KDS

Departed from AMS gate E17 yesterday. After the airline representative finishes checking my passport and boarding pass just before security checkpoint, she then hands me a quart-sized plastic bag. I ask, "what is this for?" She replies, for all your wires. I said, you've got to be kidding.

I carry two laptop bags with me when traveling (work and personal). I have more wires in those two bags than I like to remember.

I got up to the security entrance and told the security guy, I need more bags; my wires won't fit in this one. He says go ahead and put the wires in a bin. I fill one bin and ask for another. While doing that, one of the bins gets put through the X-ray machine while I'm still "unpacking". I complained, he says you can get it when you go through.

Finally finish getting everything unpacked. I opt out, and get a security "groping". After that, security decides to check every one of my carryon bags, even though I've already emptied them almost completely.

What a wonderful beginning to a very long travel day (23.5 hours from wakeup till sleeptime).

When I went through AMS on 2 April, this nonsense about wires was not done at that international gate (E24). I'm sure it's some "random" thing, but what nonsense.

FredAnderssen

I went through AMS a week ago and they demanded the same thing. I just ignored them, but I didn't have a ton of wires anyway. The bag went through without any complaints. I'm not sue that the xray person works that closely with the barker. And, yes, AMS has become crap ever since Umar Farouk managed to sneak plastic explosives through security in his tighty whities. I don't think the Dutch ever got over that embarrassment.

Randyk47

We went through that routine at FCO last year. We were totally unprepared and had packed most electrical stuff away for our trip home after nearly a month touring around Europe. If it was electrical or even close it had to go in a plastic bag. Two adults with two of everything for iPhones, iPads, cameras, and a laptop. Major hassle.

cdn1

Must be American "instructions" to the Dutch ? Why would they do that on their own?

DesertNomad

This happened to me last October. There were no plastic bags - just asked to put all wires into a bin. I made a point of taking them out one at a time and had 30 or so items. In doing this, I totally forgot that my camera was sill coin in my bag - it went through without anybody saying anything.

For my upcoming trip to Europe, I have avoided returning from AMS.

FredAnderssen

I think if the Dutch passport control or security personnel tried smiling, their faces would crack.

guflyer

I have had issues with my laptop, ipad, cell phone chargere, etc. cords at several European airports. I do not recall being told to take them out, but I have had bag checks because of this. I think that AMS might have been one of these airports, but the worst that I had was at LHR, terminal 5, as there having one's bag checked takes forever as they empty everything out and there is sometimes a wait there for this.

Mats

I always keep my wires, batteries, and power converters in a little bag. It's not a transparent plastic bag, but a little travel bag. I take it out whenever I'm at a European airport. It's kind of helpful because I'm less likely to lose wires and plugs.

It's like iPads: European airports are obsessed with having iPads out of bags; the TSA doesn't care. I just got used to taking it out.

It's stupid, but it eliminates hassle and waiting.

Amsterdam is still in the world of making people turn on electronic devices. I haven't seen this continue at other European airports since the "scare" over the summer.

SNA_Flyer

In many ways, certain EU countries have actually become worse than the TSA.

The UK certainly has. Heck, they were the ones who came up with these nonsense liquid restrictions in the first place.

Grouchy

EU Comission Regulation 185 4.1.2.1 and 2 (and Regulation 187)....

:D!

Yet I occasionally forget to remove liquids from my bag because they are making me stressed out in other ways (e.g. the current arrangement at LHR T5 means that your stuff gets sent through mixed with other people's stuff if you use more than one tray) and nobody has ever noticed.

Mats

Interesting, Grouchy.

So it seems to be a function of whether or not the particular screening equipment in use has explosive detection systems installed.

The EU law does not say anything about iPads/tablets, but European and Israeli airports have always required that these be removed from the bag.

The law--as I understand it--says that if the x-ray machine has explosive detection equipment, one should not have to remove electronics or liquids. And the goal is to introduce explosive detection systems on all screening x-ray machines.

I don't think there will be any way to find out which airports have the newer technology (not something they're likely to publicize.) It will just be a function of noticing if airports stop asking passengers to remove their electronic devices and wires.

At least you get to keep your shoes on in Europe and Israel (most of the time.) And the times I have been frisked (always in Germany), it has been super fast, less invasive, and without the groping, swiping, and lengthy explanations from the TSA.

FredAnderssen

My experience in AMS was just the opposite. With the massage I got between my legs from the groper, I could have at least gotten a kiss on the lips as well. And that's not to mention the foot massage (through my shoes) that I received. And to paraphrase Samuel L. Jackson in "Pulp Fiction", I would even give my momma a foot massage, but not one like which I received at Schiphol.