then be unfit to the drink in 2 hours. . . . thanks . . with a 13 hour flight ahead of me this is really helpful!

This was before I even reached the buffoons at the hand luggage x-ray machines.

I ended up chucking 3 cartons of milk, emptying the thermos and put one carton in the one baby bottle we had in our bag.

Then after scan I had to taste the milk . . .

I fully understand security is required but do they really think that a 30-ish year old couple with a small baby fit the profile of suicide bombers?!? At least the security staff in SE Asia airports not only apply some kind of common sense but are also polite with it. Unlike the jumped up arrogant <deleted> full of their own self importance that are employed in UK airports.

[tgeezer]

Airport security in the UK is an utter joke however you look at it!

Did you know that the captains come under the same scrutiny, presumably to see if they have a preferred method of destroying the aircraft other than crashing it into the ground!

[londonthai]

an unusual item was seen on the cabin baggage xray what happens?

the security of a hand luggage is stricter than the hold luggage - you are not allowed fluids and sharp objects. The xray software program will highliht suspected items, you will be asked to open the luggage or even asked to go to the inspection room. If you are not allowed to take it with you than you will have to dispose it or if it's a valuable you can ask security (at their discretion) to send it to the lost office - you can collect it on your return or you can send somebody else to get it for you.

[samui04]

Airport security in the UK is an utter joke however you look at it!

Particularly with this liquid ban which they imposes stricter than any country in this region.

The entire world is very happy after the british police invented the half liter mineral water airplane bomb.

At the beginning they even banned ALL liquids, after the americans tryied to make them reason to drop the ridicule rule all we got was the plastic liquid bag.

If everybody in britain is trying the make half liter mineral water bombs fine, banish them, I will never take a connection in London anyway.

But please why on the rest of the world we have to buy 2E bottle for a bunch of british idiots?????

Edited November 1, 2008 by samui04

[prestburypark]

I understand the need for security, all sensible people do, however in the UK anti terror laws have pervaded all walks of life and are being abused by local authorities and law enforcement in exactly the ways we were assured that they would not be implemented.

Keeping us scared of terrorists, and p**ssed off with them for causing us such inconvenience seems to be the reason behind these ludicrous impositions,

I am certain that technoligy exists to detect potential explosives.

I am aware of the case that caused the ban on liquids, but if Dubai can detect particles of illegal substances innocently picked up on the shoes of unsuspecting passengers, (another thread about that somewhere) surely similar sniffers could isolate the much more dangerous ingredients of binary (I think is the correct term) devices.

Do not underestimate the cynisym of politicians in exploiting the public , of course we are patronised to the extreme by them , if only we knew what they knew...

so common sense...sure they know whats what, but its in their interests to have you inconvenieced.