How many security checks are enough?
 

I was returning from Beijing through Narita to Atlanta and was "felt up" and had my luggage checked:

1) Upon entry to the secure area in Beijing
2) Upon entry to the jetway in Beijing
3) After exiting the flight to Narita (before getting to the gate area)
4) Upon entry to the jetway in Narita
5) Upon exit of immigration/customs in Atlanta before my flight back home.

Exactly what weapon or other dangerous material was I suppose to have picked up between the jetway in Beijing and exiting the plane in Narita?

Those are the Layerz Of Security™ protecting you like a warm fuzzy blanket. :rolleyes:

Durian? :p

Well certain Airports dont have as good security. The good example is how the Christmas Day bomber got his explosives on the flight.

Better to be safe the sorry...

You think that was a lot, try flying El Al sometime...

:rolleyes:

You mean where the security people are professional and courteous (and Dovester says they're hot)? :p

Well, yes... But these security checks do nothing to make us safe. So what does that leave us with?

How many security checks are enough? Well the OP had five and lived to get home to complain about them. ;)

So five apparently work, but the necessary number is less than or equal to five. :D

Sounds a lot like the TSA background checks....:eek:

3/5 are standard while 2/5 are not necessary IMHO but given those 2 were international flights the departing country would probably prefer not to seen as lax on searches if an incident occurs. Of course my comment is not a judgement on the effectiveness of those additional searches.

1) Upon entry to the secure area in Beijing
Std airport security ...

2) Upon entry to the jetway in Beijing
International flight "extra layer" - some would say not needed if primary was "good enough"

3) After exiting the flight to Narita (before getting to the gate area)
Std airport security for international PAX entering the airport and transferring to another flight

4) Upon entry to the jetway in Narita
International flight "extra layer" - some would say not needed if primary was "good enough"

5) Upon exit of immigration/customs in Atlanta before my flight back home.
Std airport security for international PAX entering the airport and transferring to another flight

In all seriousness one never knows theses days ...

I suppose 5 wasn't really enough times because I never felt all warm and fuzzy inside.

AMS was screening US bound flights to TSA's standards. If AMS doesn't have good security, what does that say about the rest of the US? @:-)

Whatever it says, it's an accurate statement about security theater.

1) Beijing feel-up. Happens to just about everybody. PEK has its WTMD's set way too sensitive and it's been that way for just about...the past decade. I've tried going through with no metal (not even an underwire and wearing flip-flops--still dings the detector). The feel-ups aren't the gropey-type though. :)
2) Only happens on a flight to the USA, or a flight to anywhere on a US airline. The rest of the time this normally doesn't take place at PEK.
3) Always present for transit passengers in Narita no matter what airline or destination. This has also been in place for a long time, way before 9-11-2001. Some other Asian airports (i.e HKG) also instituted this procedure for intl transit passengers.
4) See 2). Normally doesn't happen to the rest. And often I don't see Narita jetway security at all. Must have been your lucky day, or a new procedure.
5) Welcome to America! Same for the rest of us, unless not connecting to another flight and exiting the airport of entry.

Basically, no country trusts any other country's security. Either that, or they need to keep vast numbers of their nationals employed in the local version of Security Theatre.

At many airports yes, but this was ATL. There the exit from Customs is into the main terminal and you have to travel a mile thru it to the street exit. So everyone gets TSA'd, even those terminating at ATL. A much delayed and over budget new International terminal is supposed to open in a year or two or three, giving arrivals a choice of street exit or going to the main terminal.

There are times when I've been through aiport screening 3 times within 90 minutes. Leaving CBR for the US.
CBR checkpoint > flight to SYD
SYD checkpoint
extra US bound random check