Terminal 5 security – December 1, 2014

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Viewing 15 posts - 46 through 60 (of 86 total)

  • lesmclaren
    Participant

    Ever since T5 opened I have been considering having large “Slow Track” stickers fitted and placing them over the oxymoron “Fast Track” signs. No ides why they added the right hand closed off area either, in all the times [at least twice a month] I go through T5 it has been open once and was no quicker. Having waited over 20 mins on one occasion I asked what it was for [rather than taking up a lot of space] and was told it only opened when they are busy!! Typical HAL dumb answer I suspect!


    lesmclaren
    Participant

    Totally agree Esselle, have never understood the need for same sex pat down. In Norway in never matters and speeds things up no end. If anyone does object [maybe on religious grounds] then they are allowed to wait for a same sex pat down.


    KennyK14
    Participant

    The last 3 times I have gone through Domodedovo airport in Moscow, a lady has given me a pat down. When I say pat down, I really mean a gentle stroke! Not terribly efficient, but not unpleasant either!


    JohnHarper
    Participant

    Opposite sex pat down at a UK airport? Can’t you just hear the complaints about inappropriate touching and molesting rising to a crescendo that would drown out Concorde?

    What is clearly needed is more staff if things have to go on the way they are as in at least two of each sex on each machine.

    I did hear an interesting aside when I passed through LHR a couple of weeks ago which went that if you walk past the goon before they challenge you they no longer have a right to stop you. So when you pass through the scanner, take big steps and keep your head down and see what happens.

    As I’ve said before it’s not fit for purpose anyway and a pointless exercise aimed at keeping the worried worried and the rest of us inconvenienced and irritated.


    WillieWelsh
    Participant

    Just passed through north security in T5, it is mayhem. Immediately behind the initial barriers the goons are merging fast track with everything else. My comment to the goon in charge of the mayhem resulted in me being told I should be more concerned about clean drinking water in Africa than waiting in their queue. I told him I was concerned that they were not providing the service I had paid for and that he was incompetent which he clearly was.


    nissefalk
    Participant

    Connected from GOT and was through T5 security in 25 min at around 13.25 GMT today, more people than usual, when we got to the fast track lane the normal lane was held for a couple of minutes to make room upstairs before they let people onto the escalator


    MartynSinclair
    Participant

    It may be a Sunday morning, it may be early in 2015 and it may be a quiet time BUT – T5 security Fast Track (south) is presented in a new format AND, the flow appears to work. More staff, more machines and this new gizmo body scanner up and running…

    Was sufficiently impressed to comment to the manager on duty – and asking when T5 Flight connections would improve… Sadly that just got a smile and one of those “all in good time” looks…


    ImissConcorde
    Participant

    Equally as good at 0645 last Monday. Nobody ahead scanning boarding card (doesn’t that need a new name now that so many are on devices?) Two people ahead on the scanner/X-ray Everything ready, no fumbling. Whole process took less than 5 minutes. It’s easy to blame security but people not paying attention to the issues involved are a bigger cause of slowdown.


    MartynSinclair
    Participant

    What a difference the new Fast Track makes.. Staff are extremely polite, through in a few minutes yesterday and congratulated the staff.

    Today decided to be difficult and tested to see if my overnight liquids would be seen.. yes they were and it took 20 minutes for the secondary screening (MY FAULT, I admit).

    Had a very interesting chat with the screener. Very polite, very open and was explaining how some shops would be disappearing (Boots for one) to make way for more security positions.

    Plans as well for another escalator in T5 transit area.

    He also agreed about the number of RUDE staff in the main security area. He assured me they are being weeded out and either retrained or pushed out!!


    MartynSinclair
    Participant

    Finally had the opportunity to ask a very helpful Manager about security checking in T5..

    1. Fingers going into waistbands…. purely checking for “nappy bombs” because the equipment the airport uses, does not detect explosives. That’s it, no other reason.. for that part of the search.

    2. The crotch search is meant to be a back of the hand swipe across the area, not a front hand light touch. He suggested if I felt uncomfortable at any time, I should ask for a supervisor..

    The conversation was very professional and he understood the concerns and apparently, he has these conversations frequently with passengers.


    SimonS1
    Participant

    The equipment the airport uses doesn’t detect explosives???


    MartynSinclair
    Participant

    Apparently not..


    K1ngston
    Participant

    I don’t know if thats true, I mentioned in a previous thread I got stopped at LGW when one of my phones beeped and I got arrested for supposedly having explosive resin!!

    Only when a supervisor came along and retested was I apologised too and I heard her berate her staff for a reading that was minuscule and could be associated with nail varnish remover…

    I am surprised they don’t have the same technology at T5???


    Charles-P
    Participant

    Martyn Sinclair wrote,
    “The crotch search is meant to be a back of the hand swipe across the area”.

    In theory yes however I have certainly stepped back on more than one occasion from what I regard as more than a “hand swipe”. In Munich I had occasion to request another individual search me such was the intimacy displayed by the first person. Of course this may be because my stunning good looks drive security guards mad with desire however my wife thinks not.


    SimonS1
    Participant

    I’d be astonished if that really was correct Martyn. Especially as the technology exists.

    http://www.airport-technology.com/contractors/security/smiths-detection/

    Sounds more like the fob off type of comment beloved of HAL.

Viewing 15 posts - 46 through 60 (of 86 total)
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