AIBU to think airport security were wrong to do this?

[LightTurquoise]

This isn't an issue to me, I was in fact, very grateful and happy.

DD is 7; she has a mini-suitcase for the plane. She accidentally packed a body spray, a family member had brought her. Airport security let it go through, when she started to tear up.

AIBU to think this wasn't that smart?

I flew from Nantes airport recently - it's a relatively small airport but in an area that has known issues. I had inadvertently put two aerosol sprays in my carry-on suitcase (blame menopause brain for this!) and of course I got stopped for a bag search. They only confiscated one aerosol (both over 100ml) and thankfully it was the cheap nasty Boots hairspray and not the expensive texture spray. I have no idea why they only took one - unless they only saw one? Strange, I thought, but I didn't complain!
I do believe it's all part of the theatre but I'd still rather the theatre than the alternative!

I have been pulled up, made to open my bag and the security guy pulled out my wash bag, put on a poncy pair of CIS mauve gloves, pulled out the nail clippers, snapped off the 1 inch nail file, pulled a face, wagged a finger at me and lobbed it in the bin. Not a word spoken. Tosser.

I got through security at Gatwick recently, and was told that I had been nominated for... I was so sure they were going to say an upgrade! Yay!!!..... An extra random security check/full pat down and bag emptying. Marvellous.

I was actually happy to see them doing it, but a bit gutted that in wasn't being bumped to business!

On the other end of the spectrum, as I stepped through the scanner at Miami airport, after a really long queue, my driving licence fell out of my passport wallet and landed on the queue side of the scanner. When the man had finished patting me down, he let me go back to get it. It was all of half a metre away, in clear view on the floor.

But when I tried to step back through the scanner towards my waiting friends and flight, he told me I had to queue up again. WTAF? I had been in full view the whole time.

Fortunately the lady at the head of the queue realised that he was just a nasty power tripping arsehole and let me go straight in front of her. Otherwise I would most likely have missed my flight. Make sure you never drop anything in an American airport!!

Abu Dhabi airport took my duty free perfume that was sealed in a security bag and purchased minutes before. Same with the bottled water I'd just bought. They also took my inhalers

Battersea Are you me? I have been advocating an "I'll take my chances queue at airports for some time" I get singled out for additional scrutiny when travelling with DD presumably because it ticks off some boxes and they know I won't complain for her sake, but it's a joke. What is not funny is how straightforward rude some security staff are.

lazarus and others who mentioned drugs- security don't care, that's for customs to deal with.

I wonder if Jonathan Swift felt like this after his Modest Proposal was taken seriously.
My post was supposed to be ironic.
Note to self: irony and social media do not mix.

Possibly there was less than 100 ml remaining op.

I understood the intent of your post battersea. Even though I think some aspects of airport security make no sense (trained killers can hurt people with things like pens and broken bottles, diving regulators that can be used like nunchucks, what's to stop a group of terrorists taking more liquid explosives through separately and combining them afterwards in bottles bought in the airport shops etc) but I understand that security does what it can and will detect weapons etc and also the act of slowing people down to go through security allows people's behaviour and demeanour to be observed on CCTV.

One thing I've always wondered if what is the actual purpose of the glass box thing that you have to go through on (I think) the way out of the airport?

I fly at least once a week and, yeah, the security process is a massive pain in the arse but its something you take into consideration when flying and planning how much time you need and its nice to know that when your a mile in the air in a pressurised metal container with no escape that somebody isn't going to whip out a hunting knife and start a spree.
For the train example; you can do an emergency stop on a train and evacuate. Ditto bus. (Not taking into account blowing them up obviously) but on a plane you've got people trapped in a small space, in the air and its not just the plane and people you'd be destroying but whatever the plane/debris would then hit.
(This is how my brain works, I'm so much fun on flights)

As much as I'd love for them to stop taking my coffee away from me at the airport growl snarl I can't bring myself to get worked up by it.

Unless they're crazily inefficient with it like at Zurich Airport last week... then that gives me the rage.

(Good God. I've just read over my post - talk about a constant stream of thought. Eek I'm normal. Honest.)

It's so random how they do the airport checks. When DD was little and in a sling, they only seemed to want me to take off the sling for a pat down when she was sound asleep in it, and if she was awake I'd just get a quick pat down on arms and legs. Aaaaargh!

I was travelling a lot for business around the time when they stepped up all the security theatre after the shoe bomber etc. At one point, travellers from Heathrow had to check ALL hand luggage and were only allowed to carry a clear plastic bag with passport/wallet/essential medicines and a book or magazine for the plane. Going through security took about three minutes and getting on and off the plane was a lot quicker and easier because passengers weren't faffing about trying to stuff massive suitcases into the overhead locker. It was pretty good!

I'll never forget the time at Gatwick when security made me down a huge cup of coffee as I had completely forgotten that it couldn't go through (it was 4am. I was not in any state to think straight) and they had no disposal facilities. That made a very interesting few hours of the caffeine induced jitters.

What is a body spray and why would a 7 year old have one?

I don't support reductions in amount of hand luggage. First of all if you have electronics it is not safe from theft in your hold luggage - lap top, phones etc. Secondly those of us who read real books and don't watch films on long flights need that stuff. Thirdly those with small children need about 5x the hand luggage of anyone lucky enough to be travelling child free , Fourtly those of us who eat real normal food often find there is a not a single item of that on most flights (other than water and even that is usually not available in 1 litre quantities) so have to take our food on board.

I would rather have less security and more risk of a bomb on flights.

I took DD2 to Disneyland Paris when she was 14. I had a few nasty moments when i thought she wasn't going to be allowed into the country, as her passport had a nice picture of a 9 year old and they were faced with a 14 year old goth wearing an objectionable band t-shirt. I had been waved through with barely a glance. Coming back, we had just finished putting our shoes back on, having had our hand luggage scanned etc, when this security woman demanded to see inside DD's handbag. I was rather irritated, since we had just been scanned, but she ended up with a red face, as inside the bright pink messenger bag was a stick of chewing gum, a pair of pink fingerless gloves and a map of Disneyland. The goth with the nasty t-shirt was still a little kid at heart!

I would far rather they took these precautions than just waved us all on board. My friend has a leg full of metal and has a photo of her x-ray on her phone to show then, should the scanners go off. they usually do in the UK, but never in the US - so much for their better security.

BarbaraofSeville
That's what happens here. No concerts, but to get into a shopping mall, there is a metal detector, and my bag is searched sometimes. It's not really any hassle. Maybe because there are so many different doors anspd so never really a queue.

When we were in Australia both children had bottles of water in their rucksacks which I had completely forgotten about (they were for the journey to the airport). Customs officials made me open them - even though they were sealed - and drink from both of them. And then we had to throw them away anyway!
Better safe than sorry I suppose!

Also, when coming home from Spain once I was stopped and taken off to a room to have a thorough search. It was late at night and I had travelled to and from Spain alone in just two days to visit family so maybe they thought I was a drug smuggler.

When they opened my suitcase I had a plastic carrier bag tied with a knot inside with my dirty period underwear inside. I explained what it was, so they didn't open it. But in hindsight it might have been a perfect place to hide drugs!

It has been announced that the two bombers in yesterday's attacks were known to police and were wanted having excaped a raid 10 days ago. I think the more security the better but we cannot have security everywhere as it would bring transport to a halt unfortunately. I used to live in Brussels, the airport was 10 mins drive away and I considered Belgium to be far safer than here in the uk. It's really rocked my world.

No, there wasn't it was brand new - a couple of sprays gone. I'm not that silly to not think/realise that!

It's a spray kind of like perfume, but not, she has one because it's Disney themed. She loves Disney.

Ds1 was the subject of a randomised search last time we flew from Heathrow - he was 6 and shaking with fear/crying even though they told him he hadn't done anything wrong. I have to admit I'm not sure that we all fly safer because we search random small children.

Every time we travel through an airport DH (sad old nerd) makes the same old comment - that the way to reduce the odds of being on a plane with a bomb on it is to bring your own bomb.... (I.e. the odds of there being two bombs on a plane are significantly lower than there being one bomb).
Then DS1 (maths nerd) and DS2 (not very mathsy) spend several minutes arguing about the 'truth' of this statement before I shush them all up, saying 'if they hear you talking about bombs they'll want to strip search you'. God, our family is sooooo dull

I certainly wouldn't welcome a reduction in security. I travel a fair amount for work and whilst its a faff remembering to take everything out from my hand luggage at least it stops most of the crazies getting airside. I did forget to remove my iPad earlier this year at Amsterdam which was fun but it was entirely due to being asked to remove the laptop powerpack from my bag, something I've never had happen before.

For the PPs saying about having to taste sealed bottles of drinks, its worth remembering that the liquid bomb plot was going to use normal drinks bottles that were still sealed as they were drilling out the remains of the sprue on the bottom before resealing after filling with the explosives. They would have looked completely normal unless you knew what you were looking for.

Interesting reading, this thread. I flew to London and back at the weekend - no issues with security but slightly perplexed that at no time was my passport asked for or inspected. I offered it at my departure point when we left the gate to get on the plane - boarding pass scanned only. I know at Heathrow they have the camera that snaps you as you scan your boarding pass prior to security and that it also flashes up at the gate, but I'd have thought they'd need to see my passport at some point. Puzzling.