Welcome to Hobart

[RooFlyer]

People familiar with Virgin arrivals in Hobart will know that you enter the former international arrivals building, into a narrow corridor which turns right into a wider corridor where customs people usually have a sniffer dog and you are asked to lower your carry on so the pooch can have a sniff. Then you go into the bag carousel area.

Returning to Hobart yesterday, on Virgin, we deplaned as usual, walked across the tarmac and into the arrival building. I was about 15th into the building. We were halted by a (Federal) police officer and told to wait in the entrance corridor. After about 30 secs or so we were told to proceed, as a group of 10. Turning the corner we were met with the sight of 3 or 4 more Federal Police, and another policeman with a Labrador dog. The guy in charge said words not exactly, but very close to : "Folks, form a single file, line up against the wall and put your bags on the ground in front of you."

I think everyone was pretty startled, and people were muttering "Gee, welcome to Tasmania". Then the dog was sent along the row of carry-ons, three passes in all. Then we were told to move on, and I saw the next group be led in. A number of pax, me included were obviously pretty pi**ed off at the way this was conducted. I was expecting the next command would be for everyone to face the wall and 'assume the position'.

My reaction to this was one of affront. I absolutely support the police doing their job. I guess they got a tip-off about something nefarious being brought in on the flight and were acting accordingly. More power to them. But I was appalled that, with 10 docile members of the public (at a time), who via airport security could not possibly pose any meaningful threat, in a highly controlled environment, the guy in charge could not summon any common courtesy and perhaps expressed himself : "Ladies and Gentlemen, sorry for the inconvenience, but we have a circumstance where we need the dog to have a look at your carry-on bags. If you please put your bags out so the dog can access them all, you'll be on your way in a moment. Thank you for your assistance".

Would have achieved exactly the same result, except the pax wouldn't have necessarily thought they were under suspicion of being a criminal and treated accordingly.

In my book, there are few circumstances where a situation, especially those involving police, cannot be bettered by the exercise of a bit of common courtesy and respect - on both sides of course. (In this case the pax didn't get a chance to say or do anything except stand against the wall and be shocked.)

 

[harvyk]

Police officer on a power trip? I've come across a few of them who are "respect my authoratah" types.

I've seen the dogs go across bags in dom, normally the officers are polite, they simply ask everyone to place their bags on the ground so the dogs can have a sniff. It's all over within 30 seconds and everyone leaves without needing to even make comment on it.

 

[medhead]

Seems you assume the usual dog is sniffing for the same thing. My first thought is you experienced a search for drugs not fruit and vege.

 

[robs12]

Have had this happen to me twice coming into Melbourne. The second time, dog got very excited about the bag of the young lady in front of me and she got marched off to 'the room'. No issue with it, they're doing their job and I'm more than happy if they catch someone...I guess they only do it for flights from certain places or when they have had tip offs.

Worse was at Gatwick earlier this year, where I was in a long check in queue very early one morning, heading for Amsterdam on Easyjet. All of a sudden there were 15 or so armed policemen surrounding the entire area, nobody in or out. We were all told to move to the side of the aisle, and dog + police walked through. Nothing exciting, guns put down and they all sauntered off. We are all under threat (or are a threat) and need protecting in this manner in the UK apparently....

 

[RooFlyer]

Seems you assume the usual dog is sniffing for the same thing. My first thought is you experienced a search for drugs not fruit and vege.

Oh, it was definitely not a search for fruit and veg. In fact that's exactly what the police dog handler said when some-one said to him that the whole thing was over-the-top. The regular dog and its handler were stationed by the bag carousel.

Sure, it was a 'serious' operation - and like I said, more power to them - but a few courtesies would not have detracted from the op and would have not affronted so much. I didn't mention in the OP that the majority of pax were 'seniors' and obviously shocked at being told to line up in single file against a wall with 4 or 5 police in close attendance.

 

[markis10]

Sure, it was a 'serious' operation - and like I said, more power to them - but a few courtesies would not have detracted from the op and would have not affronted so much. I didn't mention in the OP that the majority of pax were 'seniors' and obviously shocked at being told to line up in single file against a wall with 4 or 5 police in close attendance.

The high number of seniors would be a factor, they are the most common mule demographic for drug traffickers these days, more often than not unknowingly.

 

[Pushka]

Coming into an Australian port on a cruise (just a domestic one) there are dogs lined up when you disembark each time but they don't stay around more than an hour or so. Disembarking later and there's no sign of them. So smugglers just need to have a sleep in.

I agree, a little politeness goes a long way. But as soon as they get some sniff (sorry, had to say that) of a crime they treat everyone like a criminal until they catch their man. Or usually, not.

 

[N860CR]

Unfortunately (and ill no doubt be flamed for this, but I've had to deal with them for years through my previous job) 99% of law enforcement in Australia consists of less than intelligent people on power trips.

I don't know if they were all bullied as children or what it is... But common courtesy goes out the window with all of them as they consider themselves so "powerful" and "important".

If they behaved a little more appropriately, people might respect them a bit more.

 

[RooFlyer]

I like to think that in this particular case, it was that so little usually happens at HBA, when the Feds got a 'live tip-off' they got all excited and went into full 'situation' mode

In my (fortunately limited) contact with the Tas state police, they have been nice guys (and gals).

 

[Thunder Down Under]

Something like this happened to me a few years ago in Newman.

Went through the security electronic hoop and it sounded off. Went through again and off it went.

Explained to the lady that I had mesh implants on the leftside of my body and why they were there.

She accepted this but not the two 'shiny suits' standing by.

Off to the small room. One thing led to another. After all, they couldn't exactly look into my body to see them.

By this time the aircraft had been waiting on the tarmac for twenty minutes after everybody had boarded. I then told them that if I wasn't allowed to board then I would be making an official complaint.

That fixed it and I was allowed to go.

Off course, after holding the aircraft for over twenty minutes and as I walk down the aisle to my seat the looks that I received would have killed.

TDU