Coming from Israel one would have thought that connecting flights would assume that you were safe.

NOT!!

We had to change our tickets at the last minute so were given printed, as opposed to ‘E’ tickets. Every time we went through security we were taken aside to be screened further. And then our flight was delayed, and again, and again.

Basically we went through the same security area 6 times in 15 hours. By the 3rd time they recognised us and allowed us to the front of the queue, not to walk through, but to go through their special air jet sniff for explosives system. Just a long, horrid day.

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I’ve been waiting years to get this rant off my chest, it was without doubt the worst airport security experience I’ve ever had.
It was December 2001 and we were in Seattle. We were either coming from or going to Heathrow – I can’t remember because in those post-9/11 days, it seemed as if there were security scans all over the airport.
Anyway, with a 4yo and an infant, I didn’t think we looked like terrorists. I certainly didn’t expect my 4yo to be pulled aside for secondary screening. He was behind me as I went through the scanner with his Dad bringing up the rear. So, I couldn’t go back through the scanner, his Dad had been taken aside to remove a laptop from his bag and my poor son was terrified. It took all my self-control to stay calm and not antagonize the security officer.
It was a disaster.
Thankfully, there are better screening processes now and this is not likely to happen today.
Rant over.

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I am almost always taken for random (?) drug trace check and am more surprised if nobody wants to check my bag

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I experienced US security 4 times over Christmas before alert (worse) and post alert (faster), in the airports I went this was far faster (less detailed) than experience I had in the UK. As a guide Gatwick 30 minutes, US 10-20 minutes.

The worst thing was immigration which took almost 4 hours on its own.

@ Michelle, The UK has good success rate of detecting bombers before boarding, one of these was a pregnant women who’s boyfriend had placed a bomb (without telling her) in her hand luggage. So travelling with children will not mean you have an easier experience

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I was flying back from LAX and had done my knee in so was wearing a brace and on crutches. The officer took great pleasure in taking my crutches off me, making me walk thru the detecting machine 3 times and take my shoes off. Putting a shoe on without being able to bend your knee is not fun at all, though I’m sure I looked pretty comical.

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In Paris airport, I was wasked by the security what my religion was.
I still feel strongly that it wasn’t any of their business. I have a beard on my passport picture and I was told by friends it gave me an Arabic look.
As I didn’t want to miss my plane so I said I was Catholic and they seemed satisfied.

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We summon up all patience we can whenever we fly anywhere, as we endure whatever procedures are declared necessary, trying to maintain good humour and maybe even manage a smile.

That becomes ever more difficult when security staff bark instructions down the line, are needlessly officious and treat our personal belongings without respect. So, when the security team at Albuquerque conducted their checks with impeccable politeness when we flew from there last summer, smiling and addressing us gently and thoughtfully, I identified the manager and asked for a feedback form so that I could leave a positive comment.

Strangely (?), he could find only complaint forms and took some time to come up with an alternative – thanking me profusely and completing my 100% rosy-glow impression of that particluar team working on that particular day. It confirmed my opinion that unpleasantness and officious behaviour is not necessary to maintain standards.

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Hi Darren

Strictly speaking your experience in Sydney was with customs and immigration, not security.

For immigration I’ve twice struggled to be allowed to enter (both times I was allowed but only after a few hours of questioning). I’ve also had times when immigration queues are hours long.

For security hassles, I have missed a few flights due to lengthy security queues when changing terminals. The profiling I experienced for intra-Hawaii flights some years ago wasn’t great (all non-US citizens got extra screening and US citizens did not).

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@Gill – I think I encountered that same security crew at Albuquerque. Without a doubt, the most pleasant experience I’ve ever had going through airport security; and this was three days after the recent “Christmas bomber” scare.

My worst was recently coming back to the US from Dublin (not just security, all the other lines as well). Got to the airport 3 hours early and spent all but the last 20 minutes standing in one line or another! I vow not to ever go through that airport again. Fly into the UK, take the Stella ferry line from Holyhead to Dun Laoghaire… MUCH better travel experience.

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I totally agree with David, Israel is a security pain in the posterier although perhaps with good reason. The attitude of the staff however does warrant some serious note.

Last yearI tour led a group of 15 priests through the country; on the way in, one got collared and taken off for more questions. The staff were utterly obstructive, refusing all requests to estimate how long it would take to process him despite pleas that there was a bus in the carpark full of clergy with a long journey ahead of them.

On the way home, it was twice as bad. It was a 1am check in into an airport that looked like a cattle market. The security grilled our group and took every suitcase apart. Being clergy they all had a litre of water from the Jordan, a bag of soil from Jerusalem (from the flower beds, I’m ashamed to admit) and one had a nodding Jesus for his car dashboard on the top of his clothes which sprang out at the poor security woman.

Actually on reflection, we deserved it…. although I didn’t feel that charitable at the time when I made the plane with seconds to spare and no duty free fags for me.

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Logged on to comment that as you were arriving at Sydney Airport rather than departing, this wasn’t strictly an airport security issue. But I see @TGT has already made the same point.

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When heading back to Manila from Bangkok I was required to show my itinerary for my final flight back to JFK which was days later. It wasn’t anything official, just my paper printout from Expedia showing the date and time. Thankfully I’m a paranoid traveler and always have printouts of every flight on me. It really came in handy, but I’m not sure what would of happened if I didn’t have that printout. Paranoia helps sometimes

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@Zoe – loving the description there of the nodding Jesus. Are you sure you haven’t scripted Father Ted before?

The worst airport for security, bar none is Stansted. It’s a complete dogs dinner. Always has been, probably always will be.

When I flew into the USA the last time in 2000, the security there was fairly lax, but akin to being grilled by a New York cabbie – no manners, no respect from a surly ‘immigration’ clerk. Then again, what to expect from a country that hands out an in-flight immigration questionnaire half an hour before landing, with questions like “Are you now, or have you ever been affilliated to a terrorist organisation?”. And “Are you carrying any weapons?”.

Suffice to say, I haven’t been back, and have no desire whatsoever to do so.

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The images you see on Google are what the government won’t you to see. Some reporters went through a scanner and afterwards asked to see the images but were flatly refused.

The very white scan images are from the back ground scatter machines and isn’t that revelling but the black and white images are from the millimetre wave machines
These scanners take’s a picture of YOU that is so detailed that it shows every detail there body has to offer. It’s a black and white image but it can show how big there labia is and what there breasts look like. The image can also be magnified to show so close up that if you going through your period that they will be able to see the string very clearly.

The images on the internet are of the same people. Lots and lots of images but always the same people. Funny, after all the people that pass through the machines only a certain type of image has been released to the public to view.

Did you also know that the person examining the image in great detail was yesterday looking through people’s dirty underwear looking for extra tobacco?

It has been released by the officials in America that these scanning machines can store and print the images. All they have to do to print or store an image is turn the TRAINING mode on.

Contrary to what our government has lead us to believe.

On peer to peer systems there is already a Best of Body scanning images! Not to mention the scanner operator at an airport in Britain being warned by Police for being a pervert. Most people I have asked about these scanners think the image is like an Ex ray Image.

The Christmas day attack would still have happened even if he had gone through the scanner.

Only Doctors should have the backing of government to see people naked with there legs akimbo and not any bloke off the streets that has been given a job as a security guard.

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For incompetence staff at Heraklion Airport, Crete, deserve a prize.
Stopped at the departure gate on return to the UK, we were informed that there was “some problem” with our luggage which had been locked, security sealed and sent on ahead of us to the airport. No one seemed to know what the problem was however. Eventually a member of staff escorted us back through to the entrance hall and after enquiring at two baggage handling /security offices offered us a piece of baggage that was not ours. No explanation or apology offered, we were left to find our own way back to the departure gate past immigration control and hand baggage/personal screening negotiating with rude officials who had just seen us leave the airside part of the airport, objecting to us queue jumping despite the tannoys calling out our name as the plane was waiting to depart.. The impression was that although someone had slipped up reading a tag it was all our fault even though our luggage, already loaded, was completely in order.

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