Memorable experiences going through airport security?

[TomYagher]

Security express path in Cairo, some random who I'm sure did not officially work there asked for 150 Egyptian pounds, told him only had 20 left as I was leaving the country. Bags were picked up, walked to the front of the line, someone else's were removed and mine plonked in front. Then I was pushed (literally) through the scanner.

Had a really nice chat with immigration lady in SFO, about 15 minutes. She seemed genuinely friendly and interested as to why I was spending one night there on the way to Japan from Sydney (was my last chance to fly a QF 747 upstairs, and then was trying JAL F to Haneda). Sent in for a secondary check where apparently my fingerprints had matched to someone on a list somewhere. Thankfully was out after another 15 minutes.

Also been questioned over ear plugs in India, that was leaving Delhi.

Set the bomb detector off at Dubbo, no idea why. Thorough search of luggage and sent through.

 

[Quickstatus]

She seemed genuinely friendly and interested

No, they are skilled at appearing to be so. That you had the "enhanced" secondary treatment supports that. Glad you got out so quickly

 

[TomYagher]

No, they are skilled at appearing to be so. That you had the "enhanced" secondary treatment supports that. Glad you got out so quickly

Which confused me as so many people have told me how rude/horrible the officers can be…when overall it was a ‘pleasant’ experience

 

[Quickstatus]

Which confused me as so many people have told me how rude/horrible the officers can be

The stories that make it into the media tend to be the ones that will capture the most clickbait. A story that said that a secondary interrogation was pleasant would not gain much clickbait. And the people that didn't get a bad experience would very likely not report it to the media in the first place.

 

[vetrade]

This is not an airport security story but it does go to the officiousness of some people vested with power........
In the 1990's Mrs V and I were on our way to the Melbourne Cup and the police were doing random breath tests about 200m from the entrance to the Members Car Park at Flemington where we were headed. It was about 10am and as I complied with the test I jokingly said I hadn't even made it into the event so I hadn't had time for a drink. Big mistake.
The obviously grumpy policeman directed me to park on the side of the road and he and a colleague then proceeded to keep us there for exactly 1hr and 5 minutes while they did a roadworthy on the 3 week old BMW 5 series I had just bought Mrs V for her birthday! Needless to say they didn't find anything amiss.

 

[vetrade]

A client had business in Las Vegas and took me along as a consultant (which is the PC way of saying we had a "boy's trip" at his expense).
I walked past a life size sculpture of a gorilla's head a few times in one of the shops at the Sahara Casino where we were staying and I took a liking to it.
Next thing you know I arrived back in MEL with quite a large box which aroused the suspicions of the customs people, who asked what was in it. Before I had barely managed to say "A gorilla's head" my prankster friend didn't help when he blurted out "I told you bringing wildlife into the country would get us in to trouble".
The serious look on their faces turned friendly once it was confirmed the head was only a sculpture. It still has pride of place in our house today!

 

[ddaann]

At an airport overseas in what was a war zone… at the air movements terminal:
armed forces personnel carrying weapons were being directed through the metal detector scanner; beeeep, beeeep, beeeep. One guy goes to just walk directly from his seat out to the waiting military aircraft and gets told off because he needs to go around and through the scanner.

You probably only need one guess about the accents of the air movements staff.

In a former life I was transiting through a large hub airport in a sandy place on my way somewhere for some ill-advised war-related work and had a Pelican case with some 'interesting' items, but nothing dangerous. At the time, all luggage brought into this airport went with you through the security scanners prior to check-in.

When it came to my turn, I suggested they may want to grab a supervisor and take me to a separate room to check my items, even discreetly showing that I had an official/diplomatic passport in the process. Nope! The security guy asks me to open the case then proceeds to take everything out, holds it up and waves it around asking me what it was. He then gets to an interesting container which he opens up only to discover a military-spec gas mask and all the spare canisters, which look kind of scary to regular people!

After this the supervisor rushes over, quickly tells off the security guard and tells me in no uncertain terms to pass through security and go anywhere else in the airport but near them!

 

[clifford]

In a former life I was transiting through a large hub airport in a sandy place on my way somewhere for some ill-advised war-related work and had a Pelican case with some 'interesting' items, but nothing dangerous. At the time, all luggage brought into this airport went with you through the security scanners prior to check-in.

When it came to my turn, I suggested they may want to grab a supervisor and take me to a separate room to check my items, even discreetly showing that I had an official/diplomatic passport in the process. Nope! The security guy asks me to open the case then proceeds to take everything out, holds it up and waves it around asking me what it was. He then gets to an interesting container which he opens up only to discover a military-spec gas mask and all the spare canisters, which look kind of scary to regular people!

After this the supervisor rushes over, quickly tells off the security guard and tells me in no uncertain terms to pass through security and go anywhere else in the airport but near them!

Well I had a few memorable experiences going through security at SYD T2, T3 and OOL this week (around lunchtime).

They were memorable because I was expecting huge queues and wait times (based on recent press reports), but I each case I just breezed though in a minute or two. Extremely quiet, no queues at all!

Not to say that will be the case today or this weekend though.

 

[kevviek]

A few things come to mind:

1. A criminal in the US has the same name as me. Eventually figured out why all the extra checks and ended up getting a Redress number issued by homeland security and added to my profile
2. I stopped bringing vitamins in a pill box due to the number of times my bag was inspected (with a note left inside)
3. Over-tired on one occasion, telling the customs officer in LAX I "was here for work" (instead of business) and was nearly sent home - took at least 20 minutes explaining every aspect of my trip before he let me through
4. Brought home my targets from a Las Vegas shooting range to show the kids...oops...forgot about the firearms residue

 

[LCC]

So a slightly unusual experience going through security at Munich last week. I am used to the usual high paced scrum of feverishly whipping out clothing, handbag, electronic gadgets with a mindset to not hold up the security staff or passengers behind unduly. I am behind a gentleman and watching the security lady move at glacial speed to help him put items into the grey plastic trays while I am trying to juggle 3 armfuls of stuff. Look around and no empty plastic trays in sight in my lane but I spot a few on the closed conveyor adjacent and grab two to put my stuff in. Security lady immediately barks at me that under no circumstances am I to use those trays.....okaaaay. So I put my armfuls of things directly on the belt in readiness for a tray. Security lady barks at me that I am not to do this and to wait my turn until she is ready to hand me a tray.....okaaaay. Well it certainly was a chilled process at this speed but I am not sure how the rapidly building queue behind me was coping. Anyhow I did redeem myself with the security lady a little by proactively having all electronic gadgets out........

 

[jpp42]

. Security lady immediately barks at me that under no circumstances am I to use those trays.....okaaaay.

I've noticed at some places like Melbourne Airport they have (had?) both the older style X-rays with a different type of tray, to the new more automated ones, side by side as they upgrade. Was that the case here? The automated tray machines can only take the specific trays designed for them.

 

[LCC]

No I don't think it was that sophisticated, just the normal grey plastic trays

 

[Ade]

Security lady immediately barks at me

Security lady barks at me

Give someone a badge ...

Have had one such experience at CBR. Went thru the scanner thingy and it highlighted the belt portion. I don't wear a belt. The security agent goes thru the spiel of do you like to do a check here or in private. I say here is fine. I wear pants that ties in the front and for some reason my shirt was stuck behind the knot. I explained this to the security guy who did not understand what I was trying to say. I then asked if it is ok for me to show him what I meant. He says ok. But as I started to lift my shirt, he panicked and yelled "sir, please do not touch anything, this is a security screening operation" and I was like "huh?!?!? I asked you if it was ok to show you the knot and you said ok". The security supervisor runs over and takes over the search. All went smoothly after that.

Oh & btw, during all this process, I was wearing a CBR ASIC (Aviation Security ID Card) card, which showed that I worked in the airport and use that security screening a few times each day ... In fact displaying the ASIC actually helped me as the supervisor recognized who I was and intervened. Turns out the person who searched me was a trainee and was very touchy about not wanting to make any mistakes in training.

I was like "dude, you need to calm down. I asked you if it was ok and you answered yes and only then I touched the highlighted area" ... he was like "sorry, you may go thru" ... The supervisor later dropped by and explained what had happened and felt sorry for the way his staff behaved etc.

 

[Gremlin]

I was departing BNE on a two day work trip to AKL about ten years ago.

Beeped as I went through security and got the mandatory patdown. I stood calmly. As the security guy ran his hands over my shoulder he loudly exclaims "WHAT THE H*LL IS THAT?"

Everyone (and I mean everyone) turns to look at me. Security guy points at me and says "You shoulda seen your face! You're good to go..."

Not cool.

 

[Franky]

I was departing BNE on a two day work trip to AKL about ten years ago.

Beeped as I went through security and got the mandatory patdown. I stood calmly. As the security guy ran his hands over my shoulder he loudly exclaims "WHAT THE H*LL IS THAT?"

Everyone (and I mean everyone) turns to look at me. Security guy points at me and says "You shoulda seen your face! You're good to go..."

Not cool.

Going thru AUH from memory where the security people(all males) were wearing the white robes, head ropes,etc. I have 2 replacement knees which pinged the alarm. When I pointed to my knees and told him, he calmly said 'show me your scars'. I pulled my trousers up to the knees, and he then said 'on your way'...

 

[flyingfan]

Beeped as I went through security and got the mandatory patdown. I stood calmly. As the security guy ran his hands over my shoulder he loudly exclaims "WHAT THE H*LL IS THAT?"

Everyone (and I mean everyone) turns to look at me. Security guy points at me and says "You shoulda seen your face! You're good to go...”

Wow. Those signs about aviation security jokes not being funny also apply to staff.

 

[Scarlett]

Initial luggage scan to enter the departures hall at CGK; normally the staff are talking and barely paying attention to the screening or the people. This day my golf clubs draw attention for having two aerosol cans in the bag (one deodorant and one mozzie spray). Previously cans have always been allowed through if for use being sprayed directly on the person (or so I have had it explained).

This day, lady was having none of it as aerosols are a fire hazard. Wants to confiscate both. As this is happening her colleague lets a lady go after examining an aerosol deodorant from that passengers purse… I point this out. Okay I’m now allowed to go with my deodorant can: a big show is made of pointing out the ‘flammable’ warning on the can of aerogard. I show the exact same flammable symbol on the can of deodorant as I’m putting it back into the golf clubs and ask if I can have my other can back. “No”.

Guess she needed to have a win or something.

 

[Gremlin]

Wow. Those signs about aviation security jokes not being funny also apply to staff.

Yeah. I thought long and hard about making a complaint.

In the end I decided not to. I figured that there would be a chance that the 'higher ups' would close ranks and I'd end up on a list that I didn't want to be on. Whilst at the same time, if he pulled that cough with me, he'd likely do so with other and sooner or later he'd meet his dues.

 

[flyingfan]

In the end I decided not to. I figured that there would be a chance that the 'higher ups' would close ranks and I'd end up on a list that I didn't want to be on.

I believe they can’t ‘blacklist’ you out of vindication, and any targeting would definitely not be shared or used by police, customs, airlines etc.
I wouldn’t be too surprised if that person has already moved on due to staff turnover.

 

[jpp42]

Yeah. I thought long and hard about making a complaint.

In the end I decided not to. I figured that there would be a chance that the 'higher ups' would close ranks and I'd end up on a list that I didn't want to be on. Whilst at the same time, if he pulled that cough with me, he'd likely do so with other and sooner or later he'd meet his dues.

I don't think that's likely in Australia. The agencies that manage the "lists" that you don't want to be on, are not connected in that way to the contractors that operate the security checkpoints. There's enough "arms length" in all of this, and formal government-operated procedures, that such an act would require an incredible degree of rule-breaking by numerous levels. There's no loyalty from these people to their contracted minimum-wage staff, they aren't going to risk their jobs or criminal charges on something like that, even if they did think your complaint was spurious. And I'm sure they get lots of general complaints every day, you aren't going to stand out specifically (but they might notice if one particular agent gets lots of complaints - which is why you should have filed it.)