Not your usual trip report: TXL to LHR, July 2007

[John in Melbourne]

This is my first trip report, so I hope I'm starting it in the right place in AFF.

On the 10th of July, 2007, I was in Tegel Airport waiting in a departure lounge for a BA flight to London. I'd just spent 8 days in Berlin, sharing a holiday flat with "B" a friend from Melbourne. I was quite surprised to hear a public address system announcement in English: "Would Mr <my name> please report to check-in". I'd already been through check-in, passport control and security, so I thought, yippee I'm going to get an upgrade, and waited for BA staff to come to the departure gate. About 10 minutes later, there were no BA staff but there was a second, more urgent, announcement: "Would Mr <my name> come to check-in IMMEDIATELY". That's odd, I thought, having to go back there to get an upgrade. But still an upgrade is an upgrade. I grabbed my carry-on bag, explained to the security staff and the passport-control cop, then went to check-in.

"Mr <my name>, please go to the man in the grey suit," the BA check-in officer said, pointing to a well-dressed man staring at me.
My heart sank. B must have been in an accident on his way to the station, I thought. He was leaving Berlin by train.
"Come with me," said Mr Greysuit, gesturing me towards a blank door in a blank wall.
We went through the door into a medium-sized room. A long stainless-steel bench stood there. On top of it was my checked-in suitcase, bound with red plastic "security risk" tape.
WTF?
"Why do you have a gun in your bag?"
My mind went blank. I stared at him open-mouthed (I know, what a cliche).
Desperately trying to get my act together, I asked if there was an x-ray photo I could see.
"Yes, the monitor above your bag."
I went around to the other side of the bench. "S**t, there's a gun in my bag!" It just popped out of my mouth. Why had B put a gun in my bag? I'd known him for 35 years.
"Come around this side of the bench and take everything out of your bag, piece by piece." Mr Greysuit was pleasant and non-threatening.
My hands were clammy and shaking and my armpits were wet. I'd read about governments having laws to jail terrorism suspects for weeks of investigation.
I did as he said, taking everything out of my overstuffed bag, piece by piece until...no gun!! Between different layers of clothes, I had placed a torch, an electric toothbrush and a rolled-up belt with a metal buckle, thus forming the x-ray picture of a "gun".
While he phoned his boss to confirm my innocence, I jammed everything back into my suitcase.
The clock on the wall said 10 minutes to departure and I had to check my suitcase back in and go through passport control and security again. "Would you please escort me through so I don't miss my plane?" I asked him.
He did. I breezed through check-in, was waved through passport control and he left me at security. For those who don't know, Tegel is a small airport. The departure lounges are small. At that time, the security areas opened straight onto them. That's why a crowd of people were standing watching me, the "suspect" who delayed boarding, get an extremely intimate high-security frisking.

I still like Berlin.

 

[RooFlyer]

Ha. Nice story, thanks Thankfully these days I think airport X ray machines can discriminate based on density.

 

[craven morehead]

You would've been sweating bullets by the sound of it

 

[John in Melbourne]

You would've been sweating bullets by the sound of it

Yes, I was!! The experience made me pack my suitcase more carefully though.

 

[John in Melbourne]

Ha. Nice story, thanks Thankfully these days I think airport X ray machines can discriminate based on density.

Thanks. That's good to hear.

 

[relaxalot]

A colleague of mine travelling in the US bought a small souvenir - being a pot bellied stove with detachable legs and chimney and a little plate that swivelled out. The guy on the x-ray at security in Miami decided it was a hand grenade and promptly hit the alarm. Colleague had two guns drawn on him before he could explain. Didn't help that he is kind of swarthy and had a thick black beard although this was pre-911. Eventually duly sorted but enough excitement for that trip!

 

[Wagsat12]

My story is not as exciting, but I know what it’s like to run foul of TSA. Back in the mid 1990s my then employer, a major US-based IT company, gave members of my project team a keychain in the shape of a silver bullet. I liked that keychain, and I travelled to the US many times with it in my pocket. That was until 9/11. On my first post-9/11 trip to the US, while trying to board a domestic flight in LA, I was bailed up and asked why I was carrying a bullet. I pointed out it wasn’t a real bullet, but that didn’t save my keychain. I was brusquely informed I couldn’t take it on board my flight, and I had to surrender it. I missed that keychain for years.

 

[Kathleen01]

I have a great Pre, Pre 9-11 Airport story that would NEVER have been believed then but Defiantly not now! Myself and my best GF worked for a major airline.
She and I worked in the LHR office of said airline, I transferred to the LAX office. GF Visiting LAX for the day on her way home to SYD for Xmas. Took GF and then BF (now husband) for coughtails at a bar in Palos Verdes Sth Calif (LA) before her flight.

Lost track of time, then high tailed it to LAX courtesy of BF who had a Bat Mobile! BF Parked his car 'Out the Front' of Tom Bradley Terminal with his Emergency lights on, while I walked GF to check in as we were waay past time. My GF father was the PIC of this aircraft, so had her Boarding Pass.

She and I were a little tipsy (1 drink for me and Im done!) GF had ton of hand carry that she needed assist with, to the AC door! I showed my Airline ID and got through Security. We both arrived at the AC door to find the ground crew handing over initial stages of paperwork.

I mentioned while showing our I.D to the two FA at the door (who were chatting away about the night before's antics!) that we were both staff, that GF'S father was PIC - I was NOT travelling just assisting placing bags (filled with delicate glassware) in overhead bin. Don't think they paid much attention as it was now down to the minute before door close. I rushed down to GF's seat gave her sad farewell and rushed back to front door, only to find the FA were getting the PA ready and door finals!

Had they closed the door on me, I would have been A) without a Passport,
B) Begging my GF's father to 'let me out" !!
C) Lost my job!!

BF still out the front of Tom Bradley, waiting said " Did she get on okay"

With my heart beating over 100 per minute, I explained what had just happened.

BF said 'I'm sure her father will be pleased, she at least made it"
Ahhhhhhh!!!
Never again, will I get to do this !! lol

 

[neils2004]

Ha. Nice story, thanks Thankfully these days I think airport X ray machines can discriminate based on density.

Not sure about the latest discrimination abilities of airport X-ray machines nor about the discrimination abilities of the staff operating - them.
Had a brand new, quality carry on bag go through a machine last year at Guernsey Airport (Channel Islands) and the operator was insistent that there was a pair of scissors in said bag.
Of course there wasn’t but made to empty the bag in full view of all waiting passengers - all listening to the scenario unfolding, much to their amusement and my frustration. Empty bag was sent through the machine a second time and alas, the “scissors” were still there. By this time boarding was commencing but the operator was still claiming I had somehow secreted a pair of scissors in the brand new bag. He was suggesting that he was going to cut through the lining to locate the phantom scissors. That’s when I ran out of patience and requested his supervisor’s intervention.
Common sense prevailed and the scissors look-alike mechanism for the lock was the culprit - apparently. My new bag remained intact.
All the passengers had boarded by now and were patiently waiting for my arrival on the plane. I thanked them all for their patience and confirmed that indeed there was no “scissors “ to be found.

 

[pauleg]

This is my first trip report, so I hope I'm starting it in the right place in AFF.

On the 10th of July, 2007, I was in Tegel Airport waiting in a departure lounge for a BA flight to London. I'd just spent 8 days in Berlin, sharing a holiday flat with "B" a friend from Melbourne. I was quite surprised to hear a public address system announcement in English: "Would Mr <my name> please report to check-in". I'd already been through check-in, passport control and security, so I thought, yippee I'm going to get an upgrade, and waited for BA staff to come to the departure gate. About 10 minutes later, there were no BA staff but there was a second, more urgent, announcement: "Would Mr <my name> come to check-in IMMEDIATELY". That's odd, I thought, having to go back there to get an upgrade. But still an upgrade is an upgrade. I grabbed my carry-on bag, explained to the security staff and the passport-control cop, then went to check-in.

"Mr <my name>, please go to the man in the grey suit," the BA check-in officer said, pointing to a well-dressed man staring at me.
My heart sank. B must have been in an accident on his way to the station, I thought. He was leaving Berlin by train.
"Come with me," said Mr Greysuit, gesturing me towards a blank door in a blank wall.
We went through the door into a medium-sized room. A long stainless-steel bench stood there. On top of it was my checked-in suitcase, bound with red plastic "security risk" tape.
WTF?
"Why do you have a gun in your bag?"
My mind went blank. I stared at him open-mouthed (I know, what a cliche).
Desperately trying to get my act together, I asked if there was an x-ray photo I could see.
"Yes, the monitor above your bag."
I went around to the other side of the bench. "S**t, there's a gun in my bag!" It just popped out of my mouth. Why had B put a gun in my bag? I'd known him for 35 years.
"Come around this side of the bench and take everything out of your bag, piece by piece." Mr Greysuit was pleasant and non-threatening.
My hands were clammy and shaking and my armpits were wet. I'd read about governments having laws to jail terrorism suspects for weeks of investigation.
I did as he said, taking everything out of my overstuffed bag, piece by piece until...no gun!! Between different layers of clothes, I had placed a torch, an electric toothbrush and a rolled-up belt with a metal buckle, thus forming the x-ray picture of a "gun".
While he phoned his boss to confirm my innocence, I jammed everything back into my suitcase.
The clock on the wall said 10 minutes to departure and I had to check my suitcase back in and go through passport control and security again. "Would you please escort me through so I don't miss my plane?" I asked him.
He did. I breezed through check-in, was waved through passport control and he left me at security. For those who don't know, Tegel is a small airport. The departure lounges are small. At that time, the security areas opened straight onto them. That's why a crowd of people were standing watching me, the "suspect" who delayed boarding, get an extremely intimate high-security frisking.

I still like Berlin.

Great story!!!! I bet you have ever since had a different view on how things are aligned in your luggage!