Airport Security

[said]

Up early in the morning, panic to get to the airport in the event of traffic hold ups - you eventually arrive, join a long queue, at last you put your bags on the conveyer belt, breathe a sigh of relief when the weight does not incur more expense and onto security.

Holding on to your bottle of much needed water to quench your thirst you empty out your pockets to the amusement of those standing behind you in the queue, you glance at the security guy and notice he is frowning. Here it comes..................

"Sorry Sir, your liquid allowance does not allow for such a large bottle"
"Why? it is only water?"
"Safety reasons, sir. It could be used for incendiary purposes, or bomb making equipment. You are only allowed a small bottle - the container may have explosive liquid in it."
"But, but....oh, well" you shrug you shoulders, and allow the security guy to take the bottle from you, where he drops it in the bin next to him, and you go on your way. Then it dawns on you? That guy has just taken my 'bomb' and put it in the bin right next to him - along with all the other confiscated ' bombs' - in the most densely populated area of the airport?? On the premise of taking my water?

[MICK/GILLY]

I used to work as a courier in Liverpool and had a drop off at Liverpool airport. When I arrived at the front I noticed the taxis parked on the right side of the airport as you go in and there was a sign for deliveries. I had to go up to a barrier and call in on the intercom and once this was done I got access to a service yard around the side.
I loaded 12 great big boxes onto 2 cages and started looking for Ryan air as the boxes contained staff uniforms, but I had to get through the service door into the airport on the right-hand side of the airport.
I thought this should be easy I will just go into the airport and drop them at one of their desks but I didn’t know how to get through the service door as I had no code or idea. There were other delivery guys there going in and out so I pushed one big cage and pulled another towards this door and asked someone to hold it open as I went in.
After I got through I walked from one end of the airport to the other with these 2 cages and big boxes unchallenged and found a Ryan air desk and they told me that they could not accept the delivery and I would have to take it back through the doors into the yard and into the offices ( all restricted ) around the other side of the airport so I struggled with this great big load back to the door that was now locked and coded and now I was stuck on the inside.
There was only one thing for it I had to quickly leave 12 great big boxes in 2 cages UNATTENDED IN AN AIRPORT while I went out of the BIG front doors around the side THEN UNDER THE BARRIER and got someone outside waiting in the service yard to let me back in and hold the door so I could get the cages back out again into the yard.
I found some staff and explained I had a delivery and by the coded door a shutter rattled open and I passed them through, ( they were checked and received properly by security ) then I went through and got signatures from them but on the way back to the van I ended up airside and walked back past some guard checking passports of people on a flight that had just landed and he told me I shouldn’t be there.
So basically I could have marched 2 cages with 12 boxes of explosives from one end of the airport to the other. Just a normal day .

[bensherman]

Up early in the morning, panic to get to the airport in the event of traffic hold ups - you eventually arrive, join a long queue, at last you put your bags on the conveyer belt, breathe a sigh of relief when the weight does not incur more expense and onto security.

Holding on to your bottle of much needed water to quench your thirst you empty out your pockets to the amusement of those standing behind you in the queue, you glance at the security guy and notice he is frowning. Here it comes..................

"Sorry Sir, your liquid allowance does not allow for such a large bottle"
"Why? it is only water?"
"Safety reasons, sir. It could be used for incendiary purposes, or bomb making equipment. You are only allowed a small bottle - the container may have explosive liquid in it."
"But, but....oh, well" you shrug you shoulders, and allow the security guy to take the bottle from you, where he drops it in the bin next to him, and you go on your way. Then it dawns on you? That guy has just taken my 'bomb' and put it in the bin right next to him - along with all the other confiscated ' bombs' - in the most densely populated area of the airport?? On the premise of taking my water?

The reason they can do that is that in the original intercepted terrorist attempts, the bombers had a plan where one took on the plane a liquid and the other a compound ( not a chemist) which when mixed formed an explosive. Neither on their own could cause an explosion.
So they simply will not let you take liquids on for that reason.

[*concerned*]

Security taking away 'pointy things' yet once through,you could have access to METAL cutlery at almost any food outlet!

[Alikado]

The reason they can do that is that in the original intercepted terrorist attempts, the bombers had a plan where one took on the plane a liquid and the other a compound ( not a chemist) which when mixed formed an explosive. Neither on their own could cause an explosion.
So they simply will not let you take liquids on for that reason.

Most restrictions have now been lifted now new scanners have been installed with the exceptions of Manchester and Heathrow who are lagging behind.

[said]

The reason they can do that is that in the original intercepted terrorist attempts, the bombers had a plan where one took on the plane a liquid and the other a compound ( not a chemist) which when mixed formed an explosive. Neither on their own could cause an explosion.
So they simply will not let you take liquids on for that reason.

But they would confiscate both and dump them in the same bin where they had the potential to mix and then

[The PNP]

Reminds me of a restaurant last year (Witherspoons I think) where they had no wooden cocktail sticks/toothpicks, for health and safety reasons!

[bensherman]

But they would confiscate both and dump them in the same bin where they had the potential to mix and then

No

They would be in separate containers but the second part is not a liquid so may well go through, but be useless without the first

In any event, given that this restriction has been known about for years, why would you take a bottle of water in? You can take an empty bottle and fill it at the drink fountains on the other side.

[said]

Security taking away 'pointy things' yet once through,you could have access to METAL cutlery at almost any food outlet!

Good point (Excuse the pun)