To wonder just how random airport security checks are?

[DifficultSituation19]

Because I seem to get pulled out to be thoroughly searched EVERY BLOODY TIME! You know, get all my belongings out so they can go through things thoroughly and swab them etc. I’ve flown around 10 times in the last 18 months and it literally always happens, whether I’m in England or abroad, whether I’m alone, with my DP, or the DC. Makes no difference. Always get searched while everyone else breezes through.

This has given me a bit of a complex. I don’t THINK I look like a DF (dodgy fucker). I mean, I’m not obviously oozing money or class but I’m generally quite presentable - white (shouldn’t matter but I’ve heard there is ‘racial profiling’), polite, middle class, pushing 40 mother of 2. WHY ME? My boyfriend thinks it’s hilarious. Surely every time can’t be ‘random’?

I always get frisked/scanned but that's because I have metal in my leg so it's expected and I'd be very worried if I strolled right through which has happened once but it wasn't a UK airport. Suffice to say you can't fly there direct from UK anymore after a passenger flight was tragically downed due to a terrorism incident 6 months after we got back.

Our bags get swabbed quite regularly though and very occasionally security have had a rummage through our hand luggage. One time we were sitting in departures at Heathrow we were approached by a 'business man' who whisked us off saying we had been randomly selected for a body scan. Never happened since though.

I think perhaps it’s decided before you even arrive. Chatting to a chap in the queue for swabbing last year, we had both been unable to check our bags in using the auto desk and were then swabbed etc.....

I like being frisked! The pat down is much more thorough than it used to be, feels nice and only takes a couple of mins

My SIL are exact opposites here. She gets stopped and searched EVERYTIME and I have never been.

We are very similar in age and appearance. Both white, middle class blondes. Similar clothing/bags etc.

She clearly just looks shifty. 😁

My mum often (not every single time) gets taken to one side for swabbing etc. She isn't unusual in any way; reasonably frequent flyer, only to EU and USA, no remarkable physical features. I think she must be doing something that only people trained to look for suspicious tells would notice.

I've been selected for secondary screening on several occasions at Manchester airport...I'm white, fat middle aged woman!
I asked female security guard , was it because I was wearing M&S underwired bra and she said yes
So now I make sure I'm not wearing any metal in clothes / shoes and non wired bra and so far it's worked....flying again next month so will see if this is still the case!

I'm grateful for the job that airport security do, but every airport seems to have its own quirks re scanning hand luggage and passengers, and it isn't even standardised within the UK and Ireland, let alone Europe or further afield.

Ok, I can put my

This always happens to my DP. He's mid 30s, white and just normal looking. Also has a fairly common British first and surname so not sure what profiling they do. Every time we fly together too. Its never me I would find it funny but he was treated rudely by the last person to check him, the guy was pulling his stuff out and talking to him like he's just killed somebody.

In North America, one does need to present a boarding pass at security. I had to do so at Heathrow as well, but that was many years ago.

I was pulled over this year. I’m afraid I drew the conclusion it was weight related

I deliberately wore harem pants with a plain loose top and foam flip flops. No jewellery. There was literally nothing metal on me. Set off the scanner and the body scanner showed a problem with (of all things) my ankle. The security person said they thought it was maybe the crease at the bottom of my trousers and had a good feel for (presumably) drugs.

I don’t know - are druggies generally overweight 🤷‍♀️

And for balance, I've never been stopped at all. Neither has DH and he flies a LOT for work.

Coming back, customs are targetting certain flights - you're more likely to have drugs on a flight from teh Caribbean or Africa than from Japan or Canada. They know who is travelling on their own, or who doesn't fit the profile for that flight. Some random checks but definitely more targetted.

At security in the UK leaving though they only ever search bags if they see something on the x-ray or if you set off the metal detector.

There are code markings on some.Of the boarding passes that tell them

The security scanners don't see your boarding cards nor passports.

I was wearing a wrap dress last time I flew and they asked if I could undo the knot because the scanner can't see inside it. Are you all wearing heavily knotted clothes?!

@Kazzyhoward They do in North America. Not necessarily a passport, but identification.

I would always set the beeper off, figured it was my bra - this year I chose a non underwired bra and no beeper was set off so I sailed through. Coming home funnily enough my DD 8, was selected for a hand swab thing. She looked very nervous bless her, but all was good.

Years ago I got sick whilst on holiday in the US and bought loads and loads of medicine whilst getting carried away in walgreens. Had lots spare when coming home so packed it into my hold luggage and thought no more. At heathrow I discovered my lock had been cut and bag searched and a notice saying what had happened and no narcotics found. Every single time I have ever been to the US since I get pulled aside and searched upon entry and exit and my bag is always searched when i check it in to fly home. I am on a list somewhere due to their initial suspicion of drugs so it is not random at all.

I get it quite often. I travel a lot for work around Europe so rarely set off metal detectors. I’m just travelling alone whilst looking female, conventional and non-threatening. Doesn’t happen to my male colleagues.

Last time I went to the US I was incredibly unlucky & got pulled for their unpleasant screening just before I boarded the plane, but didn’t have the dreaded SSSS on my ticket (so should not have been pulled). There was a group of school children behind me so I guess she thought she’d take her chance to do an “easy” check whilst they boarded. I struggled to contain my bitchy resting face on that occasion as we both knew exactly why she’d chosen me

Yep I get pulled out side room every time. Last time we flew my dd got asked if anyone had given her any sweeties to hold anywhere on her person and also got patted down. I always actually so ashamed even though we don’t touch drugs!!

I nearly always get stopped in the scanner. My clothes have no metal at all. No underwire, no belt, no buttons. I take my shoes off, hair clips out, glasses off. 95% of the time it “randomly” goes off.

I don't believe it's totally random. There was something in an article a few years ago where they said it's partly profiling and partly random. Since airport security has increased I'd guess it's far less random and far more profiling.

I have had an additional hand luggage check every single time I have flown, I have also been detained for questioning several times, my record is 9 hours.

Last May I went on holiday with my now ex boyfriend who is white, at Gatwick they asked to search my bag at security, when I pointed out it was boyfriends they said they didn’t need to search it anymore.

I’m male, brown and sometimes bearded. I’m yet to share the detainment bay with someone who is white, everyone always laughs when someone else is hauled in as they are almost guaranteed to be brown and male.

I have noticed when they pick white people (to pretend they don’t racially profile) they almost always pick women.

We once went on a big family holiday and our 17 year old had her mobile phones swabbed.
She panicked and said 'don't worry about me, just go on holiday and have a lovely time. I'll be ok'
The security man laughed and told her not to so dramatic, she was free to go.

Surely you don't want it to be random, what's the point of building intelligence on criminals/terrorists if you then ignore than and rely on chance to find them, that would be very stupid.

The sensible way to do it to add a random element on top of the intelligence you already have, I'd hope that's what they do

@princesstinnedpeach bollocks about not being allowed to ask expectant mothers. The only time I've been searched was when I was pregnant. Clearly I was a drug mule with a swollen stomach and travelling with just hand luggage. To be fair a few of my neighbours thought I had just got fatter.

When do you get there for your flight?
Because they have "quotas" of people they have to search per flight. So Early - they might pull you over because it gives them plenty of time to ensure you get the plane. Late - they may be trying to match their quota.
Is it the same airport? Could be a security person who doesn't like the look of you - or is in sme other way biased towards picking your "type".

And if just matching the quota - they do choose "nice" looking people.