HBA Security Screening Procedures

[Kendall Roy]

OK, I'm going on a rant! :evil:

Like many, I do not leave home without my beloved Bose QC15 headphones, and often carry 2-3 spare AAA's in the case due to high usage both in the air and on the ground!

From experience, HBA is the only airport in the country that insists you:

a) Remove loose batteries from the case
b) Insist on spending an eternity taping them together as they're sent down for screening alongside your phone and aerosol can(s)!

This has happened 4 times in as many months, so it's not a one off dragon on a mission!

Now I'm aware that most of us main-landers are suspicious characters by default due to being from outside the "family", but seriously this is going beyond what you'd expect in the LOTFAP

Speaking to an AFP officer nearby the checkpoint, they said it was a recent directive due to an apparent incident whereby batteries rubbing together created a short and subsequent fire. Well guess what, there's nothing to stop me removing the tape after clearing the checkpoint, so this is effectively a waste of time!

Anybody else experienced the over-the-top measures at HBA or other ports in Australia?

 

[JessicaTam]

I was in HBA a few weeks ago but can't remember if I had my headphones with me. There was nothing untoward with the screening process then.

We shall see how well they cope with 20-30 AFFers passing through there on Sunday 1st December.

 

[RooFlyer]

Worth a rant if that's what's been happening!

However, not defending 'home turf' for the sake of it (I'm not a fan of HBA as an airport), but as a HBA regular, I've never experienced this, and I definitely carry my Bose 15's and spare batteries, as recently as 3 weeks ago.

Heading out on international excursions, I carry my 'electronics back-pack' with spare AAAs, spare AAs and spare mobile phone re-charge battery - but they are snug in pouches in the back-pack, not loose, so maybe that's the difference. On the x-ray they'd all be side-by-side I guess.

 

[Kendall Roy]

but as a HBA regular, I've never experienced this, and I definitely carry my Bose 15's and spare batteries, as recently as 3 weeks ago..

Perhaps I'm just suspect, or my work colleague is also in the same boat!

A once off, not worth mentioning - 4 times in as many months, perhaps I pass through during the 'wrong' shift!

 

[DrA]

I regularly travel with my underwater photography equipment as carry-on, which includes strobes and guide lights. These are heavy on the battery use and given the amount of dives I do in a day, I'm usually travelling with 4-5 full sets of spare AA and C batteries (normally kept together with rubber bands). Nobody has ever said anything about it. And that's flying either domestic or international anywhere in the world. Never even heard a peep from the TSA about it. They'll crack it over me carrying medications and stuff, but not a word about the batteries. Weird.