Originally Posted by
upthepool
Hello
Mobile phone was checked to see if device was switched on with battery charge. Also all passengers clothes/person were checked with some kind of litmus paper or spatula and then this swab was entered into a computer for checking.
Waaou. Never had such security check out of DXB ...
As for the swab, you are probably talking about the trace detector. which is generally used to look for drugs and explosives. When manipulating those substances, there are always some powder sticking on body, clothes or bags, and they are extremely hard to remove, no matter how cautious you are. So, they rub the swab on some parts where probability is high (like fasteners) and put into a spectrometer.
There are basically two methods of screening : testing individually, or testing by group.
While testing by group, the group is kept isolated and under surveillance (during the few minutes of the test). They rub everybody with the same tissue and analyze once. If the test is negative, the whole group is free to go, if it is positive, each person is tested individually.
As for the shower, as said by other FT, it is linked to actual water flow.
I heard that, in reality, water continues to flow even after time is supposedly up. I'll try that next time.
