[BeckyBoop]

I fail to understand why people have an issue with this. Is no different to showing your ID at your office or passport to gain admission to where every you are going.

One angle that most of you have over looked could be for people who abuse the duty free. For instance a passenger who buys more than the destination allows. So if you have an allowance of 200 ciggies you buy 400 with the hope of sneaking through with out being caught. The shop my send evidence of the transaction to the destination where they may pull you in on a random security check.

[Irons80]

Considering BAA significants amounts of their money from retail, it’s entirely plausible that they would wish to accurately track which passengers are buying what – from which flights and from what stores.

Whilst you might find the practice ‘irritating’, it’s no different to showing a loyalty card or even the data that your credit and debit card provider collects and then most likely sells on when you make a transaction.

[Papillion53]

I suppose it all depends on where you actually keep your boarding pass!

The DH usually has his in his shirt chest pocket – with his passport – yes I do suggest (read nag ;). ) to him not to put his passport there! As he says its then very handy for occasions such as these when the boarding pass is routinely required. But I also tell him it could easily fall out or be “acquired”!

Mine is usually in the depths of my handbag but if I can’t be bothered delving into the depths of the handbag or more likely have no free hands to do so, I find a smile and an ” oh my husband has them” has always prompted the question “which flight are you on?” If I do not know the flight number I merely give them the airline and destination and so far I have never had ANY issue whatsoever in purchasing any goods.

I agree with Becky what is the big deal anyway with having to show it? I would endorse the buying patterns of pax being the main reason.

E.g. If they looked at my buying at T5 – routinely Clarins and always Fortnum and Mason champagne truffles! (The BIG box).

So therein lies a topic for another thread – what do you routinely buy in airport shops, duty free or otherwise.

[FormerlyDoS]

“Whilst you might find the practice ‘irritating’, it’s no different to showing a loyalty card or even the data that your credit and debit card provider collects and then most likely sells on when you make a transaction.”

Except it is not mandatory to show a loyalty card or pay by debit/credit card.

So, yes, it is different because there is an element of compulsion.

[FormerlyDoS]

May I suggest another wheeze, if one isn’t too bothered about buying the product.

Assistant – “may I see you boarding card”

Pax – “sorry, I cannot show it to you for security reasons”

Assistant “why is that”

Pax “sorry, I cannot discuss security matters”

It really is hilarious to use this approach, they just don’t know what to say 🙂

And Be_Nice, I don’t really care what you think, I’ve been travelling for 34 years on business and had to put up with this for a lot of that, the assistants can go and get another job if they can’t absorb some bricolage, I have had to endure this sort of nonsense for too long.

[Cheeryguy]

I suggest ( with my tongue firmly in my cheek ) that like many of the gripes on this forum it has a lot to do with “grumpy I’m very important so get out of my way middle aged man syndrome” ????????

[Papillion53]

Oh dear Cheeryguy – I hope you’re siting behind a “bullet proof” screen! LOL! But you could be right!!! LOL!

FDOs – now you go and blow it with this throw away remark – “…. get another job …. “. That’s not very nice, now is it, regardless of how irritating you find the 3 seconds it takes to show your boarding pass! Go and sit on the naughty step! 😉 🙂

[Papillion53]

OK FDoS – you can come off the naughty step now. Come on GOM, bite back!! it’s no fun when you don’t!! LOL!

[FormerlyDoS]

“I suggest ( with my tongue firmly in my cheek ) that like many of the gripes on this forum it has a lot to do with “grumpy I’m very important so get out of my way middle aged man syndrome” ????????”

Nah, it’s just that some of us are not typical Brits, who will politely accept stuff, whilst giving ‘looks’ to convey dissatisfaction.

Direct action, I say, fight opaque statement with opaque statement and read the newspaper on a computer!

[FormerlyDoS]

papilion

No one one forces to do my job, I have a choice and if idiotic process ruins my day, I can change it.

No one forces the shop assistants to do their job and if they don’t like the response to their process, they can change.

Quid pro quo, I don’t owe them a duty of care.

[lloydah]

Don’t know about the “grumpy syndrome” so much as the ever growing list of things we are asked to do/say/show/check/lick – well perhaps not lick so much unless it’s ar** – that just gets to a point when I feel exactly like FDOS. Unfortunately that means you take it out on the wrong person, as the face to face meeting over the counter is hardly with those who make the rules. But it relieves the stress and puts a smile on my face which in the end is my choice. I think the “more important than you” syndrome is built in to the DNA of some people, and they’re just the ones I like to annoy most.

[NameRemoved-18/12/14]

@ papillion

Naughty step? It’s the naughty corner where I come from, and I should know as I have been sent there many times.

Your husband has the right approach. My boarding pass always vanishes when I go to buy something at the airport!

I find the shop assistants at LHR invariably friendly. OMG, if you lived here then you would definitely have something to be grumpy about.

[Papillion53]

Alexpol1 – LOL! :-)))))

[Papillion53]

FDoS and LLoydah

It’s all very well having this approach but these shop assistants do not make the rules, they have to follow them! And to quite glibly say ” if they don’t like it, they can change”. That is so naive, especially in this economic climate! And so, well words fail me … I’m ashamed of you for saying that!

“taking it out” on someone not in a position to respond to your grumpiness or rudeness, quite frankly beggars belief! But if that makes you happy LLoydah, well I’m ashamed of you as well.

It’s only showing a blooming boarding pass for goodness sake.

I find people who take their anger and grievances out on people who are not in a position to respond to this aggression, as that’s what it is, quite pathetic.

Let me tell you a story about the worst form of this type of behaviour I ever came across:

I was GM in a large hotel near an airport and on duty on 9/11. As we all stood watching the events with our mouths open and in utter disbelief and shock, an off-duty positioning pilot was screaming abuse down the phone at our receptionist. The poor girl was reduced to tears and came to me, crying as she told me the story of this idiot. He had been demanding the minibus pick him up at the airport. Fair enough, we did offer that service,but that morning, the whole world locked the airports down and no-one could get any vehicle to any regular pickup point. He would not accept this, and despite being told to walk to where the bus could pick him up, he refused. Eventually our driver left his vehicle and walked to the airport to find this guy. I was waiting for him when he arrived at the hotel and when he stopped shouting at me, I told him quite calmly that I would not be checking him in – he exploded again at me calling me, well you can imagine. When I told him why we couldn’t get to the regular pick up point, and why, do you know what he said ” I don’t care what’s happened!” Well in the end he did care as I phoned his company, who groaned and said oh no not another complaint about this guy. He had already upset the Security Manager at the airport as he has demanded to use the staff lanes but was dressed in civvies.

The upshot of this two things:

The very nice girl who was subject to this abuse, was so upset over this whole episode that she left her job that day and no amount of persuading would talk her into returning. So we lost an excellent member of staff.

The second – HE was SACKED that day and I would imagine no airline would have touched him after that!

So do bear in mind the after effects of taking your displeasure and grumpiness out on someone who is not in a position to reply. It can seriously have far-reaching effects. And if you have sons and daughters working in customer facing positions, would you appreciate some pompous sod speaking to them in such a way? I think not.

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lostantipod

[lloydah]

Yes thank you papillion, it’s like being at home here, same ear bashing. Please note that I said it was unfortunate that I did this at times but it was the build up of so many pernickity things that finally blew the valve. Anyway I’m not rude, just awkward. I know it’s wrong, but then so is my bike riding at speeds which I hope Mrs L never finds out about, never the less it reduces my blood pressure and heightens my feelings of well being. Bugger it, now for the corner again.

[Author]

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