Joined up airport security thinking.
Posted by: Willy on 07 September 2006
Was on my way home last night, through Liverpool Airport, in plenty of time looking forward to chilling out in the lounge and maybe indulging in the rather tasty Danish pastries they usually have there. Checked in my suit bag (a tri-fold that prior to the latest security escalation I was always allowed to carry on) and off through security. Usual new procedure, jacket off, belt off, laptop out, shoes off, phone out and clean through as usual. My backpack was intercepted by one of the security staff for closer examination. I travel a lot and it happens from time to time so no great surprise. Whilst I redressed myself my backpack was attacked with vigour until the operative eventually produced with a look of triumph a Kensington microsaver notebook lock and declared “can’t take that on-board” For the uninitiated the microsaver is a length of plastic coated steel cable with a loop at one end and a lock at the other for attaching my laptop to something solid (radiator is good) when left unattended.
I protested, politely and without raising my voice, that this had been on a flight the previous day, and several the previous week without any problem and that none of the other airports I’d been through seemed to have a problem with it. (The same cable has been in my backpack, and through many national and international airports since before 9/11, indeed on 9/11 it was through Heathrow, an din the following days Berlin, and Paris all without a problem.)
“Different airports have different rules” was the imaginative and unexpected reply. Despite my continued protestations neither the operative nor the supervisor would bend on this and as I wasn’t prepared to check my backpack, even without the laptop in it, the cable was abandoned. I gave them the key off my key-ring and suggested that they give it all to someone who had a laptop. No point in it going to waste.
As I was leaving the operator finally proffered a reason for the confiscation. “You could use that as a restraint. You could choke someone with that.” I pointed out that if so minded I could probably choke someone with my bare hands, and beat a hasty retreat to the (Airside) lounge.
Later as I stood in the queue to board I had time to reflect on events and realised how much easier I would sleep that night, safe in the knowledge that if a miscreant had attempted to board my flight armed with a Kensington microsaver with the intention of throttling anyone then they would most certainly be thwarted……unless of course they were dressed for business, equipped with a potential lethal tie, or a stout leather belt, or had the wit to go to the airside shops and buy a good strong silk scarf, or steal the leather strap off of the handbag from the lady in front, and that’s before they even considering kitting up with a (broken) bottle of wine or in your eyes perfume or many of the other potentially lethal improvised weapons available in the airside shops. All at 20% off high street prices.
Everyone feel safer now?
Willy.
I protested, politely and without raising my voice, that this had been on a flight the previous day, and several the previous week without any problem and that none of the other airports I’d been through seemed to have a problem with it. (The same cable has been in my backpack, and through many national and international airports since before 9/11, indeed on 9/11 it was through Heathrow, an din the following days Berlin, and Paris all without a problem.)
“Different airports have different rules” was the imaginative and unexpected reply. Despite my continued protestations neither the operative nor the supervisor would bend on this and as I wasn’t prepared to check my backpack, even without the laptop in it, the cable was abandoned. I gave them the key off my key-ring and suggested that they give it all to someone who had a laptop. No point in it going to waste.
As I was leaving the operator finally proffered a reason for the confiscation. “You could use that as a restraint. You could choke someone with that.” I pointed out that if so minded I could probably choke someone with my bare hands, and beat a hasty retreat to the (Airside) lounge.
Later as I stood in the queue to board I had time to reflect on events and realised how much easier I would sleep that night, safe in the knowledge that if a miscreant had attempted to board my flight armed with a Kensington microsaver with the intention of throttling anyone then they would most certainly be thwarted……unless of course they were dressed for business, equipped with a potential lethal tie, or a stout leather belt, or had the wit to go to the airside shops and buy a good strong silk scarf, or steal the leather strap off of the handbag from the lady in front, and that’s before they even considering kitting up with a (broken) bottle of wine or in your eyes perfume or many of the other potentially lethal improvised weapons available in the airside shops. All at 20% off high street prices.
Everyone feel safer now?
Willy.
Sorry this is long but entering RANT MODE:-
Take a bic pen and snap it - the razor sharp edge could be lethal.
Are the little pens just as potentially lethal - I suspect so. You know the blue ones the GIVE OUT on flights to the USA to complete the entry forms.
Of course every evil person will fill these out in complete honesty. I.e are you a; Nazi, Terrorist, Smuggler and best of all "moral turpitude" (yes I have a Janet Jackson @ the super bowl video on my person).
Agrhhhhhhhhh
For me a classic was for some they were making people take of their shoes to pass through the X-ray machine. I asked before I went through the metal detector should I do this, response “No” I walked through and the security guard on the other side of the metal detector who I had looked at while asking my “should I take of my shoe” question said “Shoe heals are to thick, body search”. I asked could I just put them through the scanner – no, even though I had been given wrong advice, the person who made me go through the search had heard this but policy and procedure is everything. So a 15 minute delay (pierced nipples and body metal detector wand added to the fun) and eventually got through. Then when on plane partner discovers a lighter in cargo pants (to many pockets) that he’d forgotten was there.
This stupidity, got me thinking on how many ways you could – even with current restrictions get through so called airport security with potential weapons or even worse something that could be catastrophic (assuming your happy to commit suicide). My background is Physics BSc & ‘A’ level Chemistry with an interest in cookery, medicine and the internet for info. I am not going to mention any of the ideas I came up with, the Bic pen is a simple example.
Intelligence and profiling is the way to go. But with the flawed intelligence (WMD, The Ricin plot) and non intelligent profiling (Your of colour and have a beard) airport security that the public endure seems to be more to give a false sense of security and ‘tick boxes’ should something happen. Also all these ‘fears’ do seem to boost certain political parties ratings.
This combined with the fact that, security is a “crap job”. The money is low, you get abuse and, in general, no thanks. My guess is quotas and procedures are the rule and they result in stupid situations like mine (can’t question another officers response but if something outside of other rules procedures must be followed even when it’s obvious they are not needed).
If you want full on airport security then lets have:-
- \Microwave body scanners (I don’t care if someone see’s me naked if I don’t get blown up on a plane – but I don’t want the pics on the internet – enough of them already <grin>
- Explosive detectors.
- Security staff with excellent training and dedicated to the job.
The pay rates would probably need to double.
- Proper airport security. So I can take bottles of water bought after security on a long flight to the USA (I get through 2 litres normally)
This will cost £££ and large increase in air fares as a result.
Since money is a driver for most things, I can’t see that real and effective security will happen.
END RANT
Take a bic pen and snap it - the razor sharp edge could be lethal.
Are the little pens just as potentially lethal - I suspect so. You know the blue ones the GIVE OUT on flights to the USA to complete the entry forms.
Of course every evil person will fill these out in complete honesty. I.e are you a; Nazi, Terrorist, Smuggler and best of all "moral turpitude" (yes I have a Janet Jackson @ the super bowl video on my person).
Agrhhhhhhhhh
For me a classic was for some they were making people take of their shoes to pass through the X-ray machine. I asked before I went through the metal detector should I do this, response “No” I walked through and the security guard on the other side of the metal detector who I had looked at while asking my “should I take of my shoe” question said “Shoe heals are to thick, body search”. I asked could I just put them through the scanner – no, even though I had been given wrong advice, the person who made me go through the search had heard this but policy and procedure is everything. So a 15 minute delay (pierced nipples and body metal detector wand added to the fun) and eventually got through. Then when on plane partner discovers a lighter in cargo pants (to many pockets) that he’d forgotten was there.
This stupidity, got me thinking on how many ways you could – even with current restrictions get through so called airport security with potential weapons or even worse something that could be catastrophic (assuming your happy to commit suicide). My background is Physics BSc & ‘A’ level Chemistry with an interest in cookery, medicine and the internet for info. I am not going to mention any of the ideas I came up with, the Bic pen is a simple example.
Intelligence and profiling is the way to go. But with the flawed intelligence (WMD, The Ricin plot) and non intelligent profiling (Your of colour and have a beard) airport security that the public endure seems to be more to give a false sense of security and ‘tick boxes’ should something happen. Also all these ‘fears’ do seem to boost certain political parties ratings.
This combined with the fact that, security is a “crap job”. The money is low, you get abuse and, in general, no thanks. My guess is quotas and procedures are the rule and they result in stupid situations like mine (can’t question another officers response but if something outside of other rules procedures must be followed even when it’s obvious they are not needed).
If you want full on airport security then lets have:-
- \Microwave body scanners (I don’t care if someone see’s me naked if I don’t get blown up on a plane – but I don’t want the pics on the internet – enough of them already <grin>
- Explosive detectors.
- Security staff with excellent training and dedicated to the job.
The pay rates would probably need to double.
- Proper airport security. So I can take bottles of water bought after security on a long flight to the USA (I get through 2 litres normally)
This will cost £££ and large increase in air fares as a result.
Since money is a driver for most things, I can’t see that real and effective security will happen.
END RANT
Terrorists could attack aircraft with gel-filled bras but would they then not slip on the KY jelly? 