New Shoe Scanning Ritual

Originally posted by mitchja
My guess is that this new shoe scanner is not in fact an x-ray more likely to be an explosives detector. Remember an x-ray will not detect any form of explosive material.

Looks like an xray device to me - the usual production line belt job with a poor soul pretending to stare at a screen all day. Not an explosive swab in sight.

Cheers, Howard

Granted it MAY be a different technology. But as other have said, why does the explosive liquid/gel/whatever need to be in my shoes. Underpants, bra, concelled money belt all seem like good places too!

Scan me with however many peices of equipment you like, but please arrange them sensibly so I can queue and strip on one easy movement.
And again as some others have said... get rid of some shops and devote more space to sensibly arranged security, after all, if I'm stuck in endless queues for security, I have no time to "enjoy" the wonderful shopping experience.
All the travelling public ask for is security and common sense... It's not like this in other countries.

Originally posted by PVGSLF
Granted it MAY be a different technology. But as other have said, why does the explosive liquid/gel/whatever need to be in my shoes. Underpants, bra, concelled money belt all seem like good places too!

Scan me with however many peices of equipment you like, but please arrange them sensibly so I can queue and strip on one easy movement.
And again as some others have said... get rid of some shops and devote more space to sensibly arranged security, after all, if I'm stuck in endless queues for security, I have no time to "enjoy" the wonderful shopping experience.
All the travelling public ask for is security and common sense... It's not like this in other countries.

Lots of very fair and valid points in this thread ..... I think i've done may part to death now !! ...... some may have noticed I do get a bit of a bee in my bonnet over this and similar subjects when some sweepingly cast the security as c$$p just because they have had to wait a few extra minutes in a queue or just because they cant see the point of a particular procedure taking place.

I have to say that the worst queues I have encountered have been during busy times leaving Dulles (IAD) ...... several times have waited 2+ hours.

Cheers

Mark

[Decker]

Meh if you're going to blow yourself up you may as well carry the explosives internally and then drink/swallow the primer. Complete security is ultimately a chimera.

[fozzyo]

Originally posted by mitchja
The other thing worth noting is that there's actually more to airport security than just the physical x-ray scanners and the walk through detectors. The staff will be watching the way you act and react to them during the whole process.

Reminds me of one the opening chapters from Marching Powder, a true-life account of a British drugs trafficker and the most bizzare prison in the world.

The people you have to worry about are those that are acting completely rationally without nerves - they are the guys who know what they are doing and are experienced. In the book he talks about the inexperienced trafficker who is nervous of being caught, so when flying out from a country with drugs they walk into the airport, direct to the checkin desk, direct through to departures. The experienced guy does all the usual stuff, checks departure boards, goes to the loo, stops off at duty-free, chats to staff etc. You don't want to be noticed so behave just like everyone else and do what everyone else does.

We experienced this last week but there was no long queue for us. The only thing creating hold ups were those people who when told to take their shoes off stood there amazed and blocking the path of others. People also stood infront of the scanners taking their shoes off blocking the way rather than moving aside whilst removing their shoes.
If people used a little common sense this line should move very quickly but alas, the majority of people seem to lose all common sense once they get into an airport.