"Why do you want me to change my gloves?"
Oct 11, 2016, 7:21 pm
#1
Moderator: Information Desk, Women Travelers, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Chicago, IL, USA
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"Why do you want me to change my gloves?"
I got SSSSed on my AMS - ORD flight today, which included an explosives wipe-down at the gate. After watching the security personnel screen the passenger in front of me -- handling her bags, picking up her shoe, etc. -- the first thing I did was ask her to change her gloves. She gave me a strange look and asked me why I wanted her to do that (though she did comply with the request).
In the US, my response probably would have been a little bit more blunt, but I toned it down a bit given that she was the only thing standing between me and the jetway, and said, "I previously had a false positive and the screener told me that dirty gloves are often the cause. He told me to always ask screeners to change their gloves." I figured that phrasing it that way was better than, "I just watched you wipe your gloves all over that woman's luggage, shoes and other dirty things," (too accusatory) or, "I'm a germophobe" (leave the door open for disagreement/arguing).
I'm curious: How do others respond?
In the US, my response probably would have been a little bit more blunt, but I toned it down a bit given that she was the only thing standing between me and the jetway, and said, "I previously had a false positive and the screener told me that dirty gloves are often the cause. He told me to always ask screeners to change their gloves." I figured that phrasing it that way was better than, "I just watched you wipe your gloves all over that woman's luggage, shoes and other dirty things," (too accusatory) or, "I'm a germophobe" (leave the door open for disagreement/arguing).
I'm curious: How do others respond?
Oct 12, 2016, 10:18 am
#4
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Posts: 15,651
In this case, she asked before she changed her gloves, I was worried that the germophobe comment might be greeted with an explanation that they were antibacterial gloves or some such nonsense.
Oct 13, 2016, 6:27 pm
#7
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Location: PHL
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Oct 13, 2016, 7:08 pm
#8
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: YUL
Posts: 2,115
At BRU during the whole Ebola thing, the gate screeners were wearing the same gloves for the whole planeload of passengers. There was no EDT, but I still complained afterward and got a completely useless non-understanding response back from the airport.
Oct 17, 2016, 3:17 am
#9
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Here in the U. S., I don't ask. It's a declarative sentence: "Before you touch me or my stuff, I want you to change your gloves (adding "out of the box" if necessary) and test them in the ETD machine." If pushback occurs, my next statement is: "What part of what I just said don't you understand?"
Outside the U.S., I will ask as the OP described.
Outside the U.S., I will ask as the OP described.