Are All Security Screenings necessary?

[medhead]

ADL still has the quarantine dogs.


Sent from the Throne

 

[alan]

I flew from Adl via Mel to HK on CP. Guess what , I went throught security again in Melbourne delayed us 45 minutes. Also I have been on flights where there is an additional security check in the tunnel to the aircraft, one time they took off me an empty pvc bottle that had water in it (which I needed for medical problem)

 

[drron]

I have noticed that in the last year or so the terrorist threat level has subsided from "plastic butter knives" to "metal butter knives" in QPs and in flight over Australian Airspace. The lack of consistency is astounding. After all the grannies who have had knitting needles confiscated at Australian DOM security, I was surprised when travelling from Seattle to Anchorage in 2010 to see several passengers passing the flight time away knitting (in a country obsessed with security)

Mrsdrron has been allowed to take her knitting needles on for the last 2 years-they did change the regulations.Even got them through HKG.

 

[Alanslegal]

On my recent two big trips, in transit I've found out just how "dubious" adhering to the liquids rule is. For example, I had two amenity kits after flying TG F to BKK. My transit there was for an onward flight to ICN. Obviously, you're supposed to be only allowed 1 zip bag with 100mL container liquids put in that bag. Not in the bag = not acceptable = have to dump it. I didn't move all the liquids from the amenity kits to the zip bag I had, and in any case it wouldn't have fit. They let me through without so much of a comment at all. I didn't even have to put the amenity kits separately onto a tray (I had them in my spare shopping dura-bag).

And for my current trip where I am making the most of a brown tri-fold QF First ammenity bag. Inside I have the following:- mini shaving cream, facial moisturiser, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, body lotion, eye cream, toothbrush, mini toothpaste and a few other bits and pieces. I have not used any clear plastic bags to put any of those LaGs inside. I have passed through the following check points without any issue:- syd,scl,mex(x2),hav,mia,jfk,mad,bcn(x2),ibz.

 

[Princess Fiona]

The amenity kits are IMHO fairly immune to the screening. I am often asked to gift a kit to family/friends and have transited LHR/SIN/HKG/BKK/LAX/SFO/JFK with an intact amenity kit.
I've never bothered to decant and repack them, reckoning that I'm not bothered if they are confiscated.

 

[Sprucegoose]

Recently departing Syd int I was explosive tested by some officious woman who then asked I get a pat down by a bloke. Is that normal.

I have never experienced that before in AUS


Sent from my iPhone using Aust Freq Fly app

 

[Sprucegoose]

With the possible exception of the that done at customs points in arrivals halls, I don't think any other screening in Australia is done for the purposes of quarantine.

Have you been to Tasmania recently?


Sent from my iPhone using Aust Freq Fly app

 

[anat0l]

Recently departing Syd int I was explosive tested by some officious woman who then asked I get a pat down by a bloke. Is that normal.

I have never experienced that before in AUS

I thought it was.

I've only had the experience twice, but if you are randomly selected for explosives testing on an international departure from an Australian airport, you are also given a pat down. No pat downs for random explosives checks at domestic airports.

 

[monoccular]

I had a similar experience on EK 408 DXB KUL MEL.

A full security check at DXB, offloaded at KUL for 100 minute transit, all of which involved going straight back into another security screen that appeared not as thorough as DXB - one unit for a fully loaded 777! - and back on board!

Frustration +++

As you put it, your CX flight was screened as secure enough to enter Australian airspace but not to travel ADL MEL. Bizarre.

 

[munitalP]

Harbin China would undoubtedly be the most rigorous and thoroughly invasive domestic security check I have had. From X-ray to opened bags, metal wand and pat down while standing on a 200mm high stand after the walk through metal detector then for good measure, bomb residue test, and that was for every passenger if my memory serves me correct!

Adelaide lends itself to this additional security checks through the design of the airport. In my experience very time I have been a transit PAX from one country to the next i.e. MEL/AKL/LAX additional security and screening is performed. SIN performs additional screening at the gate, look at say MEL/SIN/FRA/ARN, you will be screened 3 times on that trip. Any other INT/DOM connection into AU also requires additional screening, it's disguised through changing terminals though.

Frustrating? Annoying? Time consuming? Yes, but that additional layer of seeming redundant safety is the net I want under me at all times in our airspace. OT, the sooner the nude-o-matics are in place the better a well

 

[oz_mark]

Harbin China would undoubtedly be the most rigorous and thoroughly invasive domestic security check I have had. From X-ray to opened bags, metal wand and pat down while standing on a 200mm high stand after the walk through metal detector then for good measure, bomb residue test, and that was for every passenger if my memory serves me correct!
l

But you loved it

Sent from my HTC Legend using AustFreqFly

 

[munitalP]

But you loved it

Sent from my HTC Legend using AustFreqFly

Yeah, I did forget to mention it was an all girl security team didn't I.

 

[Heleigh]

Recently departing Syd int I was explosive tested by some officious woman who then asked I get a pat down by a bloke. Is that normal.

I have never experienced that before in AUS



Sent from my iPhone using Aust Freq Fly app

Yes Sprucegoose three times over the last five years 1st - OOL Int, 2nd BNE Int and 3rd Syd Int (last Xmas)

 

[Rebekkap]

I have noticed that in the last year or so the terrorist threat level has subsided from "plastic butter knives" to "metal butter knives" in QPs and in flight over Australian Airspace. The lack of consistency is astounding. After all the grannies who have had knitting needles confiscated at Australian DOM security, I was surprised when travelling from Seattle to Anchorage in 2010 to see several passengers passing the flight time away knitting (in a country obsessed with security)

They actually changed the knitting needle rule in Australia a while ago - you can take them on planes again (wooden or plastic ones, not metal).

 

[Nicholas Bignell]

Have you been to Tasmania recently?

I flew to Tasmania in May. On disembarking, we were informed that all fruit had to be dumped in the bin. I had a mandarin that I hadn't got round to eating in the plane, so I started to eat it before proceeding further, only to be told that I couldn't eat it because the smell of the mandarin might upset the sniffer dog. On asking where the dog was, I was told that the dog wasn't there on that day. Go figure!

 

[Alanslegal]

OT, the sooner the nude-o-matics are in place the better a well

I went through one of those for the first time at MIA a few weeks back. It took less than a few seconds and away I went. It did feel like a bit of a time warp when the scanners quickly spun around and I don't give a care if the person behind the monitor wants to check out my bodily parts, its pretty sad for them if they wanted to anyway but I've got nothing to hide

 

[serfty]

My biggest problem with the nude o Scopes are that almost every thing had to come off or out.

This includes every thing in your pockets including items that normally don't set off the WTMDs. Posted on a wing and a prayer ...

 

[anat0l]

My biggest problem with the nude o Scopes are that almost every thing had to come off or out.

This includes every thing in your pockets including items that normally don't set off the WTMDs. Posted on a wing and a prayer ...

What?! The nude-o-scopes, I thought, were meant to minimise most of this effort exactly because they can see everything you're carrying. At the very least, I wouldn't expect that more than the current would need to be removed from you in order to pass the scope.

*sigh* D-U-M-B spells TSA.

 

[harvyk]

What?! The nude-o-scopes, I thought, were meant to minimise most of this effort exactly because they can see everything you're carrying. At the very least, I wouldn't expect that more than the current would need to be removed from you in order to pass the scope.

*sigh* D-U-M-B spells TSA.

I suspect they where advertised in two separate ways,

Public = it's easier because you don't need to take metal things out of your pocket,
TSA = it's better because you can see anything which a member of the public did not take out of their pocket even if it wasn't metal.

I've been through a couple of them, I have to admit I don't remember if I had to take things out of my pocket, each time it was completely overshadowed by the shear rudeness of the TSA people operating them.

 

[katiebell]

I have been screened on every transit/transfer at international terminals except HEL (arr from LHR to dep for SIN) for as long as I can remember. Screening is one of those things and some airports do not do it well (e.g. allowed to go airside at GOA to get a delayed bag without any screening). The real problems are: inconsitencies between airports and rude staff. There is absolutely no excuse for rudeness; this is what really makes a visitor think why did I choose to travel to this hell hole.