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Heathrow T5 Security - Watch out !
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This reads like the kind of rubbish my aunt posts on Facebook so I would take with a pinch of salt unless it happened to you personally. There is CCTV so any theft would surely be obvious and incredibly stupid.
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simple way to avoid issues is to always put your watch or whatever valuables you have inside your bag in the security preparation area
Waiting for the beep at the scanner for stuff you know will set it off just delays everyone else. Don't be that person* that delays everyone else. (* FT rules prevent me from giving an accurate description of such people but it involves combinations of 4 letter words) Clearing security is not hard if you are ready. Unfortunately a lot of people - especially frequent fliers - don't think the rules apply to them. |
I had a very similar experience, but NOT at T5. Alarm went off when my son passed thru the sensor, asked my son took off his fitbit, which cost maybe $200. Went thru x-ray, but nothing came out, they stopped the machine and search for good 5 mins, nothing. End up it was, indeed, found on the floor.
I guess "the brush" pushed it down... and I would never think that's their intention to "steal" someone's watch while under CCTV. Especially, in my son's case, it's clearly NOT expensive by any means. Another time, my wife's cell phone, which I asked the agent to help looking under the machine, again found on the floor. Since then, I put everything into my carry on bag (if I carried one) before going to x-ray, no more lose item. |
For what it’s worth, one of the TSA agents in a PreCheck lane said that Rolexes are one kind of watch which is more likely to set off the metal detector. (And, I wasn’t wearing one; nor, do I own one.) So, based on the information from the TSA agent, I would be inclined to be less suspicious about the incidents you’ve relayed which occurred at Heathrow. It is entirely possible that the security folks were simply trying to prevent the watches from setting off the metal detector. |
Found a fitbit and charging cable on the floor at T3 security withing 2 seconds last week. Stay there for an hour and you might find a rolex or ipad.
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Well it was once known as Thiefrow...
That aside it must be one of the most heavily surveilled locations on the planet, surely nobody would be stupid enough to steal there. Having said that, my watch goes in the pocket of my carry on when i pass through security. Not worth the risk. |
Originally Posted by Infinite Possibilities
(Post 30037549)
For what it’s worth, one of the TSA agents in a PreCheck lane said that Rolexes are one kind of watch which is more likely to set off the metal detector........ |
Indeed - had the same problem with a £5 belt at T5 security. The only reason I was so keen to get it back was that my trousers were falling down. |
Straight after check in I put wallet/watch/smartphone inside hand luggage in one go and take the plastic bag with liquids out, problem solved.. |
Asking people to remove watches - especially metallic ones - is common across airports and there is frankly no reason to wait till it first sets the alarm if you know it will. theft at security checkpoints was (and possibly still is) quite common at US airports where you didn’t use to need to show a bp to go through and can exit immediately. Two accomplices, one before and one after an expensive looking target. First one goes through (usually wearing a cap or so to hide as much as possible from cameras) smoothly but slowly. The one behind the victim has very few things to take off but goes to the security gate after the victim has emptied their first expensive possessions but before them. They set the alarm and ‘realise’ they have forgotten their belt, then their keys etc wasting as much time as possible, thereby enabling accomplice no1 to disappear with anything worthwhile amongst the victim’s possessions and disappear. Accomplice no2 then goes through and disappears (with his/her own property) before anyone realises what happened. there were sadly lots of victims in the late 90s early 2000s but hopefully the extra checks now will have made this rarer. |
I'd be more concerned about a very expensive watch that could get damaged by putting it on a tray..
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Originally Posted by Great_circle
(Post 30038105)
Straight after check in I put wallet/watch/smartphone inside hand luggage in one go and take the plastic bag with liquids out, problem solved.. |
The only place that seems to get stroppy about watches is Heathrow. I stick mine in my bag every time now.
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I thought watches, like belts, had always to be removed and placed in the trays at security screening using metal detectors.
I do not have a watch, but I have a silver bracelet and a necklace that can set the alarm off, so I put them in a pocket of my bag while queuing and wear them back on as soon as I am on the other side. |
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