Security Gone Too Far?

[thanmuwa]

Those plastic knives that Geoff pointed out are indeed terrifying.
On the point of the ridiculous restrictions at the airport, I disagree them on the basis that less than two minutes thought would allow someone intent on harm to smuggle any manner of things on board. Whereas the people disadvantaged are those carrying drinking water, toothpaste etc on board. Who really thinks the underpaid jobsworths on security would detect one of these filled with over 2 litres of kerosene? or one of Geoff's plastic knives in a forearm sheath made of foam rubber that feels like real flesh? And those are two just off the top of my head, I am sure the loonies have hundreds more.

As a real example of how arbitrary and idiotic the restrictions are, I was travelling with an ex (a current at the time :-) ) and she accidentally put her make-up bag in her hand luggage. it had 3 sticks in it like fat cocktail sticks (something to do with toenails) which were duly confiscated. The bag had a mirror in it which was cracked although still in place. The longest shard was about 4 inches long but the bag was given back to my gf. Which would you rather be stabbed with, a tiny slightly pointy stick or a razor sharp 4 inch piece of glass!

Or, back to the original poster, which would you rather, a whack on the side of the head with a belt with a very solid buckle or a poke with a small piece of plastic. To my mind, the belt is more "dangerous" than a plastic sgian, but it is not on the list.... yet.

The only people who are going to spot stuff like the "beer belly" and so on are people highly trained in spotting suspicious behaviour and have commensurately high salaries, not people on minimum wage who have little or no training and are reading what is and isn't allowed off a list. A cynic might say that all the extra security at airports is not to protect people but to keep em panicked, but that may be going a little far down the political line......

[English Bloke]

... These knifes cannot do any more damage than a good carving knife such as you probably have in a kitchen drawer. It's the bloke holding the thing that scares me...

I agree about the "Bloke holding the thing" sentiment. I've handled weapons most of my working life but in UK (don't quote me, I'm no legal expert) I'm sure that if your violent intruder was lying on the kitchen floor with a carving knife in his neck; because that was the first thing that came to hand during the struggle, you'd have a much easier time explaining that to the investigating authorities than if he had one of those things sticking out of him. A carving knife is exactly that, primary function, to carve stuff. Those are made to damage people (or worse) and covertly to boot. Not to mention the 'cool' factor possessing one would engender among the morons who get off on such things. You can't legally carry hand-guns in UK but I'm sure having one of those would up your street cred among your pseudo-gang mates. Too many teenagers getting killed over here for me to accept those are neccessary.

I'll stick to Sgian Brews when I eventually get round to getting one.

Sorry Geoff, not you personally of course... and I'll get off my soap box now!!

[Squeaky McMurdo]

Post deleted by me.

[English Bloke]

Post deleted by English Bloke.

[JS Sanders]

<< Squeaky, I would make that a FORMAL complaint... >>

Copy that. Address their supervisor once and if no satisfaction, then straight to the newsies.

It's disgusting to live in fear of the lowest level governmental employees.

Slan,
steve

[BoldHighlander]

I think I would have been tempted to tell them where to get off, there is no justification for that at all, it does not breach any of the CAA regs regarding what can be taken on an aircraft, is just a molded plastic lump.
I think I would be winging a letter to the operator of the airport. That is just a jobsworth security guard !!!

Writing the letter of complaint would be the way to go. Telling them off will get you no where except maybe out the exit door (or worse).

I have seen this scenario before, where a bus driver tries to explain policy to someone who is agitated, and as they become more agitated they only succeed in pissing off the driver, who then refuses to accept them on board & then guess who's job it is to escort them from the property?

[Beertigger]

I've never flown out of Glasgow, but flying in late last year, there was nary any security to be seen....

[bowser]

I would have to agree, my situation is different, I have been a Police officer for 20 years and worked in the Security side of the job for most of it, I would have no hesitation in the world asking to speak to a supervisor at the time. What annoys me is that as a previous post said, they are not trained nor have the time to "think" and make a judgment, but in this case its what they have done, as that item is NOT on the list of prohibited, so they have thought about it and decided that a piece of plastic is a "threat", I am sorry if I offend but anyone that stupid is wasting the air required to keep them breathing !!
But if people dont do somthing about such stupidity when it happens it will never get better.

The rules themselves are more than stupid though, they will stop you going through with a pin badge, sometimes lighters and matches, however as soon as you get airside, you can buy large bottles of overproof spirit, all the matches and lighters you want, and very flammable, and the bottles themselves which break into very effective weapons.
I understand the liquid rule as they have no idea what you may have packed in any particular container, and that makes sense but to object to somthing on the basis that it "may" be a weapon and then to provide better the other side of the security desk is just rank stupidity.

Writing the letter of complaint would be the way to go. Telling them off will get you no where except maybe out the exit door (or worse).

I have seen this scenario before, where a bus driver tries to explain policy to someone who is agitated, and as they become more agitated they only succeed in pissing off the driver, who then refuses to accept them on board & then guess who's job it is to escort them from the property?

[BoldHighlander]

I would have no hesitation in the world asking to speak to a supervisor at the time.

*Talk* to a supervisor yes, *Tell them off* no.

My point was telling them off gets you no where, except raising the ante (& not in your favor).

[bowser]

*Talk* to a supervisor yes, *Tell them off* no.

My point was telling them off gets you no where, except raising the ante (& not in your favor).

Different strokes for different folks !