(SYD) Sent to Aisle 14. Security mishandling of passengers

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rodeime

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I'd like to ask the regular international travellers who use SYD if they have ever had a similar experience to this.

A couple of months back, my wife and I were travelling through SYD International and just prior to the X-Ray screening we walked around the ridiculous corral because it was completely empty.

I went through screening and when I exited, my wife was nowhere to be seen. 10 minutes later she came out, visibly distressed. She had been set upon by one of the so-called "greeters" and told, "Just for that, you go to Aisle 14!"

She had been directed into a semi-isolated area and subjected to enhanced screening. It was a petty and humiliating ordeal for my wife and ruined the first couple of days of our long-awaited vacation.

On a subsequent trip, I had the chance to have a closer look at this 'Aisle 14' and it is indeed an area partly hidden by frosted glass screens at the far left of the x-Ray aisles.

My complaints to Sydney Airport were met with evasive replies, claiming it was an 'overflow' area and they claimed no CCTV vision of my wife's event could be found.

Any clues appreciated.
 
First time I took my teenage son overseas (about 15 at the time), we went through outbound immigration down the APEC Card lane, and then were permitted to go through the crew security lane. Whilst I was taking my computer etc out, he had put his bag through and went through the scanner. When i finally went through I couldn't find him. Thought great start, haven't even left Sydney yet and I have lost him!

Eventually found him, it seemed they hadn't met their quota for the day and it was quiet on that lane, so they took him aside for enhance personal screening.

Filled in some time, and useful in my mid, learning that security is a serious matter when travelling.
 
..... It was a petty and humiliating ordeal .....

rodeime, first up let me express my understanding that to be separated from a family member is traumatic, even if it is for only a couple of minutes. It is uncomfortable being in a place such as an airport where ¨security¨ means that other people can make you do things and order you around. I really get that.

But:

Without going into a debate on the need for security, the reality is that certain security protocols and procedures are in place in airports. I accept this reality, and thus being physically searched / patted down / x-rayed / scannned / etc etc is fine by me. I am aware every time I go to an airport that these things will or can happen. I think that if you travel with this mindset, it reduces unnecesary affront. Being subjected to enhanced screening should not be percieved to be a ¨petty and humiliating ordeal¨- it is just a standard process that will happen to anyone from time to time.

Seeing it that way makes travel more fun :)
 
It is petty to send someone for a close personal touch up as retribution for going around a blockage to a quieter screening area. A close personal touch up after such an abuse of power is most likely humiliating. Such petty abuse of power as retribution for an imaged offence is certainly not what I expect from security when I go to the airport. I've pulled up airport security on precisely such abuse and had an apology in writing as a result.
 
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Here I thought being made unzip my fly a few times when travelling around the US in Feb 2004, during our wedding/honeymoon trip, was demeaning enough. Didn't they realise how cold it was outside???
 
I witnessed it too - I was going through secutiry with a group, one of the group go seperated and got the 'treatment'. She was in tears after the whole thing. Everything about it was upsetting but the staff just didn't seem to care either.

I think complaints will go nowhere - they will just say they were 'doing thier job'
 
It must be intrusive. I assume enhanced screening is pat down not body scan.
A friend of mine said passengers around him had to be patted down twice at Manila.
 
Is it any different to the pat down you get in US airports if something shows up on the big body scanner?
 
I now get a patdown every time if there isn't a body scanner at security.
But these reports are nothing.Transitting LHR I got a full strip search when changing terminals.No reason given.
 
Down to the underpants.They peeked inside but didn't see anything.:shock::oops:
 
How horrible. But, you'd think that if a full search is to be done like this, that they'd be even more 'thorough'. I'm thinking what I see in the movies done for prisoners (I have no experience of this), or is that the next level 'in'?

Down to the underpants.They peeked inside but didn't see anything.:shock::oops:
 
Were they not concerned even more when they had a peek and didn't see anything in your underpants?

I've been subject to enchanced screening before, as well as a full patdown and baggage search/swab/xray/sniff before. Part of the lottery that is flying sometimes. Doesn't worry me one iota, as there's nothing to find, so no harm in being pleasant and going along with it all.
 
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