FliesWay2Much

Been overseas for a week or so. Started out at IAD on UAL. A couple of surprises --

My bag was NOT screened landside! For quite a while, there has been the screening machine across from the UA/Air Canada Star Alliance counters where you can observe them. But, the gate agent put my bag on the conveyor and away it went! Being true to myself, I locked it. It arrived at SVO in one piece without having been broken into. WHEW!

While boarding, a band of screeners descended on our line and picked a guy right in front of me for a "gate rape." Since I wasn't expecting them, I didn't notice their MO or where they came from. I'll be more observant next time and report my observations.

At SVO, ALL baggage is screened landside before you check in. Highly advanced, these Russians! At FRA, you go through a very German frisking and carry-on screening before you get to the North American departure gates. -- no 4th amendment, so one puts up with it.

Returning home, immigration and customs at IAD was quite civilized and professional. I stopped and asked a customs officer about bringing back packaged, but refrigerated, caviar. I got a straight answer.

Cheers -- FW2M

bdschobel

A gang of screeners descended on my flight yesterday ATL-EWR. They didn't select me, but the people who were selected were obviously pretty unhappy about it. That was my only flight with gate checks out of 8 over a 9-day period.

Bruce

Spiff

Both of my flights yesterday were plagued with disgusting random harassment at the gate. Thankfully, I was not selected for this abuse either time.

My patience with James Loy is wearing very thin. He has acknowledged how stupid this procedure is and how much the passengers hate it but it has still not been eliminated.

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"Give me Liberty or give me Death." - Patrick Henry

porkyboy

Though they have eliminated the routine gate screening, someone in their infinite wisdom decided that "random" gate checks would be a good thing. I call them drive by shootings. Regardless, I think it is a part of the seeming desire to be unpredictable so possible bad guys can't figure out the system.
I know that the screeners doing it, for the most part, are not real eager to be on the hit squad. They too seem to think it is an annoyance and would rather not be so intrusive. You'd be surprised what some of the screeners will tell you if you ask the right question.

FliesWay2Much

As I think back on my experience, does anybody know if they have busted in on any airside Red Carpet Clubs or Crown Rooms anywhere? I'd assume they would not be out of bounds for our intrepid TSA...

tsadude

I have experienced German security first hand also about 22 years ago as a private. When I came back to the states I thought that the airport security was bad then and we would be in trouble some day. I was not the only one who thought this. Many spoke up, but the airlines always cried about going out of business. It really didn't matter in the end for those folks who died.

richard

tsadude, here is the fallacy of your whole argument (among others, but this is the biggie.) How do you know that if airport security had been better, there would have been no 9/11 tragedy? Perhaps there would have been one anyway. Or something worse. Or something else entirely but also bad.

The lunacy here is that there is something special and unique about airplanes and airports. If a terrorist is a terrorist then he can do his thing anywhere there is a crowd.

Louie_LI

Airport security before 9/11 may have had its flaws, but why can't anyone remember that the boxcutters were, at that time, *allowed* on the plane. There was no breach of the then-current security when they let those cutters through.

Screening for explosives in domestic checked luggage should have been implemented years ago.

What I can never understand is why the US, advanced as it is, cannot figure out how to improve security without driving everyone crazy. Other countries seem to be able to do it.

porkyboy

I think a lot of it is because of our culture. Other countries are more willing to impose draconian measures and citizens just go with the flow. Americans' outrage at any intrusion on their personal freedoms make it more difficult and it seems worse than it really is because of all the hand wringing and wailing about loss of perceived rights.
It is the reaction of the citizenry that may make the difference. Americans revel in being imposed upon and having their comfort zone invaded.