Didnt think the security checks could possibly become any tougher. Terrorism is evil but do the US really need to apply more security to tourists, than Europe does? Arent they overreacting a bit? 😞
Reply to this Even the Terrorist who enters to the country as an is tourists .Its really not easy to identify the Terrorist and that's the reason the security Pearson are taking extra care all this just for the safety precautions.
Reply to this We flew from Heathrow to San Fran on Sunday. We allowed a bit of extra time at Heathrow for these extra security measures, but it seemed we were too organised. On checking in (one piece of carry on baggage strictly enforced, first time we've seen that!) we were told that we would be subjected to two full baggage and body searches, and that the gate would be opening 1h 45 early to give them time to do these extra checks. To we farewelled family early and headed through immigration etc. The first check was as per usual, bags and shoes through the x-ray machine, then walk through one ourselves. Then we sat and waited. And waited. The gate opened late. We were herded from one seating area to another, then finally our one carry on bag (remember, this was economy, the rules are more relaxed in higher classes, and wheeled bags were not allowed in economy) was searched and we were patted gently down. And that was it. And we left an hour late. So much for telling us to get there early. Oh yeah, and you are strapped to your seat for the last hour of the flight. No blankets, no bags, no trips to the toilet. Nothing. And if you are in the toilet for too long, they come along and knock on the door. And no congregating in groups anywhere, even in a queue for the toilets.
Our one concern was that the passport we used to enter the UK wasnt checked, only the one we were entering the US on. How do the Brits know we have left?!
Leaving San Fran for Auckland was easy, minimal checks, just the usual x-raying of bag and person.
Over the top? yes. Disorganised? very. Do we want to get blown up? no. We try not to transit through the US usually, but in this case we couldnt help it.
Reply to this I just heard on the news that security checks are not being upped in Germany. They didnt seem too bad, last time I was flying from and to Germany, but I think that depended on the passport and where I was flying from.
I wonder what it will be like next time with the new and increased security checks. I will be flying to and from the middle east with a child, which generally makes them take longer with the checking already.
Reply to this Sounds like security will be similar to the way it was in ... '06 after the liquid scare following the foiled plot in London to blow up an American Airlines flight. I was flying out of Heathrow to Seattle and experienced identical security measures to those observed by Karen and Colin (twotravelbugs). Multiple bag searches, pat-downs, etc. If it makes travelers feel better (or feel less prejudiced against) citizens traveling with U.S passports are treated the same way. When my flight finally landed on American soil I was greeted by a long line of armed soldiers with dogs commanding me to look forward and walk straight ahead, no talking. Welcome home!
I have three flights scheduled through the U.S in the next two weeks - two international and one domestic - so if anything extraordinary is occurring at the L.A, Atlanta or JFK airports I'll pass word on in this thread.
Reply to this My fiance is Customs and Border Patrol in U.S. In the course of a week they caught three people who made it into the U.S. from international flights strapped with explosives. Two flew in from Amsterdam on different flights. It is sad that this is happening because it just makes everyone scared and frustrated with the security. So in a way, these people are succeeding by making the U.S. suspicious and paranoid, making borders tighter and more hostile, and impeding upon everyone's freedom and right to travel.
Reply to this My fiance is Customs and Border Patrol in U.S. In the course of a week they caught three people who made it into the U.S. from international flights strapped with explosives.
Goodness me! That is extraordinary! I thought things like this are occasional incidents only.
Does anyone have an official news link stating the statistics for how often passangers arrive on flights to the US with explosives strapped to them?
Reply to this Woah, three people in a week! Is that a freaky week? Like Mel said, does anyone know how many are usually found?
Reply to this I completely agree with mell this kind of security laps on air port occasional incidents only.I hope this new year will be a peaceful safe year with no incedent like should be repeated .
Reply to this Excuse me, that is actually not correct it was two weeks. This is not common, which is why you see the security getting tighter now.
Reply to this There was only one incident reported in the news, at least the news that I got around to reading. It was shocking, because things like that dont usually happen.
Would you post the news links for the other 2 here Gabrielle. They would surely have been reported in the news. Things that serious usually are, arent they?
Reply to this Have you read that UK is finding ways to let us go again with liquids in our carry-on in the near future....simply because they found new ways to detect explosives on scanners. Hopefully this is the way to go...better scan meaning less troubles whe we go through security. But before scanners are up to date, nothing will happen.
If airport security were a mix of Heathrow, Hong Kong and Tel Aviv, things would be a lot more civilised. The better the technology become, the safest we will all be and the hopefully all this is a more civilized way.
What is interesting is the point that US are carrying about their inbound flights...no much about the outbounds...this is for me a crazy asumption to thinks danger is coming only from the outside...
Reply to this If airport security were a mix of Heathrow, Hong Kong and Tel Aviv, things would be a lot more civilised.
It will be great if some of the anti terrorist funds go towards making the security in other airports like this then.
Reply to this Detroit: http://wizbangblog.com/content/2009/12/25/christmas-day-terror-man-ignites-explosives-on-nw-flight-253-from-amsterdam-to-detroit.php
I didn't know about the scares in Cali and Minnesota...http://www.emoiz.com/tag/airport/
However, I didn't realize the other two were not reported. He told me about them because he read it on his law enforcement forum and called to tell me not to fly for the next couple weeks. I don't have access to that information.
Reply to this I would really love to see a meaningful and all-encompassing statistic about how much all this has really helped. Time lost, money spent on personnel and technology, productivity loss etc etc on one side - and the supposed benefits on the other. How many terrorists with bombs have been caught because of the extra measures that would not have been caught with the already tough measure of the past?
In an afterthought: Any smart terrorist would simply blow up a train anyway, rather than a plane...
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