Originally Posted by
ESpen36
You need to maintain a sense of humor about these things. Remember that the European airport authorities are really scared about the possibility of losing the business of US carriers (and the tourists they bring) if something were to happen on a flight originating in the EU, so these extra security checks for US-bound flights have become par for the course. Just get used to it. It's not the USA, and it's not worth fighting with supervisors who might have never traveled to the USA and have a very odd understanding (or lack thereof) of what TSA rules might be. I bet you would be laughed out of the airport if you asked for a "customer complaint card."
Indeed, I mainly posted the story for amusement value -- hence why the first paragraph of the rant is so irreverent and cynical. It's a story of mystery and intrigue involving a fork, some Tide Ultra2, five security personnel, and a dog.
That said, it's rather worrisome that people are expected to accept the idea that they need to budget two hours just for the final security check and subject themselves to arbitrary seizure of their personal effects.
Also, although I did ask about their prohibited items and correct the supervisor, I didn't say much beyond that other than "d'accord." Maybe with my heavy accent, it sounded like the French for, "Hey, I need that to assemble the bomb!"