Travel stress, aggressive airport security staff.

It can be a stressful environment but I hate motorways so much I actually find airports fun! And that’s Manchester International with 3 terminals.
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I always travel with just hand luggage but one time I was caught out. Turned out I had a bluddy Burts Bees lip balm in a zipped pocket.
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My daughter and I were open mouthed at the security staff at JFK - shouting, gesturing and almost knocking off one man's hat. At least it distracted me from my cracked tooth!

My late husband invariably set off the alarm at the metal detectors in airports. We had no idea why as he removed all metallic objects, such as coins and watch, and put them in the tray and, unlike me, does not have any metal inside his body. At LAX, some years ago, he ended up stripped to his underpants with guns pointed at him. Now that is aggressive.

Scary absent! ?

I arrived at East Midlands Airport yesterday and everything went very smoothly. No problems to report thank goodness .

My 2 replacement knees always trigger security, and I always get frisked. No point in complaining!

First time I went through with those metal knees, at Madrid, I told the security woman I had replacement knees and handed our the two cards with the code and date on, with surgeob signature and hospital stamp. I tried to joke, and she stared back and said 'it is perfectly possible to have prostheses and be a terrorist' Ah well, had a fab holiday. No point getting ariated.

We had such a bad experience in Stanstead when it was like a stamped to get through the gate and I was knocked over by a group of Spanish school girls, we vowed never to go abroad again by plane and we have kept to this.

I haven't been through Stansted in a while but recently flew from Luton. Security was very busy but staff kept it all moving. I set the alarms off and was 'patted down' but it was done with professionalism and respect.
I was amazed to see one lady try to take bottles of coca-cola through with her!
Coming back from Amsterdam our hand luggage went straight through the scanners - no need to take anything out, not even the liquids bag. We were astonished.

We booked for assistance when my daughter, mum and I, plus a toddler went on a flight.

They obviously had messed up that part totally.

It ended up with lots of badly disabled people hauling eachother up into a carrier thing, then they had to climb out of it and help eachother walk to the plane!

All except my mum, who they wheeled onto the plane secured to what looked like a sack barrow".
My daughter said nan looked like Hannibal Lecter!

I was very fortunate to travel by plane 3 times in the summer each time with hold luggage. We used Heathrow in July, Gatwick in mid August and Stansted in early September. I have great sympathy for those posters who have undergone such stressful experiences but would like to inject a positive aspect. All of the 3 airports gave us a very easy time. Short queues and helpful staff. On each trip we had checked in and got through security in less than 15 minutes. The return journeys were also very smooth.

What is it with airports? Trains, buses, ships are so much nicer. Some airport staff seem to think they are gods or something. Having said that, there are some lovely ones,too. The worst we have come across in this country are what are commonly known as the Darwin Nazis. Yes, I know, it sounds horrible but when I had experienced their attitude I knew exactly what they meant.

The woman checking people through the X-ray machine in Cyprus last week was actually screaming at people and despite me standing right in front of her she screamed at me too. I told her not to be so rude.

grandson aged 6 was forced to go into the x-ray type booth on his own. Visibly distressed. The security chap was very rude indeed to the child's father and the child. Complaint was made to Gatwick - they viewed the cctv footage and agreed it was appallingly mishandled. Various goody vouchers offered and a fulsome apology. But ... it did not alter the fact that their holiday got off to a very bad start.

This is timely, I used to be a frequent flyer but it is now five years and later this week I'm flying out of Manchester with Ryan Air. Reading all this is making me more anxious by the minute, even more than I was before. This morning I went to Boots and got some Rescue Remedy ( I know probably won't help, but maybe the placebo effect will kick in). Carry on, Priority Cabin baggage only, can someone please tell me if the toiletries you put in your suitcase/bag can be in a normal toilet/cosmetic bag or do they also have to be in a see through plastic bag like the liquids/medicines you have in your handbag and would I be asked to remove them from the suitcase and put them also in the trays?

toscalily

This is timely, I used to be a frequent flyer but it is now five years and later this week I'm flying out of Manchester with Ryan Air. Reading all this is making me more anxious by the minute, even more than I was before. This morning I went to Boots and got some Rescue Remedy ( I know probably won't help, but maybe the placebo effect will kick in). Carry on, Priority Cabin baggage only, can someone please tell me if the toiletries you put in your suitcase/bag can be in a normal toilet/cosmetic bag or do they also have to be in a see through plastic bag like the liquids/medicines you have in your handbag and would I be asked to remove them from the suitcase and put them also in the trays?

All liquids have to be in a see through plastic bag, which must be done up.

Oslo airport security was wonderful. Calm and polite staff!

All liquids that are in the cabin must not exceed 100ml and be in a see through sealed bag.
I put everything like that in the largest handbag I can get away with. Everything electrical and liquid comes out and into a tray.
I have learnt through experience never to put binoculars in hand luggage. The e ray machine doesn’t like them!

BTY lipstick counts as liquid, according to staff at Birmingham airport.

As a member of airport security staff many moons ago - early 90's - I have to say our training was extensive and thorough. It was only a few years after the tragedy of Lockerbie and people, in the main, were very glad of a high profile security operation.

It was stressed we had to be polite, firm and conscious of our role and always, always to ask permission to "frisk" a passenger as even laying a single finger on someone without permission constituted assault. I don't know if that's still the case but would imagine so.

I was a summer temp employed directly by the airport's own security department so standards were high - almost military level - and maintained so. Nowadays, security is mostly outsourced to agencies who pay a very poor hourly rate compared to back then but, more importantly, in reflection of the seriousness of the job. Outsourcing in this way has to be a factor for the chaotic experiences above.

On a lighter note, people who set off the security gate alarm often, unbeknowingly, are walking too close to the sensors - very often some small kids would lurch round the corner of the gate trailing their arms along the wall and setting off pinging worse than a microwave on the blink...little dears

J52

BTY lipstick counts as liquid, according to staff at Birmingham airport.

Not according to Malaga or Stanstead last week. I couldn’t find mine and was told not to worry about it or my mascara.

I will cope with over zealous security staff , the alternative is unthinkable.

It is stressful, and there’s no excuse at all for aggression and screaming, but loudly repeating the rules is often the only way to get the message across. At Manchester recently on a very busy day, one young woman in front of me claimed never to have heard that liquids had to be carried separately, and when asked if she had any she begrudgingly dug into her hand luggage and dumped a massive bulging toiletries bag onto the tray. She was very indignant when she was handed a little bag and told to leave the queue and decide what she would take with her. There’d been a whole corridor of posters and videos leading up to that point showing exactly what the procedures are.

I must say they were very kind to me when the sharp edges of my contact lens containers ripped the bag open at the seam and my little pots of liquids rolled everywhere….

When my cabin bag went through security at Manchester Airport a couple of weeks ago it was taken aside and was hand searched the security chap smiled when all was revealed a packet of werthers sweets and a bar of soap.

When you come back to the UK from Dalaman Airport in Turkey your bags are checked twice and after you think that's it flights going to the UK are manually searched again and you are tested for drugs although could be explosives perhaps I'm not sure one man got taken away his wife was besides herself with worry thought he'd been arrested it turns out he had traces of drug on his shoe from when he visited a club anyway they let him go.

GrannyGravy13

J52

BTY lipstick counts as liquid, according to staff at Birmingham airport.

Not according to Malaga or Stanstead last week. I couldn’t find mine and was told not to worry about it or my mascara.

Interesting, it was going to Malaga at Birmingham Airport where I was ‘told off’ for not putting it in the see through bag.
Mind you, I then set the alarm off and was body searched, a bit too intimately.
Not a good start!

J52

All liquids that are in the cabin must not exceed 100ml and be in a see through sealed bag.
I put everything like that in the largest handbag I can get away with. Everything electrical and liquid comes out and into a tray.
I have learnt through experience never to put binoculars in hand luggage. The e ray machine doesn’t like them!

My binoculars are the only expensive thing I have bought in last 20 years. They go everywhere with me, to watch birds, flowers, and architectural detail in towns, Cathedrals, Castles, etc. They are my very special eyes and have to be in my hand luggage. I take them out and put in second tray with my Tablet and favourite silver bangle. Never an issue.