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Security in Oz is too cute
So I'm flying out of BNE to CHC, and I pass security and they want to see my bag. The woman says in a loud voice, "it looks like there is a bomb in there."
Heads turn. They show me the picture on the monitor and I say, "hmmm. That looks like a couple bottles of lotion wrapped in a belt to me". So I open the bag FOR THEM and they see the bottles of lotion wrapped in a belt. "Sorry sir, I thought it was a bomb", again in a loud voice. I love Oz! |
Originally Posted by stimpy
So I'm flying out of BNE to CHC, and I pass security and they want to see my bag. The woman says in a loud voice, "it looks like there is a bomb in there."
Heads turn. They show me the picture on the monitor and I say, "hmmm. That looks like a couple bottles of lotion wrapped in a belt to me". So I open the bag FOR THEM and they see the bottles of lotion wrapped in a belt. "Sorry sir, I thought it was a bomb", again in a loud voice. I love Oz! |
Yep, it was a pretty friggin far cry from from the TSA.
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Originally Posted by bambi47
Are you serious? A screener actually said that? And they showed you the screeen? I feel like I'm in the twilight zone.. :confused:
As far as showing the screen, I can understand your concern a little better, but seeing how your own property looks on an x-ray doesn't seem like such a big deal. I suppose if you really wanted to know, you could ask a medical facility to x-ray your bag for you and show you the film! Anyway, knowing what a bomb looks like (or what something that "looks like a bomb" looks like, which should be the same thing!) shouldn't be a national secret, should it? Bruce |
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You make a lot of sense, Bart. I wish the TSA had 45,000 more like you. Unfortunately, they don't!!! (Did you see my thread about the supervisor at EWR who told me that a blank complaint form is SSI and can't be given to a passenger?)
Bruce |
Originally Posted by bambi47
Are you serious? A screener actually said that? And they showed you the screeen? I feel like I'm in the twilight zone.. :confused:
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My point was just to highlight the differences between the TSA attitudes and Aussie attitudes. However the Aussies did make one signficant mistake in that after noting the suspicious item in my bag, they let ME open the bag to show it to them. What if I were a real suicide bombing terrorist? I might have detonated it right then and there.
Perhaps if I had appeared Arab or Muslim in their eyes they might have taken more precaution. But since I looked like one of them it was all routine. |
Originally Posted by bdschobel
I don't see your problem with this. The screener stated the simple fact that something looked like a bomb. That must happen every day. The TSA sees things that look like bombs, I'm sure. They don't shout about it, but what if they did? Would that change anything?
As far as showing the screen, I can understand your concern a little better, but seeing how your own property looks on an x-ray doesn't seem like such a big deal. I suppose if you really wanted to know, you could ask a medical facility to x-ray your bag for you and show you the film! Anyway, knowing what a bomb looks like (or what something that "looks like a bomb" looks like, which should be the same thing!) shouldn't be a national secret, should it? Bruce |
Originally Posted by Bart
Discretion is always key. Whenever you say the "b-word," you never know what type of reaction you're going to get. Might even start a panic.
The best and most professional way to handle it is to isolate the bag and its owner; initiate secondary procedures to confirm/deny the suspicion; explain to the owner what prompted the additional measures. All of this can be done quietly, professionally and discreetly. Besides avoiding an unnecessary public panic, the other aspect to consider is the owner's privacy. Some folks object to being placed in the "spotlight" unnecessarily, especially when it turns out to be a false alarm. And then there's the vigilante in the group who might overhear that the person in front of him might have a bomb inside the bag and decide to take matters into his hands by assaulting the person only to have it turn out to be nothing more than a couple bottles of lotion wrapped up by a belt. "SSI" is overused by both passengers and screeners alike. Sometimes, good ol' common sense, discretion and professionalism is what should drive the train when it comes to not broadcasting what may look like a bomb on the x-ray screen. You neglect to mention why it could cause a panic. I think it is because you've fetish-ized the word "bomb." It's obvious the Aussies don't have this problem. It's largely a problem the TSA has created. |
I travel through BNE every five or six weeks from Sydney and have never heard anything similar to that happening. For that matter, I have not heard it in any airport. However, I totally agree that the actions of this security officer could have created panic amongst other pax, and what if a Police Officer standing in close proximity was to hear this. I fear to think what might happen. Needless to say, a person working in such a sensitive area of security should be dismissed from her position. Its not training she lacks, its common sense.
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BNE are normally 50% stricter than SYD, I find. I have gone BNE-SYD-BNE-SYD-BNE in one day on a MR and had a lighter that looks like a spanner only picked up in BNE, and not even blinked at in SYD.
Although Sydney are sticklers for the "you must have a lid on your deodorant can" rule. |
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BNE are normally 50% stricter than SYD It didn't take me too many shakes of a lambs tail to conform to the drill of laptop removal along with pens, keys, coins, credit cards, belt and shoes to stop the return-to-go routine. I have asked the screeners to show me the minute amount of metal in my deck shoes in Brisbane, Rockhampton, Townsville and Cairns to make sure they weren't being playful with me, and they were all happy to oblige. |
Originally Posted by Maca44
I travel through BNE every five or six weeks from Sydney and have never heard anything similar to that happening. For that matter, I have not heard it in any airport. However, I totally agree that the actions of this security officer could have created panic amongst other pax, and what if a Police Officer standing in close proximity was to hear this. I fear to think what might happen. Needless to say, a person working in such a sensitive area of security should be dismissed from her position. Its not training she lacks, its common sense.
The speech fetish at airports today is a created problem, not a preexisting one. |
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