Foreign Secondary Screening?
 

Just came back from MEX via ATL this week, and as I experienced in BJX a few times a while back, the locals had set up a secondary that tossed the carryon items of most passengers. This time, I managed to slip by the jet bridge search unscathed, but the gal with the clipboard checking documents for the 5th time was a bit miffed when I tried to ignore her.

Where else has the routine second layer of an abundance of caution?

LHR had something similar a few years back.

I experienced this at HKG a few years ago.. They were specifically looking for (and tossing) liquids (like water bottles bought in the terminal, etc...), apparently on instruction from the US government. I have heard similar stories from others.

'Most' foreign countries with non-stop flights to the US have aggressive secondary searches for US bound pax because the US government has threatened to turn back their planes if they don't do as our government demands.

This is actually a US Federal Requirement, which long pre-dates September 11th. It applies to US-based carriers only. The foreign carriers have much more leeway.

All flights to the US have a variety of specific rules, based on the risk category of the foreign airport. Certain airports overseas (particularly in Europe) are designated as Category "X" or "Extraordinary Risk."

In some cases, there is mandatory secondary screening: bag inspection and frisking for all passengers at the gate (this was the case at Brussels for quite some time.) In other cases (Frankfurt) there is sometimes a specific second checkpoint on the concourse for all US-bound passenger only. In most cases, (Paris, Sao Paulo, for example) there is random secondary screening at the gate for US-bound flights (frisking, bag inspection, explosive swabbing.) In all cases, there may be specific screening for selectees.

All European and South American airports require passengers to undergo two interviews: prior to check-in and at the gate.

Many foreign airports have 100% liquid screening (Tel Aviv, Hong Kong), but do not typically have frisking or explosive detection at the gate or on the Jetway.

If you're flying on a non-US airline, you may still be asked to submit to an interview (Air France does this for flights to Israel and the US), or some of the same random screenings may apply. In other instances (Cathay Pacific), there is liquid screening only.

This was going on in HKG in Nov, 2010.

Yet another reason to avoid US carriers. My only regret is giving up on the carrier serving cranberry juice as a free beverage. That seems to be an American thing for the most part.

As it has been said above, a US requirement on airlines with direct flights to the US.
Just the usual for the imperial demands on the provinces, oops, I mean other soveriegn nations

Note that this is most common on US carriers, not foreign carriers, flying to the US. Flying LH vs UA for instance is a different experience. Also note that the restrictions have been somewhat relaxed recently in some airports.

At MUC while flying UA for instance the process is along the lines of:
- 'interview' before check in which may be a few quick and sometimes bizarre questions such as 'do you have any electronics in your bag'. Often contract screeners who approach one in English and some struggle to speak German
- exit control
- another 'interview' at the entrance to the gate area for the UA flight which again is usually started in English, and which again consists of some odd questions such as 'what did you buy in the airport today?'
- no further check but at one time there were apparently further checks of carry on luggage and/or ones person in that area as there is still screening stations by the US departures gate. They may still perform random checks in the gate area.

For LH flights it is usually just the standard exit control.

Had this happen in MPTO to LAX on Copa. Waiting at the gate and these shady characters in uniform came and setup a table, theater line ropes, and had everyone check their carry ons. Open them up ruffle around (in plain view of the entire terminal I might ad) and carry on. None of them spoke a lick of English.

Funny thing was, we were on our way back from our honeymoon and I had been carrying my wife's bag (which was heavier), so I got the priceless look when they opened the bag I had to find nighties and lingerie. HA classic. Was almost worth the invasion of privacy.

Istanbul last weekend.

Advice: DO NOT fly Delta out of Istanbul. Choose a foreign carrier, even if it means connecting in London, Paris, Rome, or elsewhere. Avoid Delta.

Istanbul has the (normal for that part of the world) airport security check just to enter the terminal. X-Ray and WTMD. For Delta flights, you again have to pass through an x-ray and WTMD at the gate. Normally, this is no big deal EXCEPT it was quite understaffed a bit over an hour before departure, resulting in a 15 minute wait just to get through.

Each passenger that went through the WTMD was then wanded with a HHMD, and a partial pat-down. What do they expect to find with the HHMD? You just went through a metal detector?

At that point, the were pulling almost every passenger for a secondary. 90+ percent of the passengers. Swab the bags for explosive trace, then a full pat-down. ANd you were forced to sign a sheet of paper indicating that you'd been given a "random" secondary (taking 90% of the passengers is NOT "random").

Took about 25 minutes to clear security at the gate including waiting time. Even the guy sitting next to me in J remarked about the intrusive security.

On the way to my gate, Turkish Airlines was boarding their IAD flight - with no special gate rape.

Oh, and to top it off, TSA flagged me for a secondary at JFK at the Customs checkpoint. Said "the machine" (WTMD) had flagged me for same.

Honestly, if they are not in an English speaking country I cannot take issue with them not speaking English.

I think that it is an insult that the contract screeners in certain countries cannot speak the native language there however and assume that people boarding a US carrier bound for the US are English as primary language speakers. Several in Germany who do the UA interviews cannot speak German well enough to conduct the silly interview questions and several more use American slang and get huffy if passengers do not understand.

Eh? TSA doesn't run customs checkpoints, nor are there WTMDs at the customs checkpoint.

After you exit Customs you must pass through a TSA checkpoint to enter the concourse. At JFK, you have an option to exit the terminal or return to the concourse. At other airports, like ATL and CVG, you must go through a TSA checkpoint to even leave the airport. (noted that some folks have cowed the airport/TSA into an individual exception at CVG and possibly ATL, but it is a rare exception rather than the rule.)

The funny thing though is that there are no questions when you fly domestically in the US. That is just a normal flight with no questions etc (well except for the few times TSA chooses to run a secondary inspection at the gate). I have never understood the massive security theater when flying to the US from a foreign airport on a US carrier. When I flew into LAX from CDG on Air France it was pretty relaxed. The gate agent just asked me what I was doing in the US (studying) and wanted to see my visa and my I20. When she saw that she just handed me the customs declearation form and I94 and that was it.

Well I can understand people who choose other destinations than the US nowadays. If you need to apply for a visa you need to go to an interview where you (depending on your situation) may be asked questions like the police does. Here you also submit your 10 fingerprints. When you get to the airport you may be asken the same questions, but the theater does not stop there. At port of entry you again undergo an interview and again you submit your fingerprints and get your photo taken. The US government still does not know why the tourist numbers go down.... Well the reason is simply that they presume all foreigners are criminals who seek to harm the USA.

Edit:
The attitudes of the US government does not apply to Americans in general whom I find very friendly and including. When I was new here I really didn't have much contact with other people, then one day I heard a party and I just thought well the worst thing which can happen is a NO, so I knocked on the door and they say I could just come in. Now I hang out with them regulary and they are all very friendly and nice people. :) If just the US government would change their attitudes and act like ordinary Americans things would be much, much better.