Racist Abuse By Security @ Dusseldorf Airport
Jan 28, 2019, 7:51 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 18
Racist Abuse By Security @ Dusseldorf Airport
Having spent an enjoyable weekend in Koln I went to Dusseldorf Airport to fly home to London on BA. At about 11.30 am I passed through the Security for Gate B35. All was normal, watch, boots, coat, fleece, hat, laptop outside, etc., all had to go in trays - until an aggressive security guy told me in German (which I do not speak) that I had put my walking boots in the wrong tray..I thought I'd misheard him and asked him tell me where they needed to go in English please. He then said - in a sarcastic tone "I can see you are English by your face" - I thought that that was an unnecessary and racist remark. I then had to go through the X-ray machine, I did not like that because I have prostate cancer and radiation is not good for me. After that I then asked for a supervisor to complain about the racist remark. But then another security guy turned up and demanded that he body search me. During this he demanded that my jeans belt be undone and my flies be opened, so that then my jeans fell down exposing my underpants. He then fully and extensively body-patted me included fondling my genitals. I deemed this to be sexual assault. In fact he did this 3 times. I had made a complaint about a member of staff and they were giving me the works - b######s. Meanwhile the police were called - but they stood around doing nothing. I complained again about the racist remark. Suddenly no-one could speak English. One police-women took my passport away, and asked if I wanted to make a report. I said yes, and I was allowed to write a few words in her diary!!? During all of this the racist guy kept my laptop - I thought he was going to damage it or refuse to give it back. He then swabbed it but that came back negative. When I had to ask him for it back I said was he going to apologise for his racist remark to me. He said no and that he was a racist. I was then allowed to leave. This incident has upset me a lot - I thought Germans were not racist. They are. And it is disgraceful and unprofessional that a member of the Airport Security should be racist towards English airline passengers, and to admit this in front of his colleagues and the Airport Police (who did nothing).
Last edited by ChrisJBrady; Jan 28, 2019 at 7:56 am
Jan 28, 2019, 9:19 am
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: DFW
Posts: 28,083
Anyone can be racists against anyone else. It doesn't matter what their race or culture is.
Would it have been ok if you were some other nationality?
And it is disgraceful and unprofessional that a member of the Airport Security should be racist towards English airline passengers,
Jan 28, 2019, 9:51 am
#3
Join Date: May 2009
Location: South Park, CO
Programs: Tegridy Elite
Posts: 5,678
Really? Why is that?
Sorry you had this happen to you. Unfortunately one finds reports of negative incidents with security screening personnel at many airports around the world. Sometimes it's motivated by prejudice and sometimes they treat everyone badly. In any case, are you looking for advice on where to follow-up with your concerns? Or something else?
Sorry you had this happen to you. Unfortunately one finds reports of negative incidents with security screening personnel at many airports around the world. Sometimes it's motivated by prejudice and sometimes they treat everyone badly. In any case, are you looking for advice on where to follow-up with your concerns? Or something else?
Jan 31, 2019, 6:38 am
#5
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Greensboro
Programs: TSA
Posts: 2,424
You can file feedback with the airport directly. I am uncertain if the feedback left here will be addressed directly.
DUS feedback
DUS feedback
Feb 1, 2019, 6:11 am
#6
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
About the notion of racism in Germany, there are plenty of racists and racial prejudices in play when interacting with airport authorities of various sorts in Germany too. And not so rarely these sorts may also have sexist prejudices in play too. There are also various kinds of xenophobic and ethno-national prejudices still in play.
Feb 1, 2019, 7:12 am
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: DFW
Posts: 28,083
Indeed. But I’m wondering why the screener would even make such a ridiculous comment, although undoubtedly there are some soccer hooligans who can take things to ridiculous levels and there probably are some soccer hooligans sympathizers or critics — may be circumstance-dependent — who work in variiis sorts of jobs including that of screeners.
About the notion of racism in Germany, there are plenty of racists and racial prejudices in play when interacting with airport authorities of various sorts in Germany too. And not so rarely these sorts may also have sexist prejudices in play too. There are also various kinds of xenophobic and ethno-national prejudices still in play.
I've wondered if perhaps the screener may have not expressed themselves well in English. OP stated s/he had poor use of German, why isn't the opposite possible?
Also, only one side of the interaction is presented, wonder what the other side would say?
Feb 1, 2019, 12:54 pm
#8
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: SAN
Posts: 284
Maybe the screener was annoyed at being asked to speak English dependent on the OP's tone and possibly the impression that the English travel and expect everyone else to speak English.
I've come across English people prejudiced against Germans but this was primarily older people and due to memories of WW2.
It sounds like everything escalated after the initial interaction.
Not sure what you can do other than to file a complaint. Also not sure why the OPs thinks the entire German population is not racist. Just like every population I'm sure there are plenty of Germans that are racist.
I've come across English people prejudiced against Germans but this was primarily older people and due to memories of WW2.
It sounds like everything escalated after the initial interaction.
Not sure what you can do other than to file a complaint. Also not sure why the OPs thinks the entire German population is not racist. Just like every population I'm sure there are plenty of Germans that are racist.
Feb 1, 2019, 3:38 pm
#9
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: NT Australia
Programs: QF WP
Posts: 4,159
If you’re going to complain, people wiser than me on here would probably comment the following
1) try and limit the emotion and stick with verifiable facts
2) the full body scanner doesn’t expose you to any ionising radiation (millimetre wave), and if radiaton exposure is your concern you’re exposed to significantly more in a few minutes on the plane due to cosmic rays than you ever would be by the scabner
3) the writing in the policeman’s notebook thing is common practice including in the UK, especially if the matter isn’t going to be pursued- if it is going to be usually you have to attend a station to sign a statement, obviously not that easy if you’re about to miss your flight
1) try and limit the emotion and stick with verifiable facts
2) the full body scanner doesn’t expose you to any ionising radiation (millimetre wave), and if radiaton exposure is your concern you’re exposed to significantly more in a few minutes on the plane due to cosmic rays than you ever would be by the scabner
3) the writing in the policeman’s notebook thing is common practice including in the UK, especially if the matter isn’t going to be pursued- if it is going to be usually you have to attend a station to sign a statement, obviously not that easy if you’re about to miss your flight
Feb 12, 2019, 9:00 pm
#10
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: California
Programs: AA EXP...couple hotels and cars too
Posts: 4,548
OP is English, as in "lives in the UK"? Is that a race?
The Germans who were abusing him... all Germans? is that a race?
Or are they all (both) white, hence the same race?
Im not sure 'racist' is the right word....
The Germans who were abusing him... all Germans? is that a race?
Or are they all (both) white, hence the same race?
Im not sure 'racist' is the right word....
Feb 16, 2019, 3:29 pm
#11
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: USA
Posts: 1,400
Mar 28, 2019, 12:03 am
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Capetown
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Plat, IHG and Hilton Diamond, LH SEN, BA Gold
Posts: 10,163
I have experienced scenes comparable to this more than once at the DUS B Gates. Not a good experience but I try to offer a bit of background information as a regular to DUS and to the Gate the OP was heading to.
Probably only.a few of the staff (close to none) at DUS B Gates are German, most are Turks or of ME origin. Most of the English native speakers head to the two non-Schengen gates for London bound flights. All other B gates are Schengen gates which tells a bit about the dominating language at the B Gates.
Quite frequently harsh discussions emerge as these agents do speak poor Englisch and several of our friends heading to B33 and B35 speak nothing but their native language. Staff their has a certain (cultural) attitude of loving to excercise power and quite a few travelers heading to the said gates have a certain (cultural) attitude of being snobby and expect everybody to speak their native language, an expectation they cannot take for granted. This sometimes provokes cultural clashes.
The OP, obviously trying even to invent an English race, appears to fit pretty well into this pattern of experience. And, true, being British myself, it does not take a aweful lot, to identify somebody as London bound or based at the DUS B Gates.
Probably only.a few of the staff (close to none) at DUS B Gates are German, most are Turks or of ME origin. Most of the English native speakers head to the two non-Schengen gates for London bound flights. All other B gates are Schengen gates which tells a bit about the dominating language at the B Gates.
Quite frequently harsh discussions emerge as these agents do speak poor Englisch and several of our friends heading to B33 and B35 speak nothing but their native language. Staff their has a certain (cultural) attitude of loving to excercise power and quite a few travelers heading to the said gates have a certain (cultural) attitude of being snobby and expect everybody to speak their native language, an expectation they cannot take for granted. This sometimes provokes cultural clashes.
The OP, obviously trying even to invent an English race, appears to fit pretty well into this pattern of experience. And, true, being British myself, it does not take a aweful lot, to identify somebody as London bound or based at the DUS B Gates.
Last edited by Flying Lawyer; Mar 28, 2019 at 12:10 am
Mar 30, 2019, 1:18 pm
#14
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: NYC
Programs: AA 2MM, Bonvoy LTT, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 14,635
Confused about OP post.
Is there special security screening for GATE B35? I fly DUS-LON several times a year and only go thru border control for that gate. General security screening serves all Pier B gates.
Normal process is everyone goes thru millimeter wave scanner so OP wasn't singled out in having to go thru the "X-ray machine."
Is there special security screening for GATE B35? I fly DUS-LON several times a year and only go thru border control for that gate. General security screening serves all Pier B gates.
Normal process is everyone goes thru millimeter wave scanner so OP wasn't singled out in having to go thru the "X-ray machine."
Apr 2, 2019, 3:16 pm
#15
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: NW London and NW Sydney
Programs: BA Diamond, Hilton Bronze, A3 Diamond, IHG *G
Posts: 6,343
I have to say that security at German airports is often painful. In the past 2-3 years I have increased the amount I fly around Europe and generally I have the exact same things in my carry-on for all flights, it's only in Germany where it gets sent for manual inspection 9 out of 10 times while everywhere else including northern, southern and eastern Europe it just sails through. They never find anything but usually decide to do a swab, which is a complete waste of resources.
They also always want to do a pat down, but they always start with "Deutsch? English?" and I have not seen any racism (real or imagined).
One time I got confused because LHR told me to leave my ipad in my bag, then when I was connecting in FRA I left it in, the screener had to call the police, and when I asked him why he said the policeman was his boss and he wasn't allowed to let me take it out of the bag once it had been through the x-ray.
They also always want to do a pat down, but they always start with "Deutsch? English?" and I have not seen any racism (real or imagined).
One time I got confused because LHR told me to leave my ipad in my bag, then when I was connecting in FRA I left it in, the screener had to call the police, and when I asked him why he said the policeman was his boss and he wasn't allowed to let me take it out of the bag once it had been through the x-ray.