Originally Posted by
UncleDude
I believe the UK Paranoia level is actually Mandatory Imposed by US Homeland Security on Flights to America : Questioning at Check-in, Random Jet-Bridge Searches, APIS etc. For 90% of Passengers Departing UK there's less hassle than US Domestic Security..ie no ID Checks before Bag Screening.
Not to go too off-topic but the UK "security" stupidity is also homegrown from the DfT. They're the original Liquid Liars, and much nonsense occurs in the UK away from US departure gates: shoe and belt carnival for some, backscatter nudeoscope with no opt-out permitted. Some of it is US-imposed, but the UK shows a remarkable degree of Idiocy Ingenuity.