Unpleasant Experience at Barcelona Airport

[Globaliser]

I find it a waste of specialized staffs time to pick out at random & pat down a 70 year old woman who is on her way to or from a cruise Ship.

Then it's a good thing that you don't run security. Everyone who makes a comment like this does no more than show how little they know about it.

 

Remember Ms Murphy, the Irish lass? No doubt you would suggest that she should have been exempted from extra security because she was white, female and pregnant.

[biker1972]

Expanding on theater and Globaliser's remarks: http://www.frontpagemag.com/2010/daniel-pipes/security-theater-now-playing-at-your-airport-by-daniel-pipes/

[helen haywood]

That was a very interesting article! I had not known about that incident. I guess I do fit the "profile" of one who was unlikely to complain and I was on a one-way flight after the Equinox transatlantic. My husband would not have fit the polite/quiet profile...

 

Loved the "wear a hijab" suggestion...

[notentirelynormal]

Expanding on theater and Globaliser's remarks: http://www.frontpagemag.com/2010/daniel-pipes/security-theater-now-playing-at-your-airport-by-daniel-pipes/

 

Thanks for the link. I remember the incident but forgot the name.

[slidergirl]

The link to the article "Israelification" was interesting, also. I've been through Ben Gurion twice; the "interview" process took not that long, but my husband's colleagues (he was there on business) had prepped us. I kept every receipt from every museum I visited, tours I took. When the interviewer asked me what my favorite things had been, I mentioned my visit to the Carmel Market; she asked me what I liked about it; I said the sights the smells; she asked what my favorite smell was; I said the fresh strawberries. It was a pleasant conversation, but she knew how to drill down levels. I mentioned a day trip I took to Nazareth - she asked if I had a receipt and I pulled it right out…

 

The system at Ben Gurion is impressive. Unfortunately, it doesn't scale to the US. That is just one airport, so Israel can concentrate everything at one site. The US has hundreds of airports. With one airport, Israel can hire the best and brightest and give training. In the US, the TSA hires people with GEDs and puts ads on pizza boxes (true).

[Michidoeme]

Same thing has happened to me already in JFK and in London. I travel a lot, so more chances to be picked I guess. :rolleyes: Upon my question I was told, it was not really profiling, but just that the next number due came up (I guess every X th or so passenger).

And by the way, same method is applied by US immigration. Once my number came up in Miami and I spent almost 2 hours in separate room waiting for "special check", but when I was called finally, they just stamped my passport without further ado and I could leave :confused::mad:

Edited May 19, 2015 by Michidoeme

[greatam]

I don't even think about it anymore and really doubt I am pulled out of line on a random basis. I have many, many passport stamps and visas from many different countries in the Middle East (US government contractor). The powers that be see those stamps and I just move on to the private room. Then we get there and I pull out the badges with the US government security clearance and I am let out of there pretty darn quick. Sometimes they do the entire check but 80% of the time either my security badge or my US government contract stating I am going to XXX, XXX, XXX usually gets me released pretty quick.

 

So my experiences goes along with profiling. I am white, middle class, in my 60's and female. I am certainly far outside the "obvious people" profile. How much harm could I do???

 

With all the foreigners that are flying to Syria to join ISIS and with a lot of them having US/Aussie/European passports, they need to check a lot more people IMHO. Those 15 year olds that left England to become jihadi brides didn't look much different than any other 15 year old UNTIL they got to Syria. Coming back into Europe or the US (they all had British passports) dressed as "normal" 15 year olds, they could possibly do some serious harm to a plane, a soft target or something else. It won't happen with them because they are too high profile and I am sure their names are on a no-fly list somewhere. But any other 15 year old that didn't make the news is a potential threat. It only TAKES ONE!!!

[skf]

Airports & border crossings do have this in common...you may or may not get stopped going either way. Two weeks ago we drove to the border crossing at Stanstead, Québec. Instead of the usual quick scan and questions we got pulled aside and the whole car got tossed. Just grin, bear it, and thank them for their courtesy of letting you visit their country.

[Muumuu]

Just read this and am concerned as we are traveling to Europe soon. Myself (grandmother), my adult daughter and her 3 year old daughter. Would they separate us? If they picked my daughter for extended security check would she be able to take the toddler with her? I am probably just overly worried being 3 females in Europe.

[headhunterke]

Without reading through all the comments, here is what most likely happened: All flight departing to the US from European airports undergo screening procedures. The computer system randomly picks passengers as a "Selectee" ergo that enhanced security. This happens at random, if your name happens to match or be close to one of a no-fly list or traveling on certain types of tickets. In a rare case, the agent can enforce this if you made a snarky comment in some way. Not saying you did, I'm just listing it as an option.

You can fly tens of times without ever being a selectee and if you've never been one, you don't know it exists.

As why the security agent was so rude, I have no clear answer ;-)

 

Normally when you fly a European/US airline it isn't as bad as flying with El Al or going through Tel Aviv Ben Gurion airport (they really are top notch in profiling and sometimes take it a step too far), but still, these guys are all trained and will ask questions until you are almost starting to doubt yourself. Anyone not 110% convinced of themself will start to doubt unless you are a trained liar.

 

There's a lot of hidden things that happen at an airport during your time there that most passengers don't know about, even if you travel a lot.

Edited May 20, 2015 by headhunterke

[Illyria]

The more I think about it...the less sense it makes. I mean, if any or all of us had been determined a security threat after the screening....then there is no way the airline would take off on a transatlantic flight (or any flight) with my luggage on board but not me. So that would mean that they would have had to already isolate all our luggage to a holding area to see if any of us were going to be detained. I don't believe that had been done at all. My bag was right next to my husband's on the carousel in Miami (that's never happened!)

TSA-"inspired" security screening procedures in foreign airports never made any sense to begin with. I had it happen to me in Keflavik (Iceland) - they randomly selected me for the additional security screening, and my husband just had to wait for me at the gate.

[greatam]

TSA-"inspired" security screening procedures in foreign airports never made any sense to begin with.

 

 

Makes perfect sense. It was done because many of the foreign airports before this was implemented were rather lax about who they let on planes flying to the USA. Some type of standardization was needed. Could it be better??? You bet.

 

But it alerted the rest of the world that some people flying into the USA had ulterior motives rather than just a trip. There have been a lot of terrorist threats aborted just because of these procedures, particularly out of the UK. So the procedures are working to a great degree.

[Brighton Line]

You could fly El Al and then they question everyone very intensely, have to be there 3 hours before flight, decompression of all checked bags etc.

:p;):D

[FlyerTalker]

Following up to Greatam's comment about those headed to Syria et al:

 

Arrived at IST late in the evening a few days back and there was a mob at immigration (plus, they had closed the fast track line). Saw that there were a number of people being turned back at the immigration desks, along with many people getting several minute "discussions" with the immigration agent. Women were especially being interviewed if young (not saying anything about Mrs FT's age, but she didn't get that kind of processing).

 

Though I wished fast track had been open, I understood that they were trying to actually enforce their borders. Unlike many of the procedures at Schengen checkpoints, where it's often MUCH laxer.

[skf]

I had it happen to me in Keflavik (Iceland) - they randomly selected me for the additional security screening, and my husband just had to wait for me at the gate.

Me too...were we there the same day? Got a page over the intercom that I had to go to the desk because of "a problem with your passport" even though there was no problem in Berlin or Copenhagen. Good thing I had Pete there because I cannot hear PA announcements.

Steve

[PaulMCO]

I was in Frankfurt a couple of weeks ago connecting from Vienna flight to IAD.

 

They reprinted by boarding pass and got the dreaded "SSSS" First time ever with UA == seems like anyone that came early to the gate and connected got this... (yep 1K and Global -- no help)... Did full search of carry one.

Only good thing were we were the first to board.

 

Last week traveling through Dubai a colleague got same SSSS. Extra questions and a full search. Not a big deal because everyone gets a full carry on search plus shoe inspection.

 

Seems like security inspections are getting more random - no exceptions.

[helen haywood]

Just read this and am concerned as we are traveling to Europe soon. Myself (grandmother), my adult daughter and her 3 year old daughter. Would they separate us? If they picked my daughter for extended security check would she be able to take the toddler with her? I am probably just overly worried being 3 females in Europe.

 

This was the part that was scary to me. I did not know what to expect or where we were going. Now I know that if it happens again I will tell my husband to come follow me. They probably won't let him in the roped off area they held us in...but if he was within eyesight and knew where I was I would have felt much safer.

[greatam]

This was the part that was scary to me. I did not know what to expect or where we were going. Now I know that if it happens again I will tell my husband to come follow me. They probably won't let him in the roped off area they held us in...but if he was within eyesight and knew where I was I would have felt much safer.

 

BAD IDEA!!! You are in the hands of a European country's immigration officers. What do you think is going to happen to you if you are merely a tourist returning from a cruise??? Dragging your husband along is going to be a problem that may land you in a world of trouble. You tell him where you are going and if possible, get someone's badge number or name. DON'T even think of taking him with you.

 

They separate people for a reason (NOT mothers and children). You could be the bomber or you could have 1/2 of the bomb and your husband could have the other 1/2. So they separate you and at least, if you really were a bomber, get 1/2 the bomb which means no one goes BOOM.

 

If you were in the Middle East, I could understand some of your trepidation. But Barcelona or any other place in Europe or Australia??? You are making too much of a big deal about this. Just RELAX, answer their questions, let them look through your carryon, have ALL your paperwork together and you will be just fine.

[Illyria]

But it alerted the rest of the world that some people flying into the USA had ulterior motives rather than just a trip. There have been a lot of terrorist threats aborted just because of these procedures, particularly out of the UK. So the procedures are working to a great degree.

Hardly any were stopped at an actual airport screening. Unless they have a few that are kept under wraps, every terrorist threat was identified and prevented BEFORE the person(people) ever got to the airport.

[greatam]

Hardly any were stopped at an actual airport screening. Unless they have a few that are kept under wraps, every terrorist threat was identified and prevented BEFORE the person(people) ever got to the airport.

 

Where did you get that idea??? I know-from the internet. LOTS of people pulled off planes or forbidden to board. Anyone on the no fly list is generally denied boarding, including some high profile US citizens until they get it straightened out.

 

Just to name a few: the Imams in Detroit (2006), the Imams in Memphis (2011), the Muslim lady at JFK in April 2014, Mohamed Farah out of Ethiopia to the US in January 2013 and on and on. There have been many-are they truly terrorists or have terrorist ties? You don't know and neither do I beyond a shadow of a doubt but someone in our government doesn't feel safe letting them on a plane.

 

There are many more out of the UK and a huge amount out of the Middle East (where I have worked on and off for the last 9 years and actually seen quite a few denied boarding).

[greatam]

Here's one they just arrested at LAX. http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/isis-terror/fbi-arrest-two-isis-recruits-near-l-terrorism-charges-sources-n362981

[headhunterke]

Hardly any were stopped at an actual airport screening. Unless they have a few that are kept under wraps, every terrorist threat was identified and prevented BEFORE the person(people) ever got to the airport.

 

Does it mean people will get stopped on every flight? No, not even close. But does that mean these 'checks' are needless? No.

Same thing with security. I agree that at some airports, it's a rather daunting experience. But the people who are against these measures should take a train. You know that in recent times air travel comes with a lot of rules. Take it away and I dare you to step foot onto an airplane.

A lot of the security people experience is to make them feel safe. But there's so much going on behind the screens most people have no idea of.

Again, same goes for these checks. Immigrations (both in US & EU) know who will arrive long before you actually check in, as you mentioned. And yes, people that aren't supposed to come to a certain country still get in. But at least they need to put in some effort. If you take away these first line checks, you're basically giving them an express card to enter.

Can it be different/better? Yes, without a doubt. But as with most things in life, pretty much anything can improve and one will never be satisfied until something is done exactly the way that person wants it to. I understand those checks can be tedious, but it's an actual fact a lot of people can only reasure themselves when they actualy see something happening. And what some of you don't know is that many of those security/profiling checks are also forced to take place for insurance purposes. I think most of the airlines would be happy to save a quite some money if they can save by eliminating this procedure. But there's a reason behind everything. Nothing happens 'just because', specially in aviation.

[helen haywood]

BAD IDEA!!! You are in the hands of a European country's immigration officers. What do you think is going to happen to you if you are merely a tourist returning from a cruise??? Dragging your husband along is going to be a problem that may land you in a world of trouble. You tell him where you are going and if possible, get someone's badge number or name. DON'T even think of taking him with you.

 

They separate people for a reason (NOT mothers and children). You could be the bomber or you could have 1/2 of the bomb and your husband could have the other 1/2. So they separate you and at least, if you really were a bomber, get 1/2 the bomb which means no one goes BOOM.

 

If you were in the Middle East, I could understand some of your trepidation. But Barcelona or any other place in Europe or Australia??? You are making too much of a big deal about this. Just RELAX, answer their questions, let them look through your carryon, have ALL your paperwork together and you will be just fine.

 

I don't think you read my original post. I was not asked to bring my carryon or paperwork with me. And I was taken to the next gate some 50 feet away. My husband could have sat at the adjacent gate and kept an eye on me.

 

I think there are real, valid, searches and ones like mine where my name was randomly chosen. Now that I know that such a thing can happen I won't worry if it happens again. I just wanted others to know of my experience so if it happens to them they wouldn't have been as frightened as I was.

[sinclaj]

Hi Helen Haywood,

 

I'm so glad you did post this because I would have been very scared/concerned if it had happened to me, and they had split up my husband and I. He is not a well-versed traveller and depends on me to get where he needs to, with the paperwork he needs. Now that I know it is a possibility, I would be able to prepare/handle it much better. You have done us a service.

 

Judy