meiji

I would assume the first paragraph is written with tongue firmly in cheek but I could be wrong.

He does have one point though, as right or wrong as the rules are, they're set in stone and widely published and arguing against them at the airport seems a bit stupid.

Xyzzy

I've been forced to put my DSLR camera inside my one bag. I was told that it was not okay to have it around my neck.

thegoderic

These are minimum wage jobs, and this post just goes to confirm the maxim that if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys.

Petrus

Seconded ^
Seems to me it is a class issue. It is a clash of the poor working class versus the affluent and succesful which occurs in a highly stressful environment. A little far fetched yes, but I think you see what I mean.

Blame The Socialists.

Go Sarkozy! (a little OT )

1995hoo

Thanks. I put it in there when I packed last night and it fit OK, so hopefully I should be fine. Going out of IAD tonight it won't likely be an issue anyway.


One point that the original post makes that I think is well-taken is the point about it not mattering how it's done in America. It's always embarrassing to see Americans abroad insisting that something should be done a certain way because that's how it's done at home. News flash: You're not at home! (That's not to say that the UK adopting many of the silly TSA rules is a good thing, mind you, or that "ONE BAG" is a good thing; rather, it's acknowledging reality. Nobody abroad cares whether the TSA lets you have a "personal item.")

Come to think of it, I wonder if there's linguistic confusion. American air travellers are accustomed to thinking of the "personal item" as not counting as a "carry-on bag," so "ONE BAG" doesn't register the way it should.

exerda

Mind you, their (the UK's) idiocy did force him to commit suicide.

youreadyfreddie

With any luck, Spinal Tap's single, long-suffering roadie will be intercepted by LHR Goon while trying to take the Stonehenge stage piece through LHR as a carry-on item in connection with the Live Earth gig at Wembley in July: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18298505/

Droneklax

Lovely post. You must be proud of your job.

Now, with a little luck, soon enough you'll be joining up unemployment lines (or is that queues?). It'll sure beat traumatizing old japanese ladies.

joewey

You're the man! ^ But eh?, that applies to all? No exeptions?

bocastephen

Thank for reinforcing my reasons for never flying to/from/through the UK. You can keep your stupid rules, I will keep my money.

birdstrike

Yep. ^

I love the UK. It is a beautiful place. As long as the one bag policy is in place you will not see me there.

Droneklax

I won't even address the logic. What does the rate have to do with anything?

It must be tough having to enforce rules one openly thinks are stupid; thousands of times a day, day in, day out.

I wonder why anyone would make a job out of it.

I'd rather work at McD's, assuming they'd take me, of course.

And for the record, your claiming that the rules are stupid doesn't make you less of an instrument.

infinityplusone

^ ^ ^ ^

GUWonder

That's no excuse. Even monkeys wouldn't come up with the kind of "security" insanity that has infected so many airports in the "civilized" world.

LHRGoon

The reason why we have to enforce the rules, as I probably didn't make clear, is that the D of T monitor BAA. They move around each terminal and snoop at the passengers to make sure they only have one bag when they go through the security machines. If there are "non compliant" passengers then the airport gets fined. The FCC (Flight Connections) was poorly run a few months ago and was threatened with closure 3 times. This was because the old staff refused to enforce the rules. If there is too much trouble there's been a rumour that the army will take over the running of the airport. Another rumour is something is happening on May 4th.

As to this being a minimum wage job and me being retarded. I'm 20 and don't want to go to University. Here in blighty it costs around £30k to get a degree. With the government pushing for 50% of the population to go to university it doesn't appeal to me much. I'm just saving like made and will try and start a business. If it fails i'll go to university as a mature. The pay is roughly £10 p/h. Isn't the worst paying job in the world.

And yes. I am starting to lose it. It isn't the greatest job in the world.

edits
Sorry. Musical instruments are allowed as an additional.
If you have a DSLR, it needs to be in the bag. We allow you to hold your laptop when you go through because you have to have it out to scan anyway.