Airport Security

[ericschand]

Originally Posted by fotze

Well in that other thread you mentioned you spoke hindi. I think we all know why you were searched.

A bit after 9/11, perhaps 2 months, I was travelling to Toronto, Boston,
and Vegas (for work). No, really. Vegas was for work!

I was travelling with a co-worker, who is caucasian.

I was pulled out of line in Calgary, Toronto, Boston, LA/SanFran (stop
over), and Vegas. Both on the way there, and on the way back.

My co-worker was more po'd than I was. He was not a happy camper
seeing the supposedly non-existant discrimination happening. "It's
your colour they see, nothing else." Yeah, but I'm hanging out with
a white-guy, doesn't that give some sort of immunity?!

Coincidentaly, since that trip, my interest in my rights and those rights
of others being trampled in the name of "safety" has gone up sharply.
I have yet to see something that has actually made us more safe.
All I see is them trying to keep a watchful eye on everything we do.
Worse in USA, but Canada isn't the best.

LA was actually because I kept setting off the alarm, and had my shoes
off (metal sole), holding up my pants without belt, and so on. I'm worried
about the whole "cavity" search thing, until he happened to wave the wand
over my building access card and it beeped...so he did it again. Then
had me go through the detector with card and without. Then called
the rest of the staff to show them that my card was setting it off,
getting a laugh with them all, and sending me on my way.

BTW, EasternGirl, when the crank who wants you to turn around gives
you some, I tell them that I'm wearing a belt for a reason, and considering
the belt, it ain't a fashion statement. It loosens them up, and I get
a few moments to tighten up.

I get all the fun in airports.

ers

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by ericschand

I was travelling with a co-worker, who is caucasian.

I was pulled out of line in Calgary, Toronto, Boston, LA/SanFran (stop
over), and Vegas. Both on the way there, and on the way back.

My co-worker was more po'd than I was. He was not a happy camper
seeing the supposedly non-existant discrimination happening. "It's
your colour they see, nothing else." Yeah, but I'm hanging out with
a white-guy, doesn't that give some sort of immunity?!

I don't know how consistant that kind of treatment is though.

Those 2 idiots who twice tried to sneak through were both Arabs (I saw the older man, probably the father of the 2 teens, reading an Arabic book). You would think that if racial profiling was used at airports, that for sure those people would have checked because of their behaviour.

[jolinar of malkshor]

I was pulled out of line in Calgary, Toronto, Boston, LA/SanFran (stop
over), and Vegas. Both on the way there, and on the way back.

The funny thing is that in Calgary (not sure of the rest of the airports) most of the security screeners are non-white.

[Red Mile Style]

Has anybody had the privelage of going through security at Edmonton's airport? I swear, they have the toughest security screening in the world.

I bought my brother this butane lighter from New York, I flew JFK to Calgary with it on my carry on, no problems. Later that day I fly Calgary to Edmonton, still in my carry on, no problems. A week later I fly Edmonton to Regina, REGINA (because it obviously is pretty high on terrorists' list...) and it gets confiscated from security!

I was so mad, and started explaining (in a not so nice way) that I flew from NYC with it, and there were no problems, and the dick from security actually said "You're not flying with this on my watch"

I chalk it up to pent-up sexual frustration...

[jolinar of malkshor]

Originally Posted by Jayems

Wouldn't it make sense to take away things from pilots that others could get also and use it against the pilots?

IE: Terrorists takeaway some special knife that the pilot always takes onboard, and then uses it against the pilot to do what he wants.

If they are going to get to the pilot then I dont think we have to worry about what the pilot has on them. They will have control of the plane. Think about.

[calf]

Originally Posted by Red Mile Style

Has anybody had the privelage of going through security at Edmonton's airport? I swear, they have the toughest security screening in the world.

This past year, I've flown to/from Calgary, Toronto and Lloydminster for work...guess which one thoroughly inspected & swabbed my laptop

[Red Mile Style]

Originally Posted by calf

This past year, I've flown to/from Calgary, Toronto and Lloydminster for work...guess which one thoroughly inspected & swabbed my laptop

Just because you asked, I am going to go with Lloydminster...

[icarus]

Every time I've flown out of Kingston, they make me open up my suitcase (not just my carry on), swab everything inside, pull out my shampoo, examine it, swab my laptop, take off my hat, take off my belt, and occasionally examine my discman. Meanwhile every time I fly out of Heathrow I pass right through without them even wanting to see my laptop. Chalk it up to small town power-tripping.

Oh and Eastern Girl, you think that is bad--my friend, passing through the Minneapolis airport on the way home from Toronto to Iowa, had to take her bra off because apparently the wire in it set the beeper off and aroused (I use that word intentionally) suspicion.

My dad, who flies to and from various states weekly, has many interesting tales. Some cowboy airport guard in I think Utah asked him how 'Ted' (what he goes by) could actually be short for 'Edward' (as per his passport). My dad replied that, well, Ted Kennedy's real name was Edward also. That earned him an interrogation by a team of homeland security types.

Toughest security I ever had to go through (besides Kingston)? The Munch Museum in Oslo, a year after The Scream and Madonna were stolen from there.

[Eastern Girl]

Originally Posted by icarus

Oh and Eastern Girl, you think that is bad--my friend, passing through the Minneapolis airport on the way home from Toronto to Iowa, had to take her bra off because apparently the wire in it set the beeper off and aroused (I use that word intentionally) suspicion.

I have had that happen. Well, sort of anyways, I didn't have to take my bra off but I have had the alarm go off when they put the detector over my chest area. I had to describe my bra to them. I remember having this discussion and looking around and seeing other women going through without any problems, thinking why the hell did mine set off the alarm but theirs did not... Fortunately, they just let me go through. That's only happened that one time, never happened again, even when wearing that same bra.

I am all for safety, but it's annoying, to say the least, when something that normally doesn't give you any problems with security, all of a sudden brands you as a potential terrorist.