Security: traveling to and within the US
Aug. 12th, 2006 04:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
indigo_rose99Combining my pre- flight online research with reading airline-provided newspapers and my in-airport experiences with security, I am left with a feeling of... confusion. Not mine. Theirs.
I believe that polititions told the airlines and airports to "increase security" and "ban all liquids and gels" with no clear guidelines. Airlines and airports are scrambling to catch up.
Sydney's airport website said "arrive early" to handle security delays. I did... and discovered that the ticket counter did not open for me more than two hours early (and no online boarding passes or electronic kiosks for international flights).
The ticket agent warned me about the "no liquids," but the security check was perfectly ordinary. I didn't even have to take off my shoes! I was a bit surprised after the hoopla, but perhaps the new at-gate check would search my bag.
As told by the ticket agent, I went to the Business-class lounge until my flight was called. There, I read a newspaper that claimed no electronics are allowed on US flights. I did a mild freakout (not my Brain!!!) and went to chat with the lounge front desk. She assured me that I had plenty of time, electronics are allowed on my flight, and I should wait until it is called. I sat back down and waited.
When my flight was called, I started toward my gate. When I got about four gates down (mine was at the very end of the terminal, of course), I discovered two massive lines of people. I tried to go around.... and discovered barriers. This must be the extra security checks. I should have ignored the woman at the lounge desk and started for my gate at least a half-hour earlier. *sigh* Waiting in line, I asked the woman checking boarding passes if this was a scan for which I would need to empty my pockets. She assured me that my electronically-filled pockets were fine. Ten minutes later, I saw someone else jump the line because they were on my flight. So my invisibility kicked in, and I had to wave and jump up and down for the same privilege (for me and 8 of my line neighbors). And, of course, my full pockets were a problem.
He went through every pocket in my briefcase. Oddly, he carefully checked the name on my prescription (not liquid!) sleeping pills. Happily I had removed all aspirin, painkillers, and antihistamine in my preflight paranoid cleaning. Who knows what he would have done with those? He took nothing away. Then they went over me with a scanner (my hands full of electronics). Then they made me take off my shoes so they could scan them. Which could have been easily done at the regular security checkpoint!
I boarded the flight, and flew to LAX. In LAX, customs & immigration took away one of the small things I bought in China. No biggie.
Out a door, drop off my luggage for recheck and back in a security line. The only unusual part of LAX's domestic security checkpoint was that ALL shoes must be removed. Even flip-flops. Ick! Glad I'm wearing socks.
I checked out my gate before heading to a First class lounge. It looked fine, if busy. No seats. I hung out in the lounge until the boarding time listed on my ticket (no announcements this time).
Back at the gate, I notice something odd. There is a gauntlet of tables with lounging security people at the gate doorway. Must be another bag check.
Sure enough, when they call First class, my briefcase gets another person going through its pockets. Again, I lost nothing, but she spent a LOT of time fondling my jewelry bag.
Another Sydney-LAX-Texas passenger lost her solid deodorant (listed as OK in Sydney) in boarding. I'm glad that wasn't me. I would have had an overpowering urge to put a last bit on (yes,standing at the gate!) before giving it up. Better to have temptation taken out of my hands.
In the big picture, I am impressed that my flights have been relatively on time and I was never in serious danger of missing any of them.
I believe that polititions told the airlines and airports to "increase security" and "ban all liquids and gels" with no clear guidelines. Airlines and airports are scrambling to catch up.
Sydney's airport website said "arrive early" to handle security delays. I did... and discovered that the ticket counter did not open for me more than two hours early (and no online boarding passes or electronic kiosks for international flights).
The ticket agent warned me about the "no liquids," but the security check was perfectly ordinary. I didn't even have to take off my shoes! I was a bit surprised after the hoopla, but perhaps the new at-gate check would search my bag.
As told by the ticket agent, I went to the Business-class lounge until my flight was called. There, I read a newspaper that claimed no electronics are allowed on US flights. I did a mild freakout (not my Brain!!!) and went to chat with the lounge front desk. She assured me that I had plenty of time, electronics are allowed on my flight, and I should wait until it is called. I sat back down and waited.
When my flight was called, I started toward my gate. When I got about four gates down (mine was at the very end of the terminal, of course), I discovered two massive lines of people. I tried to go around.... and discovered barriers. This must be the extra security checks. I should have ignored the woman at the lounge desk and started for my gate at least a half-hour earlier. *sigh* Waiting in line, I asked the woman checking boarding passes if this was a scan for which I would need to empty my pockets. She assured me that my electronically-filled pockets were fine. Ten minutes later, I saw someone else jump the line because they were on my flight. So my invisibility kicked in, and I had to wave and jump up and down for the same privilege (for me and 8 of my line neighbors). And, of course, my full pockets were a problem.
He went through every pocket in my briefcase. Oddly, he carefully checked the name on my prescription (not liquid!) sleeping pills. Happily I had removed all aspirin, painkillers, and antihistamine in my preflight paranoid cleaning. Who knows what he would have done with those? He took nothing away. Then they went over me with a scanner (my hands full of electronics). Then they made me take off my shoes so they could scan them. Which could have been easily done at the regular security checkpoint!
I boarded the flight, and flew to LAX. In LAX, customs & immigration took away one of the small things I bought in China. No biggie.
Out a door, drop off my luggage for recheck and back in a security line. The only unusual part of LAX's domestic security checkpoint was that ALL shoes must be removed. Even flip-flops. Ick! Glad I'm wearing socks.
I checked out my gate before heading to a First class lounge. It looked fine, if busy. No seats. I hung out in the lounge until the boarding time listed on my ticket (no announcements this time).
Back at the gate, I notice something odd. There is a gauntlet of tables with lounging security people at the gate doorway. Must be another bag check.
Sure enough, when they call First class, my briefcase gets another person going through its pockets. Again, I lost nothing, but she spent a LOT of time fondling my jewelry bag.
Another Sydney-LAX-Texas passenger lost her solid deodorant (listed as OK in Sydney) in boarding. I'm glad that wasn't me. I would have had an overpowering urge to put a last bit on (yes,standing at the gate!) before giving it up. Better to have temptation taken out of my hands.
In the big picture, I am impressed that my flights have been relatively on time and I was never in serious danger of missing any of them.
