Motor Mouth

Similar issue with the FRA gropers and bag scanner on 11/5 AA 71.

However, what is up with this? When I got to the gate and presented my BP and passport to the guy to get into the holding room, he took a minute to review the BP and the printout stapled to it (that the lady at the check-in line way back at the ticket counter gave me). He looks at me, then my passport, then me, then the printout, then me, then my passport. This goes on for a minute and then we get to have a conversation:

Him 1 - Did anyone ask you security questions?
Me - Yes
Him 1 - (pointing to my BP and the printout) Who?
Me - The lady who asks the security questions in front of the ticket counter.
Him 1 - What was her name?

Huh?

Me - I did not get her name.
Him 1 - (grabbing my BP and passport) Wait here.

I wait for about 4 minutes while he runs into the holding room, through the gate and down the jet way. He comes back with some co-worker in tow. The line behind me is growing: not long, but enough to make me mad I am somehow causing it.

Him 1 - Who asked you the security questions? What did they say?
Me - The lady at the kiosk 10 feet in front of the counter that I got the BP from. Who packed the bag? Did anyone give me anything to carry? Who had access to the bag? Etc.
Him 1 - What was her name?
Me - Did not know I needed it, so I did not write it down.

Him 2 starts to look annoyed he is standing there.

Him 1 - You don't know who you talked to? What do they look like? What did they say?
Me - Again, did not know I needed to know her name. She is looks like..... She is standing between x and y agents. I already told you, she asked who packed it, who had control, etc.
Him 1 - How did you get here? Why did you not go to security? Why?

At this point him 2 mutters something auf Deutsch to Him 1, looks at me and says it's ok. Him 1 looks at me as if to say I know you are dirty and I caught you while tentatively hands me my BP and passport. Keeping my mouth shut and holding back dirty looks, I thank him and enter the holding room. No more problems all the way to DFW.

What is this garbage? I honestly do not remember if she stamped anything on the BP or the printout, but the groper and carryon scanner had no problems with my papers. The immigration guy could not stamp my passport fast enough to get me out of his country. It's like I somehow offended/disrespected Him 1, his airport, his country, the EU and his sister.

JDiver

This can happen at FRA - a couple of FRA's finest can make Sig Ruman (Sgt. Schultz) on Hogan's Heroes look really good.

I hesitate to besmirch the names of the Grizmeks* to call FRA security a "zoo."

* associated with the REAL and really great Frankfurt Zoo...

Spiff

Because of the harassment that FRA bestows upon passengers traveling to the US/UK, I've written that airport off except for arriving and/or traveling to non-US/UK destinations.

millionmiler

Actually, it recently got worse. They started doing hand searches of carry-ons at the gate for the AA flights about a month ago. Its still much better than LHR though especially for connections.

Spiff

Then I guess I made the right move by writing off FRA back in the summer after an asinine additional search at the entrance to the UK gates. @:-)

I hope Europe tourism, particularly UK and FRA, suffers severely for the disgusting harassment that is in place.

Asia and South America will get my declining-value $$$ instead.

millionmiler

The 2nd search at the BA gates is better as its just another x-ray machine unless its recently changed. The AA search at the gate requires all of your luggage opened.

Spiff

I had the misfortune of flying LH and the 2nd search consisted of x-ray + a groping.

LAX21

I was there on 10/28-29 on a MR via DFW. They did not want to issue my return BP when I got off the plane. But I was planning to take a shower anyways.
I feel that the security questions at checkin are stupider than LHR "how long have you owned your bag?" lol?
and the printout of the itin. is a waste of paper.
Security was pretty crowded, no one seemed to care about the F/J line. The water that I had on the plane inbound was taken out, but I wouldn't say that security is worse than any other airport - at least they did not make me take off my belt like at BUR. At the gate there was no 2nd security search. Just another set of "security" questions, amongst others "What did you buy at the duty free?" huh...nanyo` bizness.
That crappy holding room is pretty small; everybody was standing around the GA's desk making it difficult for F,J,EXP,PLT,etc. pax to board.

millionmiler

I should have mentioned the groping in my post. A grope is better than having to open my bag though.

millionmiler

Maybe they have stopped the hand searches. I hope so.

millionmiler

True, but its still unpleasant.

Spiff

The level of harassment at FRA for US/UK flights far exceeds the harassment I've received at other countries.

wherenext

I had not been thru FRA in a while but came back yesterday on #71. The F/J line was in use and helped speed me thru but I was surprised by what seemed an extra long time of grope and search at the X-ray area. I purposely did not wear a belt but I guess the little rivets on my jeans were enough to warrant the security man sticking his fingers down the top edge of my pants. Nobody seemed very happy there. No additional bag search at the gate area but the same questions were asked about my bag and contents.

Buckdany

I was there recently. My issues were more with the terminal than with airport security.
I though people at AA security (at check-in) were not unpleasant but just difficult, asking to see my hotel receipts, etc.

CAV92

I flew out of FRA on Friday morning and didn't experience anything unusual. They weren't hand searching bags and the entire security process didn't take more than 5 minutes.