Trip Reports - do you feel as if an airport "has it in" for you?

Out of my last 8 trips from LAX to another destination over the last 6 weeks, I have been searched 6 times.

Normally I get searched about 10% of the time at most airports. LAX has been the exception. No matter if I try to board early, middle of the pack, or late, I always seem to get picked, about 70-80% of the time.

Today was another deja vu. I was picked, right after another passenger who was sent to screening. This was the 3rd time that I let the screeners know that I was routinely being picked, and I also let the CSR know as well. Their feedback was kind sympathy, but it didn't make me feel much better.

Do you guys have an airport that seems to target you?

The really frustrating thing about being searched over and over again is that it really stretches the limit of my patience. By the time I boarded today, I was fuming internally. To make it worse, I had nothing to take my mind off this. You have to sit and can't open your laptop until 10 minutes after take off, so all you can do is sit and stew. I've read the Hemispheres about 50 times already, so all I could do was think about how my privacy was violated so many times. It's really stressful and frustrating.

Maybe you guys can give some tips on how to cope as well.

PS - a friendly 1P noticed my 2002 1K tag, and we did end up having a good conversation about being road warriors. It was a very nice experience http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

I try to get in line just as the screener pulls someone aside and I never get picked--well, okay, 2 times in the last year. Once was completely random and once I was pre-selected by "the computers"--probably because I had changed my flight a few days prior and was flying to the middle east.

Maybe you should take me with you when traveling out of LAX http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

As my COO says, just because your not parinod does not mean that people are not out to get you http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

OK First of all hello everybody.
I've been lurking round here a while but just had to reply to this post.

About 4 years ago went to LHR to catch a flight to JFK.

The check-in belt broke on the person before me in the queue so they decided to hand search the luggage and stick it all on a trolley.

They set up a table with screens round and we all queued up to have our bags searched. I was next in queue when I felt something wet on my arm. A pipe had burst in the ceiling right above the queue so they had to close that area off.

Next idea was to borrow another airlines x-ray machine, but that airline kept waving it's own passengers to the front so the queue never moved.

Eventually all the luggage went through 1st class check-in (that upset some people).

By the time this had all happened we had no time to look in duty free or anything.

Anyway next trip out this time to MAN-BOS with a connection in LHR.

Get to LHR and on shuttle bus to change terminals. Arrive at Terminal 4 (I think) as fire alarm goes off. We have to stay on the bus until the terminal is given all clear. When we enter overhear the firemen saying it was someone in one of the duty free shops making toast underneath a smoke alarm. No time to look round duty free.

Return leg get to LHR for shuttle to MAN.

Board shuttle waiting for take-off, pilot informs us some passengers are missing and we have to unload their bags. While waiting for this to happen an inbound plane bursts a tyre and causes one runway to be shut. Finally take 1 1/2 ours late

I now try to avoid LHR

Welcome to flyertalk, rhino_uk.

Thanks for sharing. It's not much consolation to you, but it's nice to know we Americans are not the only ones suffering such frustrations with travelling.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by UALOneKPlus:
Welcome to flyertalk, rhino_uk.

Thanks for sharing. It's not much consolation to you, but it's nice to know we Americans are not the only ones suffering such frustrations with travelling.</font>

Try travelling with an Israeli passport. Your luggage gets searched EVERY single time.

UAL1K - we're practically neighbors (Stanford). When you're in town...

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by ynewman:
Try travelling with an Israeli passport. Your luggage gets searched EVERY single time.

UAL1K - we're practically neighbors (Stanford). When you're in town...</font>

ynewman, sounds good, who needs an excuse for happy hour? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

Las Vegas yesterday had it in for me.
I get the FULL search on the way to the gates at the first security.

Then on boarding, I am waved aside for the 'random' full check with shoes off and all that.

If seems futile for a senior professional to go through this, when there are so many younger guys just walking on in a politically correct way. Seems like a waste of money in a lets pretend kind of way. Hope no one slips through while I am undergoing a check.

I agree with the-ca-goat and pull into line just as they pull the elderely nun aside. I noticed in most airports lately that the gate attendant has been doing the pulling lately.

One thing I do also which seems to be helping is I put my Platinum card is right next to my id. They see that and I get called Mister now and haven't been pulled since.