Practical Travel Safety Issues - Sunday was a lovely day for an unsupervised walk on the tarmac

Given the emphasis on so-called security in the USA these days, I would never have guessed that my first chance to wander unescorted around the planes at a major commercial airport would be at IAD yesterday.

On arrival into IAD from JFK, FlyingPenguin and I waited quite some time for gate-checked baggage to appear. Once we had everything, including her manual wheelchair, the nearby security guy told us there was nobody to escort us into the terminal, so we could just walk down to gate C30 to get into the terminal. It was a lovely day for a walk on the tarmac, so we wandered, totally unaccompanied among the parked CRJs, from C22 to C30, dodging the baggage trucks that came by every so often.

When we got to C30, we were allowed inside and went off to wait for our next flight, a 777 to Denver.

Oh, but see you were screened for prohibited items at JFK, so you couldn't do any harm. However, I am very concerned if this happens after December 22 since certain tools will be permitted. No telling what kind of damage you might do. :D :D

Oh, but see you were screened for prohibited items at JFK

... and then taken (admittedly accompanied, some of the time by TSA and some by other security blokes) back into the checkin area twice.

On arrival into IAD from JFK, FlyingPenguin and I waited quite some time for gate-checked baggage to appear. Once we had everything, including her manual wheelchair, the nearby security guy told us there was nobody to escort us into the terminal, so we could just walk down to gate C30 to get into the terminal. It was a lovely day for a walk on the tarmac, so we wandered, totally unaccompanied among the parked CRJs, from C22 to C30, dodging the baggage trucks that came by every so often.

When we got to C30, we were allowed inside and went off to wait for our next flight, a 777 to Denver.

Note a key point, however: You didn't *CHOOSE* to be in the situation. I'm surprised at the guard--I would think there would be a liability issue in sending you across the tarmac.

From a security standpoint, though, I see no risk. You couldn't have planned ahead to take advantage of the opportunity so what evil could you do out there? It's the same as the no unaccompanied baggage rule--the *AIRLINES* are free to separate your bag from you but if you try to separate yourself from your bag they won't permit it.

I had a similar experience at none other than DCA itself within 18 months of 9/11, when you couldn't sneeze at that airport without attracting attention.

Got off a COEx flight that arrived late in the evening...it was dark out, so any one of us could have slipped away. We waited a long time for our bags...then the crew disappeared. I ended up leading my fellow pax across the ramp to a door that I remembered by memory I could open and get upstairs to the departure level. It was a fairly ridiculous scene with passengers walking about checking out the planes. Aside from the security issue, someone could have bumped into something in the dark and gotten injured - and it was winter, so parts of the ramp were quite slippery.

Makes me thankful I had to take off my shoes at the checkpoint :rolleyes:

Given the emphasis on so-called security in the USA these days, I would never have guessed that my first chance to wander unescorted around the planes at a major commercial airport would be at IAD yesterday.

On arrival into IAD from JFK, FlyingPenguin and I waited quite some time for gate-checked baggage to appear. Once we had everything, including her manual wheelchair, the nearby security guy told us there was nobody to escort us into the terminal, so we could just walk down to gate C30 to get into the terminal. It was a lovely day for a walk on the tarmac, so we wandered, totally unaccompanied among the parked CRJs, from C22 to C30, dodging the baggage trucks that came by every so often.

When we got to C30, we were allowed inside and went off to wait for our next flight, a 777 to Denver.
Just lovely.... THAT was a major security violation... You are not allowed unescorted outside the terminal while inside the SIDA. That guard should have stayed with you, or a United employee should have. That is/was a fireable offense.