A ?new way to slow things down going through security

[RooFlyer]

[rant]

Have struck this on two recent flights out of Calgary, Canada but no-where else (yet) so new for me.

Calgary airport security I have reported a number of times is always execrable. Disorganised, no advice for the newbies to get ready, just slow and tedious. Now they (and probably elsewhere in Canada) have found a new way to make it slow and coughpy.

Now they are taking explosive swabs on the x-ray belt, before the x-ray machine.

So every 2 or 3 pax, everything comes to a halt while the attendant before the machine first starts re-arranging the things in the plastic trays. Then they get their swab thing, and run it across the external surfaces of things in the tray; open bags and ditto; open toiletry bags in the bags and ditto ... and so on. Then the swab is put in the machine and we wait for the result. Result comes and then the attendant first closes the various bags and then starts mucking around and re-arranging all the stuff again. Every item is adjusted and swapped around just so, for a reason I couldn't guess (and I had long enough to observe it all, twice). The pax isn't allowed to touch the bags in this process. The bags of the person in front by this time had cleared the machine and been picked up by the pax and they had gone.

I don't mind airport security; I like it if even the threat of being detected deters 1 in 1,000 bad guys. I'm guessing they are doing some before the x-ray machines in reaction to the ability to manipulate your getting pinged by the post x-ray machine people.

But for gawd sake - can't it be done in somewhat of an efficient manner - at least get the pax to open the bags beforehand and to close them afterwards - its not as if they can go anywhere; they, like the whole queue is stuck there.

Sheesh.

[/rant]

 

[MEL_Traveller]

That does seem excruciatingly slow and inefficient!

There are other ways to bulk test bags that can be done quickly. China for example would cordon off groups of 10 pax waiting to enter immigration, swab all the carry on bags (10-20) with a single wand, and only test individual bags if they got a positive from somewhere in the group. This took maybe 20 seconds to complete (but didn't delay your progress as you would have been waiting in the immigration queue anyway).

 

[leadman]

I'm sure they employ psychologists to work out methods to infuriate pax! And boy, do they succeed sometimes! The explosive test is always a great one and I see its now being used in Jakarta. On this trip I've hit the X-ray screen inspector also doing the bag search/questioning, while three staff look on! Of course the line almost extends out the terminal. Then the opposite, an American jumping "up and down" at staff at the KUL pre-check x-ray, that it was pathetic and this type of search would never happen in the US, its too lax, etc etc, until a security guard could finally get a word in telling him the main check is at the gate! The fun and frustrations of travel.......

 

[drron]

I think the guys operating the body scanner at BNE International can give those Calgary guys a run for their money.And they don't even have to pretend they are doing some extra screening.

 

[juddles]

.. Canada ..... Disorganised......found a new way to make it slow and coughpy.....

Perhaps the French influence

 

[Canny man]

OR what about the LHR screeners who take everything out of our bag, piece by infuriatingly slow piece, put your bag through again and then replace items one by one. My crime? a fish oil capsule that had somehow escaped into the depths of my bag. "It's a gel sir, it needs to be in a see through plastic bag'

 

[Buzzard]

Maybe they just don't want you to come back to Canada.

Or leave Canada.

 

[Tazza_0712]

Just reading this makes me anxious and annoyed. Do these people never travel themselves? Have they never stood in a security line and thought to themselves, "gee, this could probably be more efficient if...[insert efficiency measure]? WHAT is going on?

I know this is also my little rant, but gee it's so irritating. You can really question the intelligence of humanity and everything wrong with it whilst waiting in a security (or any other ill-managed line)...then you reach the business/first lounge and things get better with a drop of something bubbly

 

[ethernet]

I speculate a mylar foil cut to the shape of a gun and rubber band flywheel to roll it over the wire frame of a say ladies handbag if opened would amuse them for hours clearly there open then viola - nothing- David Copperfield idea. Or a transfer on the bottom of a security tray. Gold acetate is wrong at multiple levels.

It seems only Israel is allowed to actually think, but it seems China is beginning to be wise too.

 

[medhead]

Can't imagine mylar would be that opaque to x-rays

I speculate a mylar foil cut to the shape of a gun and rubber band flywheel to roll it over the wire frame of a say ladies handbag if opened would amuse them for hours clearly there open then viola - nothing- David Copperfield idea. Or a transfer on the bottom of a security tray. Gold acetate is wrong at multiple levels.

It seems only Israel is allowed to actually think, but it seems China is beginning to be wise too.

 

[RooFlyer]

Maybe they just don't want you to come back to Canada.

Or leave Canada.

Well, judging by the grilling I usually get on entry, I think it's the former.

 

[UpInTheAir:)]

Sorry to hear RF
Just when I thought it was actually getting better.. just came through Heathrow and they didn't seem anywhere near as torturous as the last time.. even let Mr Up keep his shoes on