Melbourne International new security schemozzle

[Franky]

Went though MEL on Tuesday with Mrs B and Baby B in tow. So we had quite a few items to place in bins, stroller, laptop, iPad, bags, nappybags etc. Between us probably 8 trays were needed. I appreciate it was quite the palava for those behind us but really didn’t appreciate everyone cutting in and just placing trays between ours so that we were further delayed getting our things through. Naturally by the time I had the last tray ready to go the first 3 trays were through and one was flagged but we were still standing on the wrong side of security. Absolutely no policing of the situation makes a painful situation so much worse.

How long does it take these people to realise that their new system is not working, and revert to the former?

 

[bosox76]

How long does it take these people to realise that their new system is not working, and revert to the former?

With the expenditure invested I’m guessing it’ll take some time to even accept they have a problem let alone go about fixing it. Maybe some simple policing of the tray section would at least help.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

bosox your type of story is really unfortunate - but the system is designed where pax must imm head to any slot which is available - cutting in? We might think so - but if all pax queued until each pax has completed their uploading into trays the line would stretch half way back along Tulla Freeway.

In fact staff readily beckon waiting pax to just head to any slot open - I do not know what the answer is to an effective efficient screening service but I would contend that this is not such

 

[esseeeayeenn]

When I went through the empty trays were mounting up so there was no room to empty trays emerging from the scanner.
So I tried to be helpful and stacked a few before emptying my own.
Had a very angry staff member berate me and point to an obscure sign saying "Do not stack crates".
Mate, if you had to draw my attention to the sign, it's clearly not doing its job!
And if they are going to change to a system like this they need to put on enough staff to make it work!

 

[bosox76]

bosox your type of story is really unfortunate - but the system is designed where pax must imm head to any slot which is available - cutting in? We might think so - but if all pax queued until each pax has completed their uploading into trays the line would stretch half way back along Tulla Freeway.

In fact staff readily beckon waiting pax to just head to any slot open - I do not know what the answer is to an effective efficient screening service but I would contend that this is not such

I do see the other side. But by having others cutting in I think it slows things down even more. We are not on the other side to remove our items so filled trays just sit there and so empty tray aren’t getting fed back into the system. Then flagged bags can’t get checked because we’re still trying to get the rest of our stuff through the scanner. Just my 2c based on a single experience so far.

I too don’t know the answer though....

 

[Cruiser Elite]

I too got a kick in the rrse for stacking trays whilst waiting post screening - Crikey I was only trying to help.

I really do sympathize with you bosox- I fully understand how frustrating this was - I guess we all gotta hope it can improve over time but I would not be holding my breath

 

[dajop]

When I went through the empty trays were mounting up so there was no room to empty trays emerging from the scanner.
So I tried to be helpful and stacked a few before emptying my own.
Had a very angry staff member berate me and point to an obscure sign saying "Do not stack crates".

Happened to me too. But I can see the reason not to stack is that trays are supposed to feed individually into the system. Just don’t bark at people for trying to be helpful that’s all!

There actually is an interim fix to all of this, where the trays emerge, make the shelf next to the conveyor wide enough to fit a tray on. That way the tray just before the tray return that’s stopped by the sensors because something is in it, therefore holding everything up, could be moved onto the shelf and things keep on flowing.

I did that last time I went through, moved that occupied tray but it was precariously balanced because the shelf is not wide enough. But got things moving again.

The other thing, allow multiple items per tray? The tray is wide enough to fit my laptop in and beside it my backpack that carries my laptop without any overlap, but no must be in separate trays (and boy was I yelled at the first and only time I did that).

 

[TonyHancock]

I too got a kick in the rrse for stacking trays whilst waiting post screening - Crikey I was only trying to help.

I was also guilty of this, and was admonished. I am so used to doing this at LHR.

 

[pauly7]

I was also guilty of this, and was admonished. I am so used to doing this at LHR.

is it terrible of me that I enjoy stacking the trays at the end and walking away to hear the machine jam (again) and the rude staff swear in frustration I only do it if they are rude to me (or others). Small wins!

Whilst I was waiting for trays to appear last week I was chatting to a security guard who looked like he’d rather be anywhere else on earth, and he said the system was a complete disaster, they need more staff than before to compensate for the errors it makes and that other airports had warned Melbourne management not to install it but they did anyway....

 

[N860CR]

is it terrible of me that I enjoy stacking the trays at the end and walking away to hear the machine jam (again) and the rude staff swear in frustration I only do it if they are rude to me (or others). Small wins!

Seems perfectly reasonable. I do the same by leaving the boot of the taxi open on occasion when getting to the airport.

 

[Himeno]

With the expenditure invested I’m guessing it’ll take some time to even accept they have a problem let alone go about fixing it. Maybe some simple policing of the tray section would at least help.

It's been around 14 years since governments started forcing body scanners out and they still don't accept that they cause more problems then they "solve". The moment they were convinced to spend money on a pointless system was the moment they would refuse to accept any problems that pointless system would cause.