Can I help you

There is only a guard on the left when you exit from the 7 to 11 end.

Lolbert

This is absolutely the case. It drives me bonkers. I'm sure the guard is employed directly by the Duty Free operator. I wonder what the sanction would be for deliberately walking through the guarded exit? What are they going to do? Call security to arrest you?

Jimmie76

It's pathetic what's on offer at T5 too when compared to somewhere like CMB where you can buy a Washing Machine, a Fridge, a Hifi, a TV and a Toblerone (obviously ).

rssfed23

I actually have a video someone doing exactly this. I can dig it out if anyones particularly interested but all this "guard" did was ask them to stop, they asked why and she said "staff exit only".

They smiled to themselves for a second clearly contemplating their options before correctly assessing the limitations of her authority and continuing on walking.
She gives a final request of "Sir....but you can't go through here!!" before realising he's already spotted his Addison Lee driver (and is therefore now out of reach of her power) and so she resigns herself back to performing her soul destroying day job.

In other words; I'm sure in the vast majority of cases absolutely nothing but I'm sure if you got aggressive towards them instead of ignoring their requests to not walk through there then they would seek assistance from someone with some form of authority just as any other HAL employee experiencing abuse (rightfully) would.

Genius1

Are you sure? I'll give you a hint; you shouldn't be.

Genius1

I can think of at least two more reasons.

alextheengineer

As a regular (legitimate) user of this exit...

It’s less awkward for us to get out that way, rather than walking to the masses of drivers and anxious family members. I usually still have a hi-vis on as I leave and walking through that makes you a target for every daft question (and some legitimate ones).

That exit is much closer to the staff busses so I can make a quick exit back to the safety of Waterside.

For anyone wanting to try it, a hi-vis or a quick wave of any blue card on a lanyard should be sufficient, it’s not a rigid check by any means.

Fontana

Most FT's who have replied to this post are now tempted to try this exit out I will be the next time I fly back in. Best way to ignore the guard is to have one of those big dre beats headphones on!

Globaliser

Aha! So that's the message that (the other) Alex was trying to convey in that video: always wear a hi-vis in your dealings with BA.

Mind you, I'm always entertained by how many people think that it's a grave insult to their dignity to have to walk another 50 yards or so through the shop.

tmac100

Be more positive. Thank your "lucky stars" that you are not blind and with a "seeing eye dog". Surely the extra walking is good exercise after sitting on some cramped flight. As for looking at all the things on offer by the shops.... I'll bet every blind person would be happy to walk through the "long way" without a dog and see what you find an irritation.

Why am I scribbling this???

Well, as a long term Type 1 diabetic (since 1964) I occasionally have foot issues that require crutches for a number of months. This occasional situation has gone on now for 20 years..... I despise them as I hobble along, but welcome them and their availability when I need them. Currently I have been limping along slowly without crutches and do not long for the golf carts that took me (for months) from security to the lounge or to the check-in gate. Happy to walk without the crutches and carts.....

Calum

I was actually walking past as a chancer went for it a few weeks ago. The gentlemen in question got to the open door before the guard noticed he wasn't staff, guard yelled "excuse me sir you can't go that way!", no response from the gentlemen and he kept walking on - guard then yells "twat" and sits back down.

Part of me wants to chance it next time there's an opportunity.

Murray Goldberg

At the risk of swaying slightly OT, I'm completely with you there.

Back when I first started working for BA, I used to use the trains to commute. You're a moving target with any kind of uniform on in the terminals. I don't occupy a Customer Service role but in my first few months, I helped a woman back up to T4 Arrivals with her bags and showed her where to get a bus, and also had a bad tempered suit yank my phone away from my ear on the HEX platform and lecture me about being on my phone at work.

If you work for BA and shop at Tesco post-shift, you're also running the same gauntlet only the questions morph from travel-related to the locations of pasta sauces.

710 77345

HAL will be paying nearly Ł100k in salaries just to man the door - must be good margin from ticket and shop sales if the people who ignore a 'no exit' sign can be that profitable!

D503

I tried this once in a gaggle of (probably) staff - the 'guard' (if that's what he / she is) tore me off a strip even suggesting it did not give access to the terminal - which it very clearly does.

As far as I can see, the exit's not for general use only because you'd be avoiding the airport's last opportunity to flog you duty-free.

Globaliser

Would it help to spell out the reasons (a) why this door exists; and (b) why passengers should not use it?

If I have got the T5 layout correct in my head, one of the oddities is that if a staff member finds it more convenient to exit from the baggage hall through the north customs channel, they do not have a corresponding opportunity to avoid walking through the shop. I therefore infer that it would not harm the well-being of a staff member to do so, and that the escape route from the south customs channel is therefore not a health and safety measure.