Oaxaca

Must admit that the boarding pass scanning issue aside, I've never had any major issues with the T5 security staff. Some of them are a bit dour, but not what I would consider outright rude, and most of them are ok. That said, since the First Wing opened, I haven't used regular or regular fast track T5 security. In the FW, the staff are fine but one still has to put up with the other pax failing to clear their trays...I must have put more than 10 away today, and I only used 3 myself.

i agree the LGW security staff are nice, I don't use LHR T3 that much but it's generally ok when I do - there used to be one really grumpy jobsworth there, but haven't seen him in ages. Rarely use MAN, and it doesn't sound like I'm missing much..

i can see why some people might find the LCY staff rude. I don't, but they are a bit military in barking out orders to pax, presumably in the name of keeping the queue moving and not having breaches of the liquids rule, something LCY is especially hot on. Something I do notice at LCY is that a relatively high number of bags get diverted for a secondary search (fortunately not usually mine, I'm well practised with LCY security). I've wondered if they have more rigorous interpretation of the security protocols at LCY.

LCY8737

flatlander

LCY will divert anything containing a drug inhaler (eg, asthma inhaler) to secondary screening and they're the only airport I have ever been to which does so. They do this unless the inhaler is separate, and sometimes even then. I think they'd like to insist that inhalers go in the liquids bag, though they do not actually do so.

They're definitely over zealous in this regard compared to every other airport I've ever been through. They are, at least, efficient and not actively rude, though they are making unnecessary work for them and inconvenience for everyone.

aztimm

My best experience at LHR T5 security was a few months ago. I had a somewhat tight connection between flights, DFW-LHR-DEL, and I was permitted to use security at T5B. Absolutely no line. Although they do scan your boarding pass, verify that your flight will leave from B, and soon.

Last week I flew PVG-LHR-AUS, we arrived at B, and I left from B....on the same aircraft. I was tempted to at least ask the people standing around the T5B security checkpoint, basically doing nothing, but I knew what the answer would be, so I made my way over to T5A with the other masses. Since there is a nice lounge in T5B, it would be nice if they at least let oneworld sapphire/emerald through there.
At least that time one of the agents told me that although I could wear my Apple watch, it would set off the scanner, so he advised that I put it in a bin. The last time I was there they said nothing, I wore it, and had to do a secondary. And I agree that the whole bin thing at T5A confuses travelers from elsewhere.

LordBuckethead

Oh I'm so glad you raised this, I did wonder if it was just me! LGW realised long ago that you can do the 'strong security' thing while actually being nice to people and recruited a load of friendly locals to do it. Who have an ounce of common sense... at South FT, they realise that most people there have flown before so greet you with a cheery "good morning, have you flown before? Great, you know the drill, shout if you have any issues"... which compares with a barked "belt, laptop, liquids" at T5 despite the fact I'm already clutching all those things in my hand waiting for a tray. The only thing positive thing that can be said about T5 security is that the queues are thankfully normally very short.

Incidentally - and this is truly the only nice thing that can be said about the god-awful hell-hole - LTN security is similar to LGW.

toothy

The decline of MAN is really frustrating, as they used to be quite pleasant. I had a discussion (well basically ignored him) with whoever was running the single security scanner in T2, who was saying that I must put my passport through the x-ray (I never do this do to having seen someone get theirs stolen). Classic case of people not focussing on what was important, which there should've been to have a second scanner open as people were late for their flights due to an accident.

Frustratingly, I was at Manchester arena last week, where you now understandably go through a lot of security. They were pleasant, having a joke, whilst still focussing on your security. Why can't they employ these people (or rather replace the jobsworths running the team there).


T

Forever in Seattle

I too went through AMM last month, and what a PITA that was. Every time my DSLR camera caused problems, but the most stupid was one security officer wanted to confiscate a pen from me that was in my bag, because it lit up blue when you clicked it twice (a corporate freebie pen, nothing special), until his colleague took it from him and scribbled on a piece of paper to prove to him it was indeed a pen.....

dougzz

squawk

I can't agree with this more. I am perfectly capable of standing up for myself if I am faced with a particularly rude member of staff, but it makes me ashamed when I see people (whether security staff, airline staff, or members of the public) treating people with disrespect because they are foreign, don't speak English, or are elderly/otherwise unable to response quickly enough to a barked instruction. Courtesy costs nothing.

CKBA

They don't help themselves... . Today I came through via the flight connections route - incoming was an hour late so had little/no-time to exit and first-wing it. Silly me. Of course, the flight connection fast track dumps you in with the other pax. Added to that a random security screen added 20 mins due long queue of other pax pulled aside for additional screening. Meanwhile, as pax were anxious to get to their flights many staff were chatting and lounging around - okay some of it was perhaps change in shift, but they need to show professionalism (if nothing else to endear confidence in what they do!).

South London Bon Viveur

I find T5 to be generally ok, albeit my experience is mostly limited to First Wing, and I have never transited through T5. Funnily enough, my only genuinely bad experience in this country was at LGW North a few years ago. The US is routinely dreadful and AMS is pretty poor also. They key is to stay calm and follow instructions, no matter how rude or surly the staff. By all means complain if you need to, but get through the security process first. Causing a scene at security is inevitably going to be counterproductive.

Crismyth

I'm always glad going through T5 security that I have not ended up doing there job, which can be pretty sh*tty at most times also considering the amount of stupid they have to deal with daily. So I cut them some slack and count myself lucky...

IAN-UK

I've been caught out three times by Manchester T1's sensitive sodding machines. Once they picked up a tube of effervescent vitamin C tablets; another time it was the liquids bag overlapping something else in the tray. Last week it was a contact lens. As far as I can make out the scans are reviewed remotely.

T3 security is dysfunctional.

Greenpen

Smile, be pleasant, say thank you a lot and do what you’re asked and you’ll swing through security every time. Start arguing about why you have to take your belt off as you never do at Sydney or Ashgabad and it will all turn bad. Security does an important job and I am reassured they are there.

The blue pen pen post above is interesting. Try convincing a security guard that a Parker fountain pen with its sheathed nib is a pen and not some sort of stabbing device!

LTN Phobia

My most stupid one happened at LHR T5 South Fast Track.

The guy insisted that my crystal deodorant, which literally looks and feels like a crystal or a rock, was liquid. I was so shocked that I was a bit speechless for a few seconds.

I politely told him it was definitely solid and asked him if he wanted to scrape his nail against it to confirm it was solid, and he wouldn't do it. I clicked it onto a hard object and it made the noise that only a solid object can make, like 'clink'.

I then offered to smash it onto the floor, on condition that I would be reimbursed for it if it broke, as I claimed it to be solid, as liquid would not break like that. He refused.

His colleague or a manager came round (a lady) and said it was clearly solid. He would just not back down.

Eventually she just took over the whole situation and declared it solid and sent me on my way.

It was surreal.

Re: Post directly above mine, smiling, being pleasant, or doing what I was asked to do did not help in the slightest. If you are dealing with someone with a very strange idea of solid and liquid, no amount of politeness will help you.

Doing an important job? Yes, but not this chap. He certainly missed his important job which was to learn to distinguish between solids and liquids. There was no obscurity. This was an object that looked, felt and sounded like a solid.

He's probably floating around somewhere claiming that a sea lion in front of him is in fact a hamster or something.