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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

because airport security tampered with my babyharness and did not tell me?

246 replies

Ionama · 12/08/2010 23:31

On a recent attempt to go on holiday, I took off my Baby Bojorn harness and put it thru the xray, I put it on the way I had taken it off and plugged my baby back into the strap I had opened. 5 minutes later may baby fell out of the carrier resulting in a serious injury and I have come to find that 2 side buttons of the harness had been undone. The trip ended up being a 5 day stay in hospital for my baby (and us). No-one told me to come while they 'inspected' my carrier and it was simply in the tray with my hand bag etc. Am I being unreasonable in wanting them to inform parents if/when they do this?.. so that another child's safety is never again compromised..? I am still very much in shock and recovery from my baby's injury... :(

OP posts:
Original poster
Ionama · 13/08/2010 11:43

Why exactly I think it must have been 'inspected/tampered with' is that no one else touched it other than me, them and later my husband and these buttons cannot unslip by themselves. I saw them handling lots of things it was very busy and I was also busy helping my 7 year old. I have always been 'called over' when my stuff has been looked at before or at least nothing has been changed if it has been looked at before now. I still think I am not BU in wanting to be told if my babys harness has been changed in anyway. It is critical.

OP posts:
bottyburpthebarbarian · 13/08/2010 11:48

Ionama - what airport was it?

You should ring the airport and demand ask to see the security tapes of the time when you were going through and then you will be able to see exactly what happened (hopefully)

I just don't understand why you are so sure that they interfered / tampered with / undid your babys harness

violethill · 13/08/2010 11:49

You saw them 'handling lots of things?'
What do you mean?
Taking things out of trays? undoing fastenings? looking inside bags? rummaging about?
Or simply hooking up trailing garments, or pushing a tray which might have got stuck?

I think this is the critical issue. I have never known security staff actually investigate anyone's belongings without calling them over. As someone else said, that's the protocol and if anything, they'll get sniffy with you if you don't watch while they do this. They need to be above suspicion of pocketing anything.

You still haven't told us where this happened.
Also, you are assuming that every member of staff can speak every language if you expect them to verbally communicate with all passengers on every detail. There is a reason for the fact that airports use signs with pictures, and also indicate by gestures - because the passengers passing through every hour speak many different languages.

MmeRedWhiteandBlueberry · 13/08/2010 11:52

I am intrigued also as to which airport this could be.

In the airports I have travelled through, there has never been a chaotic scene at security, with 'stuff' being handled. It has always been totally calm and orderly, no matter how busy the airport is.

You put your belongings in trays and onto the conveyor. You basically walk alongside your belongings as they make their way through the tunnel, and meet them on the other side. If anything needs further inspection, it is taken off to the side with the owner, so that the other passengers can make their way through without being involved in some kind of scrum.

How much time passed between putting your belongings and the conveyor and being on your way at the other end?

violethill · 13/08/2010 11:54

I agree. Even at the busiest times, while the queue to security might be heaving, the actual security process isn't rushed.

ilovesprouts · 13/08/2010 12:03

.

Altinkum · 13/08/2010 12:07

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

violethill · 13/08/2010 12:13

And another point..... If someone's belongings are investigated and found to contain something dodgy, if the owner hasn't been called over, they are likely to do a fast bunk! Security want you right there!

bottyburpthebarbarian · 13/08/2010 12:15

Very good point violethill

OP, what airport was it, as your post has raised a number of serious concerns re safety.

I feel this should be highlighted to the appropriate authorities as soon as possible.

SagacityNell · 13/08/2010 12:16

I had an older model baby bjorn for my DCs. The poppers at the top, 2 clip/click in things at the bottom and 2 buttons - 1 either side.

If the buttons were undone the baby was still 'held' by the base being clicked in place. depending on their age, their arms would also be over the top so slipping out would be felt by the person that they were strapped to.

lifeas3plus1 · 13/08/2010 12:20

Seriously, does I matter what airport I happened at?

I've not seen the op saying she wants to blame anyone. Actually on a coupleof occasions she has stated that she knows it was an accident.

What she wants to know if I would be reasonable to contact the airport, explain the situation and ask them to be a bit more aware when handling peoples belongings and to make sure that the owners of said belongings are informed.

Ok so no-one knows for sure if airport security accidently opened the poppers on the harness but a letter to the airport explaining what happened is not going to hurt anyone is it.

op yes, write the letter and I hope your baby makes a full recovery.

MmeRedWhiteandBlueberry · 13/08/2010 12:22

Knowing which airport would add a bit of reality to the story. Perhaps others have experience at that airport and can confirm chaos in the security hall.

belgo · 13/08/2010 12:22

Sorry your baby had a nasty fall but as a sling user of the last six years I don't understand how this could have happened. The person using the sling is responsible for ensuring the baby is safe and secure.

If you only discovered five days later that the buttons were undone I don't see how you can blame the airport staff.

lifeas3plus1 · 13/08/2010 12:23

Seriously, does It matter what airport It happened at?

That first line should read Blush

bottyburpthebarbarian · 13/08/2010 12:26

Thing is lifeas3plus1 the OP only discovered 5 days after the event that the buttons were undone.

So I will say it again, there is no evidence that the security staff undid the buttons.

No more than it was her husband when he bundled up the stuff to take it home, maybe a nurse when she shoved the stuff into those plastic bags they use, or an ambulance driver when he lifted the sling to put it into the ambulance when they were taking the child to hospital

violethill · 13/08/2010 12:29

Why would the op not want to tell us which airport?

Also, the op has given mixed messages - yes she's described it as an accident, but also used 'tamper' in her title - look at the definition of that. If clearly means the opposite of accidental.

bottyburpthebarbarian · 13/08/2010 12:32

I've just thought, and I have no experience of Baby carriers like this (used a sling) so please can someone tell me if I'm wrong.

OP took baby out of carrier.

Put carrier in tray thing for it to go through security checks etc

Could the 2 buttons at the side have come undone as the baby was being taken out of the carrier?

upahill · 13/08/2010 12:36

''Seriously, does It matter what airport It happened at?''
Well these boards are all about discussion. If you were retelling a story of something that happened to you wouldn't you expect someone to say Oh that's awful! Where did that happen then?'
If I was having that conversation and someone kept side-stepping a direct question that was not unreasonable I would be thinking 'hmmm why are you not answering what I've asked'

bottyburpthebarbarian · 13/08/2010 12:37

lifeas3plus one - at 9.44am today the op posted

"I would like to know their policy and their legal position also"

which to me implies she is thinking of trying to sue.

lifeas3plus1 · 13/08/2010 12:39

bottyburpthebarbarian. If you read my post properly I actually said that no-one is ever going to know if security touched the harness or not.

But a letter to the airport explaining the situation and asking them to make sure people are informed I their stuff is handled/checked can't be bad surely!

The op has already learned her lesson by not checking the harness when she put it back on, it's only fair that airport security should too!

bottyburpthebarbarian · 13/08/2010 12:40

And yes it matters what airport because from what the OP says, that airport is breaching protocol and endangering people's lives, as well as putting staff at risk of unfounded allegations and as such the airport should be named and shamed.

IMHO

Chil1234 · 13/08/2010 12:43

This is obviously not a true story.

bottyburpthebarbarian · 13/08/2010 12:43

lifeas3plus1 - xpost

yes it matters what airport for the reasons I gave above.

If the airport staff had been following protocol and behaving as they should have been then the OP would've been able to see them at all times when they were touching her stuff.

And so she would KNOW for certain if they had "tampered" with her babyharness

This is serious and needs brought to the attention of the airport concerned so that something like this never happens again

belgo · 13/08/2010 12:43

If she is planning on suing then that is probably why she won't name the airport.

silverfrog · 13/08/2010 12:44

lifeas3plus1:

the airport staff have nothing to learn in that repsect. it is not their responsibility, it is the traveller's, to check belongings are secure etc having been opened up for security.

IF they took it aside, opened it up furhter and fully investigated it without the OP being present, then the staff need to know they are laying themselves open to accusations of damage, but it is still not their responsibility to ensure buttons etc are the same as when they came across it -that would hold up security immeasurably.