Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (BlackBerry; U; BlackBerry 9650; en-US) AppleWebKit/534.8+ (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/6.0.0.719 Mobile Safari/534.8+)

I'm sitting on an LH flight right now ready to push back in a few minutes. I just traversed the checkpoint for the T1 gates on my way within Europe.

I got to the checkpoint at 0843. When I was ready to line up on an aisle, the guy managing the lines moved the tape and motioned me and others off to the side into a completely different checkpoint they had just opened. It was 0850 and the line, although long, was moving quickly.

There was a woman who helped me do all the right things. The bins were right there via the "bowling ball return" system.

The employees didn't yell, intimidate, or threaten. Nobody was treated like a criminal. There was very little threat of theft, and zero threat from the screeners. They were dressed like corporate security personnel at any office bldg.


And, we kept shoes on.

What a refreshing experience.


But, I realize the Germans don't live in fear like we do in the U.S..

I can/will ditto that experience! Also they smile and are generally helpful!
Same can be said for Dubai International.

Thank Goodness ... there's a whole wide world of saneness outside of "paranoia-paradise" that you'll quickly discover

^ +100 times & thanks for the FRA report. Same can be said about other international cities in countries that are not viewed by America with democratic values and freedom that we've travel to on a periodic basis - SGN, MFM, HKG, PVG, CAN, etc. and while our neighboring Canada isn't much better, the Bermuda & Caribbean countries do not treat visitors, in fact, any arriving and departing passengers as if everyone is a wannabe terrorist and/or have criminal intents.

We have much bigger & serious problems here at home with drunk driving, child abuse, sexual predators, illegal weapons and drug abuses, etc. over catching the so called terrorists - and at least more than just a few of them wearing a uniform with a tin badge. Our multiple layers of security theater is NOT designed nor will prevent another 9/11 style suicidal terrorists - the next flashpoint in the news could be at a so called random checkpoint with Thousands Standing Around barking.

Sadly, America - take a look at tomorrow's SuperBowl, I called it obessive paranoia personified - no strollers, no bottles (not even those 3-1-1 style hand lotion) and no (empty) camera/binocular cases (worried about hidden C-4's minus its "activator" mechanism disguised & hidden in plain sight,) etc.

This country is digging itself deeper and deeper in a hole when we have repeated security lapses at the checkpoint, seized cupcakes "voluntarily surrendered" but waived 5 lbs. of C-4 (undeclared) thru, divert iPads into uniformed hidden pockets and latex-wrapped stolen cash, and dozing off on the job while pax "slipped" quietly away only to be recalled back to the gate, etc.

Our senior leadership inside the Capital Beltway considered these measures necessary out of an abundance of precaution, implying that it is consistent with his religious belief except that he hasn't really been to the church in 4 years - electing to worship at his transitional "residence." Arrrh, yes - the price of freedom (or lack, thereof.)

Went through FRA a few weeks ago on a Schengen transfer. Security was friendly and professional. My laptop had to come out of my EZ-Scan briefcase as they are not recognized in Germany (said the female security officer apologetically), but we had a nice exchange about it and she ended up asking if she could show my bag to a colleague of hers who had not seen one before. Meanwhile something in me buzzed the WTMD but I had a brief, civil secondary and was on my way in two minutes. No shoes off, no belt off, nobody touched me inappropriately, nobody looked like they were poised to steal my stuff. It was like we were... all adults. Very strange and different experience from someone used to TSA.

I likewise had a good experience at PEK. Even the jetway check was only a cursory look in the bag for water bottles.

Went through PRG a few months back and left my tablet in my laptop bag (took the laptop out). The guy running the machine apologized in broken english and personally walked my tablet around to the start of the machine and fed it in again. It's amazing how efficient the checkpoints run with only 3-4 people manning each one.

I guess all security in Western countries is "YMMV". I've transited FRA probably 100+ times since 2001 and while I've found it to be generally efficient and reasonably logically executed, for my SO it marks the worst experience she's had worldwide.

We went through c.2005 or so and she alarmed at the metal detector. She has a passion for, shall we say, expensive unmentionables and we discovered that a newly purchased harness contained enough underwire to alarm both the walkthrough metal detector and the wand. She was wisked away to a private room and I was forced to continue through immigration. While we were separated she was forced to strip, her harness was xrayed and then, completely topless, her breasts were "checked" by a female guard. She was then forced to remove her skirt and lower-body unmentionables (so she was mostly naked) so those could be xrayed and then she was patted down AGAIN by the same female guard but this time in the company of 4 or 5 male guards. While I'm biased I think it is safe to say that she's reasonable attractive by objective standards, at a minimum, and one really wonders about the motives of the male guards given that they were essentially watching a soft-core porn for free.

By the time she her clothes were returned to her and she found me just on the other side of immigration almost 2 hours had passed. Since we had been waiting in the landside Admiral's club for our flight and only left for security when the flight was called (as was the process at FRA for AA), we missed our flight and had to rebook for the next day. During that entire interval I could not get any information on her whereabouts nor could the AA agent I asked for assistance.

We are both fluent German speakers and have strong family and business connections in the area, however, she will not even consider transiting FRA for any reason now. Now we have to fly to AMS or BRU and drive/train to DE when travelling together. I still use FRA somewhat frequently but I go out of my way to not tell her fearing her understandable wrath.

Recently went through security at:

YYZ
FRA
LIS
BRU
AUH
ISB


Didn't have to take off shoes anywhere (lol@americans doing that automatically), although the deodorant caused security to check my carry-on in BRU, which was very pleasant. The security staff was courteous, even joked about the scanner being extra sensitive. It was a pleasant conversation.

I specifically avoided going through the US airline/airspace on my EU trips and beyond, even though they were a little cheaper. Can't be bothered to deal with TSA and the hassle of answering CBP questions, I'd rather just face the PassControlle just once and that too in EU.

I imagine many others (Canadians) doing the same, can't blame em.

Besides, traveling on EU carrier is much nicer I suppose.