Nervous flyer - what did I do / use that was wrong to get repeated swabs

[Coldnovember]

Are there any airport staff / security that can reassure me? I’m a nervous flyer and yesterday I had a frightening experience at a Greek airport whilst coming home.
I went through the body scanner at security and an alarm went off. I was asked to stand aside where I thought I’d have the usual Pat / scan down.

I was asked to show my hands and the guard swiped a paper over my hands / dress. She came back and said wait and next thing I was being re swabbed on hands / clothes and inside and outside of hand luggage. Next thing I’m being brought off to one side and questioned about what I have on my hands, there’s a lot more security around me. The only thing I could think of was Odomos mosquito repellent cream that is applied over my hands / arms and legs that morning.

I was then carefully scanned over with a hand held scanner whilst she said ‘mosquito eh…’ but then she said ok you can go.

What could have been the issue? What are they swabbing for? Would it have been the mozzie repellent? I don’t want it happening again, o was quite frightened as they became very serious very quickly.

Any idea? I’ll be afraid to fly again in case it happens again 🫣

Never heard of that, do you have a reference for that info?

I do know a lot of the "randoms" are actually signalled by the archway on supposedly a..err..random basis to avoid any operator bias.

If it's a TSA approved lock they'll have a master key (if it's the TSA). Other airport securities I assume they'd break the lock if they had cause to. TSA will break the lock if it is not a TSA approved one.

It's random.

Would you prefer that they didn't swab people? Because that would be much much more dangerous!

The scanners have a randomised beep too. You can tell the difference as it’s a different sound when someone actually sets it off versus a random search beep (long beep versus short beep).

Cant comment on the swab machine, but my nail extension residue set it off once. It’s pretty good at determining the substance it’s picked up though, otherwise they wouldn’t have let you through.

DD had her wheelchair swabbed and her bare feet when leaving Gatwick last weekend. They were doing all wheelchair users. It’s just one of those things. Try not to worry.

Sometimes you’re stopped as something is suspicious, sometimes it’s just every so many people. I got stopped (standard) and my small child ran through after me, realised her mistake ran back, they said it was ok, she passed through, other child did then DH was stopped as it had triggered the next person to be checked alarm. The security guy was howling when he explained it was small persons fault. Another time a thorough check including taking down my hair etc found it was a decorative metal tag on my bra causing the beeps. I’ve also had hands etc swabbed when travelling with children.

You know what, I had a quick Google and embarrassingly, I don’t.

I read an article on it years ago. There was a case where a bomber gave a cuddly toy to his girlfriend in an attempt (successful? I’ve no idea) to blow up her plane.

I’m going to search some more. Anecdotally, I used to travel alone a lot and could never figure out why I was always “randomly” searched. As in, having a box of sanitary pads opened and rifled through, checks of all my books and magazines, weird stuff. Then I found this out and it made more sense. But possibly it isn’t true!

I remember this, it was called the Hindawi affair. I felt so sorry for the woman involved.

Stick a biro in the other end of the zip and it slides along

I was held at security in Manchester airport for an hour and nearly missed my flight as a routine swab of the inside of my suitcase flagged explosives!!! It was a nightmare.

Airport in N Ireland in the 90s I was asked to open the camera I was carrying. I don’t know how to open it, it’s not mine, queue gun / rifle trained on me. It’s my DP’s, he’s at the next scanner…..
It’s the joys of air travel, don’t worry about it, they’ve got our safety at heart.

Yep the story you refer did happen in some way shape or form, but can't remember all the details.

OTOH the problem with biasing is if it becomes known the terrorists could game the system.

Also in terms of searches going airside explosives, possibly being carried by a an unwitting proxy aren't the only thing being looked for (think 9/11).

I once had an Ellas Kitchen yoghurt pouch repeatedly scanned at Heathrow as it kept coming up dodgy. No idea why but from what I could see from where I was standing the chap seemed to eventually input the size as 100ml when it was only 90 and then it was apparently ok 🤷‍♀️

I also had TSA take babywipes out of my carry on for extra screening every single time I went through security (may 6 times?) even at different airports for about a month. And I have TSA pre check so have been criminal record checked and interviewed so they know I’m not a threat and get much lighter screening as a result. But DD’s wipes were a step too far apparently. Still no idea what it was about, I did ask once but the officer wouldn’t say, and then one day it just stopped and wipes were ok again.

Don’t try to make sense of it would be my advice!

Doesn't bother me has happened many times me or family members in with swab,scanning I would prefer they were like this than less vigilent

They have some kind of master key. Luckily my padlock was still intact. And they hadn't nicked the air tag 😆

It's either drugs or explosives.

The swab tests are designed to give false positives and be very unlikely to give false negatives. They will set off on somebody who has handled explosives recently, but they will also set off on entirely safe and legal compounds, and either way the airport staff are doing a thorough search. Combine that with a bad attitude from staff and you get OP's experience.

It makes sense that glycerine sets off the swab, considering the related compound nitroglycerine goes boom.

Exactly. You should be pleased that the staff are taking everyone’s safety seriously.

I was taken out of the queue and was swabbed at the departure gate at Beirut airport, my name was on a list, and I had no idea why. It became clear when I got home and opened my suitcase to find a note to say my case had been marked as a security risk and my power pack which I had forgotten I even had, had been confiscated. My case had been repacked far more tidily than I had packed it, even my underwear was neatly folded! So tidy, I was almost loath to unpack it! I had the option to reclaim my power pack within 14 days, but it was hardly worth the fare back to Lebanon!

They kept me for ages at Manchester last year despite me only being in trackie bottoms and a simple cotton top. Made me put my stuff into 4 different trays too, like phone in one, kindle in another, cardigan in another and back pack (pretty much empty) in another. By the time they finished twatting about with swabs and wands, my hoodie and my kindle had been stolen out of the trays at the end of the rollers. Fuckers gave no fucks