To wonder if I look dodgy?

[TheCatOfAthenry]

Flying London to Ireland. Every time I go through airport security I seem to get frisked. Also happened in France, Czech Republic and Spain.

For a few years, I really thought it was just luck, but am beginning to wonder if I just look like a shady character.

Share my woes, please. Or tell me how to de-dodge myself.

As PP said try being a black man or a Muslim man ! It's not even funny

I have a pacemaker and can't go through the scanner so I'm always searched. I also had my bag very thoroughly searched last year. The woman was lovely and explained, without any prompting, that my costume jewellery, which I had popped in Ziploc bags, looked dodgy in the x-ray machine!

My dad's black and always gets frisked without fail. I get frisked fairly often and now my kids do too. I don't like to play the "is it cos I'm black?" card but it can get annoying when you're the only ones being frisked.

"As PP said try being a black man or a Muslim man ! It's not even funny"

Sadly, it is a sign of the times. When we went to the Warner Bros studio tour it took ages to get in due to very thorough bag searches. They took extra time over bags carried by anyone who looked like they could be a Muslim.

I'm white and middle aged and still get frisked. Go figure.

I always get searched, often they mark my boarding pass with a highlighter also. I've also had a laptop test positive for explosives after a swab test.

Why would the boarding pass be marked turbo?
Remembered I'm flying alone again in a few weeks so best leave extra time for security......

Any airport security people who can help me with the following?
I buy my handbags from charity shops usually. I am always worried that if they swob them there may be traces of drugs as I don't know their history. How likely is this? Am I worrying for nothing? Thanks!

Sorry Op just highjacked your thread

My 14 year old DS seems to set something off every time.

The security people in Heathrow say it's random, but he's not convinced.

If you have metal inside you, don't you have a letter or something to show security staff at airports? My mother has metalwork inside her back.

Every time I don't beep but still get searched then swabbed. In Germany the security woman was a little overzealous and actually touched my crotch 😱and she was checking under the band of my bra. I got gate searched going to the US whilst do swanned onboard. My wairknarr also got her hair checked as she had it up in a high bun. They are usually very nice so I let it go.

I used get searched all the time, contents of bag out, explosives swabs the full works.

Then I found out that the individual wrapped wet wipes that I get from work, look v dodgy on the scanner.

I think wet wipes generally look dodgy on the scanner.

Cafeaulaitpourvu thank you I was feeling down and this made me laugh

I've long though that if you want to smuggle something use a middle class, middle aged dumpy, white woman

What do you think they do ?

DP and I are both mixed-race. I look white: he looks like his Bengali Muslim dad.

No prizes for guessing who has been frequently stopped and who never. (Actually yes I have been stopped once, coming back to England via Thailand. I explained at some length the development charity I worked for and offered my office card.)

@LurkingHusband you are describing me and I'm always stopped 🤔

Erm yes, me too.

Constantly happens to me. If it's not the scanner beeping about underwiring it is a random check. Otherwise my hand luggage is off down the checking lane. Apparently face powder should be in a liquid bag (!) and travel candle tins are a problem.