Long queues at T5 border control
Apr 27, 2012, 6:10 pm
#272
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Regrettably very little. At one stage they were handing out bottles of water to people in the queues last night but I genuinely felt for people with young children.
As I mentioned earlier, it's disgusting and makes me ashamed that this is the sort of welcome the UK provides at what is supposed to be it's premier terminal at it's premier entry point.
Perhaps Mrs May would like to get her kitten heels out and queue for a couple of hours with 2 small children to see how she likes it.
BAH
(and, finally, I agree with HilFly - that should really underscore how serious this situation is !!)
As I mentioned earlier, it's disgusting and makes me ashamed that this is the sort of welcome the UK provides at what is supposed to be it's premier terminal at it's premier entry point.
Perhaps Mrs May would like to get her kitten heels out and queue for a couple of hours with 2 small children to see how she likes it.
BAH
(and, finally, I agree with HilFly - that should really underscore how serious this situation is !!)
Although I think we've only disageed once.
Apr 27, 2012, 6:13 pm
#273
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Front page news in the Evening Standard tonight - reprting that Ministers will be called on the carpet to explain. Nice to be vindicated 
Apparently it's not just a few whiney Americans as some here have implied. In fact my collesgue waited 2 hiurs last night in the UK citizen line - so I gather it is getting worse for everyone.
One thing I do admire about the UK is that it did not take long for this to rise to the level where action will be tsken or heads will roll. As opposed to IS where people just tolerate government ineptness. And therein lies the reason ehy many of us dont want to see government running the healthcare system.
Apparently it's not just a few whiney Americans as some here have implied. In fact my collesgue waited 2 hiurs last night in the UK citizen line - so I gather it is getting worse for everyone. One thing I do admire about the UK is that it did not take long for this to rise to the level where action will be tsken or heads will roll. As opposed to IS where people just tolerate government ineptness. And therein lies the reason ehy many of us dont want to see government running the healthcare system.
Apr 27, 2012, 6:38 pm
#275
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I suspect UKBA should be using its resources more efficiently, but this is beyond UKBA now. It is up at Parliament level.
In true British fashion this will need a Home Office Minister or two to be spilt, before the issue itself is resolved.
The logic chain then follows that complaints (against Govt incompetence and UKBA ineffectiveness) are directed to the Opposition. I'd suggest Keith Vaz for the Home Affairs Select Committee, and the Shadow Home Secretary.
In turn, ammo for a half-decent PMQ performance from the Opposition side on this. Cameron may then be forced to wield his axe.
The question remains whether Milliband can push Cameron into a situation where NOT acting is untenable.
In true British fashion this will need a Home Office Minister or two to be spilt, before the issue itself is resolved.
The logic chain then follows that complaints (against Govt incompetence and UKBA ineffectiveness) are directed to the Opposition. I'd suggest Keith Vaz for the Home Affairs Select Committee, and the Shadow Home Secretary.
In turn, ammo for a half-decent PMQ performance from the Opposition side on this. Cameron may then be forced to wield his axe.
The question remains whether Milliband can push Cameron into a situation where NOT acting is untenable.
Apr 27, 2012, 7:14 pm
#276
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"The chairman of the home affairs select committee, Keith Vaz, has asked the immigration minister to appear before the committee to explain the situation."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-17876496
Hopefully this will get sorted soon!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-17876496
Hopefully this will get sorted soon!
Apr 27, 2012, 8:55 pm
#277
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Yep, exactly - I was arriving from NCE (Nice, France), therefore obviosuly highly untrustworthy in BAA's eyes!
Apr 28, 2012, 12:35 am
#278
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Are Apple now also making spouses? Hopefully that means good form factor and useability. 
Back on topic, quite an amusing FT column from Tyler on how the world is getting taken over by hi-viz vests.
Back on topic, quite an amusing FT column from Tyler on how the world is getting taken over by hi-viz vests.
Last edited by nth_utsera_sth_utsera; Apr 28, 2012 at 1:03 am
Apr 28, 2012, 12:46 am
#279
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Pleasing on the eye and for just a few hundred quid you'll be able to upgrade in a year or so as well... (sorry, feeling quite smug as I'm just about to nip across to the US avoiding LHR altogether - trip report to follow, I promise).
Apr 28, 2012, 1:20 am
#280
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 52
I recon this video could be incorporated to the next series of Come Fly with Me. He is reacting to pre-Easter warnings from the airlines. He forgot to mention anything about keeping the border secure!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17614994
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17614994
Apr 28, 2012, 2:58 am
#281
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Long queues at T5 border control
My passport read.... Without let or hindrance.... Can I sue?
Personally think we need mass diversions, closure of at least one terminal and worldwide coverage. Have been surprised it has taken this long to hit the media to be honest........
I have always found the immigration staff and organisation in the uk to be overly aggressive , often threatening and not a little sinister. The combination of low paid and sometimes poorly educated individuals in positions of authority can be scary
Personally think we need mass diversions, closure of at least one terminal and worldwide coverage. Have been surprised it has taken this long to hit the media to be honest........
I have always found the immigration staff and organisation in the uk to be overly aggressive , often threatening and not a little sinister. The combination of low paid and sometimes poorly educated individuals in positions of authority can be scary
Apr 28, 2012, 3:04 am
#282
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I cannot believe UK Borders are still trying to blame the queues on Easter holidays. Get real. There is a problem and no one wants to take responsibility.
BAA does not want to make a fuss and forgets that business travellers will just cease to come to London or avoid using LHR (their jewel) as their point of entry into the UK. Its their profits or lack of, that they need to look out for.....unless they are looking to build shopping opportunities along the queue for UK Borders.
BAA does not want to make a fuss and forgets that business travellers will just cease to come to London or avoid using LHR (their jewel) as their point of entry into the UK. Its their profits or lack of, that they need to look out for.....unless they are looking to build shopping opportunities along the queue for UK Borders.
Apr 28, 2012, 3:09 am
#283
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Wirelessly posted (iPhone 3G: Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9B176 Safari/7534.48.3)
With respect, you live "abroad". It's my current taxes that are paying for this!
I don't mean to be cutting, but free choice and all that.
With respect, you live "abroad". It's my current taxes that are paying for this!
I don't mean to be cutting, but free choice and all that.
Anyway:
- I pay taxes in both UK and Jersey.
- I am a Registered Overseas voter.
- I remain in regular contact with my former Constituency Association.
- I occasionally write to my MP.
And I'm delighted the Media have seized on the topic
Apr 28, 2012, 3:11 am
#284
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Here's a few data points for you. I went through the UK Border 5 times this week. The longest delay I had was the only one not at T5, namely a 20 minutes hold up at London City. I wish I had my NZ passport with me, since non-EUs there got through that in 10 minutes or so. However I think that was an exceptional situation, 6pm or so on Tuesday, when a number of planes came in after a delay/slot issue, caused by some sort of fly pass over London.
The 4 LHR T5 experiences with the UK Border Force all took the usual 5 or 10 minutes. In one case, Thursday evening, this was because I was on the Flight Connections UKBF line, and yes the main queues did look quite bad, on the other days all queues seemed to be OK to me. However I did notice unused Tensa railings all over the place (quite untidy when not used).
My perception is that a lot of effort was made over Easter to head off the problems there, but now staffing levels have fallen to a silly level. Each day it is getting steadily worse at the peak time (16:00 to 20:00 hrs) such that non EUs joining the queue at say 19hrs are facing crazy waiting times. To answer T8's question, mornings can be busy too, but if a UK passport holder I'm sure you'll be through within the 20 minute target time.
I spoke to my MP about this last night. He said that the Home Office is currently in panic mode, and that pressure is being brought to bear on the situation. This is in the context of local elections on Thursday and no government wants competence issues on the front pages in the run up to that, especially when it's Keith Vaz who is milking the situation for all it is worth. I would expect some short term measures in the next few days, and something more structural in time for the Olympics. This is an semi-informed guess, but I'd be surprised if I'm wrong about it.
My MP pointed out that the UKBF has 7,500 staff (and UKBA rather more). To me that suggests that at any given time approx 2,000 staff could be on duty. Allowing for sickness, holidays and the fact that there are UKBF deployed throughout the UK, it still seems reasonable to think that 1,000 staff should be available in London and the South East at any given moment. What I don't understand is how it was that only 9 of them could be found on duty on Thursday evening - 1 on UK Connections, 3 on EU, 3 on non EU and 2 on ePassports - at probably the most important entry point into the UK.
My two suggestions are (a) BAA encouraging hand luggage people to exit via T1 or T3 if the queues there are lower and (b) BAA staff assisting the front queue / assisting use of ePassports rather than UKBF. The machines are a bit of a fiddle, but if a skilled operative guides the passport into place it can speed the process up a lot.
The 4 LHR T5 experiences with the UK Border Force all took the usual 5 or 10 minutes. In one case, Thursday evening, this was because I was on the Flight Connections UKBF line, and yes the main queues did look quite bad, on the other days all queues seemed to be OK to me. However I did notice unused Tensa railings all over the place (quite untidy when not used).
My perception is that a lot of effort was made over Easter to head off the problems there, but now staffing levels have fallen to a silly level. Each day it is getting steadily worse at the peak time (16:00 to 20:00 hrs) such that non EUs joining the queue at say 19hrs are facing crazy waiting times. To answer T8's question, mornings can be busy too, but if a UK passport holder I'm sure you'll be through within the 20 minute target time.
I spoke to my MP about this last night. He said that the Home Office is currently in panic mode, and that pressure is being brought to bear on the situation. This is in the context of local elections on Thursday and no government wants competence issues on the front pages in the run up to that, especially when it's Keith Vaz who is milking the situation for all it is worth. I would expect some short term measures in the next few days, and something more structural in time for the Olympics. This is an semi-informed guess, but I'd be surprised if I'm wrong about it.
My MP pointed out that the UKBF has 7,500 staff (and UKBA rather more). To me that suggests that at any given time approx 2,000 staff could be on duty. Allowing for sickness, holidays and the fact that there are UKBF deployed throughout the UK, it still seems reasonable to think that 1,000 staff should be available in London and the South East at any given moment. What I don't understand is how it was that only 9 of them could be found on duty on Thursday evening - 1 on UK Connections, 3 on EU, 3 on non EU and 2 on ePassports - at probably the most important entry point into the UK.
My two suggestions are (a) BAA encouraging hand luggage people to exit via T1 or T3 if the queues there are lower and (b) BAA staff assisting the front queue / assisting use of ePassports rather than UKBF. The machines are a bit of a fiddle, but if a skilled operative guides the passport into place it can speed the process up a lot.