Tony's Top Travel Tips and Other Assorted Relatively Useless Advice

[TonyHancock]

[-]Third world[/-] Developing countries, like for example The UK, why not get photographs of modern digital and electrical devices and show them to airport security staff. That way they won't have to carry out so many secondary screenings on people who possess one or two electrical/digital devices. They will simply be able to match the photograph with the image on the X-ray machine.

 

[jetlagger]

[-]Third world[/-] Developing countries, like for example The UK, why not get photographs of modern digital and electrical devices and show them to airport security staff. That way they won't have to carry out so many secondary screenings on people who possess one or two electrical/digital devices. They will simply be able to match the photograph with the image on the X-ray machine.

I was always under the impression that at the very least, the UK had supposedly the most or very most advanced technological & intelligent thought processes in the post modern electronic revolution era ?

 

[Mal]

There are two types of alerts in the uk.

The operator can trigger the search or he machine can randomly trigger a search.

And yes, its annoying to go through all the rigmarole of a manual bag scan.

 

[TonyHancock]

I tend to get picked up because I usually have three phones, a bag of cables, spare batteries etc. What is really annoying is being separated from my possessions for the secondary scan. Last time I picked up on the adapter missing when the tray was returned, and it was recovered quickly...from where I don't know.

This time not so lucky. iPhone5 gone. I was in too much of a rush. So far it has not been handed into lost property. (After 4 days!!)

I guess a more serious tip would be to check that all your items have been returned after a secondary scan at LHR T5.

 

[Febs]

This time not so lucky. iPhone5 gone. I was in too much of a rush. So far it has not been handed into lost property. (After 4 days!!)

I guess a more serious tip would be to check that all your items have been returned after a secondary scan at LHR T5.

Haven't experienced a secondary scan before...not sure if your post implies it was stolen (and you didn't notice), or you were rushing and didn't pick it up? If the former...that's not good!

 

[Mal]

Next time... pack cheese in your luggage. Instant secondary.

And yes I hate how many cables together easily creates an alert.

 

[medhead]

I've said this before but Ze Germans got excited about singing barbie dolls. Long plastic tubes, with a small battery and wires inside. Probably didn't help that the kids had 3 each, one for each country visited.

 

[TheEmu]

I've said this before but Ze Germans got excited about singing barbie dolls...

Is ​that when you mentioned ze war...?

 

[casanovawa]

That would probably trigger an internal/cavity search, complete with rubber gloves...

 

[opusman]

This time not so lucky. iPhone5 gone. I was in too much of a rush. So far it has not been handed into lost property. (After 4 days!!)

Have you tried http://www.icloud.com/ to find it?

 

[TonyHancock]

Have you tried http://www.icloud.com/ to find it?

Unfortunately mobile data is off.

 

[cove]

Tony I found that if you put extra stuff into your sleep machine bag it sails straight through the security checks. I would battle to understand that at the best of times.
Is that a minimum wage job or was that only the US?
Mrscove will dine out for years on the bag check I received at Heathrow when they decided to review my "just in case" medical area of my carry on. That took about 15 minutes.

 

[simongr]

Shows how lucky I was when I left a laptop at security (see the Son of Behemoth or Behemoth trip report) and managed to recover it and get it shipped to me from LHR to Oz...

 

[medhead]

Is ​that when you mentioned ze war...?

No, I was too busy chuckling internally and trying to remember "Ve make special test".

Ze war was on another trip when asking in munich about a bus up to the eagle's nest in Berchtesgaden. I've also mention this one, but my brother, who had been living in Munich for a number of years, had been going around in circles over where we wanted to go without saying the eagle's nest (all in german). After about 5 minutes I couldn't take it and just said "you know Hilter's house up the mountain". How were we to know they'd renamed it Kehlsteinhaus? Kehlsteinhaus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tony I found that if you put extra stuff into your sleep machine bag it sails straight through the security checks. I would battle to understand that at the best of times.
Is that a minimum wage job or was that only the US?
Mrscove will dine out for years on the bag check I received at Heathrow when they decided to review my "just in case" medical area of my carry on. That took about 15 minutes.

Yeah, I've had that at LHR. They always wanted to make special test on my sleep stuff in FRA.

 

[drewbles]

Unfortunately mobile data is off.

Does not matter. If it gets turned on, and registers to a network, it'll still use cell tower positioning.

Is the handset unlocked (as in not locked to a carrier)? If so, it's still in with a chance.

You can lock your handset via iCloud (and Find my iPhone) as well as erase all the data on it too. I'd recommend at least trying.

 

[JohnK]

That is not good to hear.

I have been through a number of security checks since yesterday and my trick is to put anything that is likely to trigger the walk through metal detector into my carry on/laptop bag and not into a tray by itself.

Luckily I do not travel with many gadgets and the only things I need to worry about is my wallet, mobile phone, passport wallet as I keep some medicine that may trigger.

 

[TonyHancock]

Does not matter. If it gets turned on, and registers to a network, it'll still use cell tower positioning.

Is the handset unlocked (as in not locked to a carrier)? If so, it's still in with a chance.

You can lock your handset via iCloud (and Find my iPhone) as well as erase all the data on it too. I'd recommend at least trying.

I used the find iPhone app on my ipad as soon as I could, i.e. when I got of the flight in Germany but to no avail, other than setting up the lock. Your post makes me even more convinced it was stolen. Now it is a case of getting a case number from the Police and seeing how much Amex will stump up. This will be my first test of Amex insurance so should be fun. The main trip was paid for on my Ultimate card, and the European flights on my Plat Charge card

That is not good to hear.

I have been through a number of security checks since yesterday and my trick is to put anything that is likely to trigger the walk through metal detector into my carry on/laptop bag and not into a tray by itself.

Luckily I do not travel with many gadgets and the only things I need to worry about is my wallet, mobile phone, passport wallet as I keep some medicine that may trigger.

I too place all of my "bits and pieces" in my laptop bag. At LHR T5 I think this makes it difficult for the person viewing the X-Rays so they require a secondary check....and that is when they take everything out and place items in a tray. Unless you choose to go back through security you are separated from your possessions.

 

[TonyHancock]

:idea: Authorities and airlines at TXL, why not add another passport check in the five metres between immigration and the boarding gate? I do not think one at security, then one at immigration, and then one at boarding is enough. (After all it is at least 15 metres between the first and last check currently.) Come to think of it why not add a further check at the aircraft door?

 

[cove]

Another check just inside the aircraft door would make those waiting to get onboard to wonder why there is two way traffic at the door. That would make passengers feel lucky getting a seat.

 

[Fantic125]

:idea: Authorities and airlines at TXL, why not add another passport check in the five metres between immigration and the boarding gate? I do not think one at security, then one at immigration, and then one at boarding is enough. (After all it is at least 15 metres between the first and last check currently.) Come to think of it why not add a further check at the aircraft door?

Haven't you travelled within India?

Toughen up, Princess!