bad experience at heathrow
Feb 20, 2012 | 12:21 pm
#1
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bad experience at heathrow
well it was partly my doing on the flight back sunday at heathrow airport i forgot my cell phone in my pocket when going through the metal detector but instead of letting me go back through without even asking me which i wanted he immedately starting patting me down very aggressively then used a metal wand detector on me very bad experience
Feb 20, 2012 | 3:41 pm
#2
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well it was partly my doing on the flight back sunday at heathrow airport i forgot my cell phone in my pocket when going through the metal detector but instead of letting me go back through without even asking me which i wanted he immedately starting patting me down very aggressively then used a metal wand detector on me very bad experience
A bad experience at LHR -- relative to the norm at LHR -- is when they shout. [Sometimes they are as bad or even worse than the TSA in terms of shouting.]
Feb 21, 2012 | 4:36 am
#4
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The most common way to handle passengers at LHR who go via the WTMD and have an alarm go off at the time: resolve the alarm, which involves pat-downs and/or metal wand detectors.
A bad experience at LHR -- relative to the norm at LHR -- is when they shout. [Sometimes they are as bad or even worse than the TSA in terms of shouting.]
A bad experience at LHR -- relative to the norm at LHR -- is when they shout. [Sometimes they are as bad or even worse than the TSA in terms of shouting.]
The lady behaved like I was setting myself up to be wanded just to irritate her. She didn't speak, just made vague indications with her wand, that I did not understand, and eventually, she told me angrily to "put that foot there!" (there was a small step, to put your foot on, so that they don't have to bend much to wand your shoe). OK, why not just say so? I'm not a mind reader, you know, and I'd never seen this setup before (not a road warrior, but not a novice flyer either).
I really thought, without even speaking she managed to be quite rude. However, I was on my way soon enough without any hands in pants or such...
DanishFlyer
Feb 21, 2012 | 7:44 am
#6
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well it was partly my doing on the flight back sunday at heathrow airport i forgot my cell phone in my pocket when going through the metal detector but instead of letting me go back through without even asking me which i wanted he immedately starting patting me down very aggressively then used a metal wand detector on me very bad experience
There's never any justification for security staff to be rude (although I imagine there are passengers whose behavior makes it understandable, I'm thinking someone Paris Hilton-ish here), but I don't think that the response of wanding you down once you've set off the WTMD is an unreasonable response.
Feb 21, 2012 | 9:23 pm
#7
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Once at LHR I inadvertently forgot to remove from my pockets a pouch with loose change--this set off the "detector"; I placed the pouch on the belt, and even though I did not set off the detector on my second pass--they still did wanding and a pat down.
Even TSA would not do a pat down under the same circumstances.
Even TSA would not do a pat down under the same circumstances.
Feb 21, 2012 | 9:32 pm
#8
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Pete, who has made many a grandmother's day
Feb 21, 2012 | 10:40 pm
#9
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There seems to be no "second chances" at LHR.
1) Forgot to take my cellphone out of pocket. Beep. I showed them my cell phone, they acknowledged it, went through again sans said phone and didn't beep, but they still did a pat down.
2) Forgot to take my liquid baggie out of luggage. They saw it on the monitor and then they pulled it out. They then did a complete unpacking of my luggage in one of their private rooms. When I asked about this, they said it was SOP if someone forgets to take baggie out.
These have taken place at Terminal 1 withing the past year.
1) Forgot to take my cellphone out of pocket. Beep. I showed them my cell phone, they acknowledged it, went through again sans said phone and didn't beep, but they still did a pat down.
2) Forgot to take my liquid baggie out of luggage. They saw it on the monitor and then they pulled it out. They then did a complete unpacking of my luggage in one of their private rooms. When I asked about this, they said it was SOP if someone forgets to take baggie out.
These have taken place at Terminal 1 withing the past year.
Feb 22, 2012 | 3:47 am
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2) Forgot to take my liquid baggie out of luggage. They saw it on the monitor and then they pulled it out. They then did a complete unpacking of my luggage in one of their private rooms. When I asked about this, they said it was SOP if someone forgets to take baggie out.
Feb 22, 2012 | 11:36 am
#11
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well it was partly my doing on the flight back sunday at heathrow airport i forgot my cell phone in my pocket when going through the metal detector but instead of letting me go back through without even asking me which i wanted he immedately starting patting me down very aggressively then used a metal wand detector on me very bad experience
Consider yourself lucky you weren't sent for a mandatory body scan.
Feb 23, 2012 | 3:31 am
#13
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That is unclear. I believe the selection clerks are under instructions not to select anyone obviously unable (arm in cast etc.) but of course this doesn't answer the question for people who are not obviously unable.
Feb 23, 2012 | 3:33 am
#14
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Yep. My mother has brought a bottle of Coke through LHR security three times (inadvertently in a rush) and it wasn't noticed.
Feb 23, 2012 | 5:15 pm
#15
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yea i guess i brought it on myself by forgetting my cellphone in my pocket it was my first time being patted down by the tsa just made me feel really uncomfortable when i was at JFK on the way to LHR i forgot my watch when going the through WTMD and sounded the alarm they just simply allowed me to take off the watch and walk through the WTMD again