Airport Security

[dstone]

Hello,

 

I am a journalist in Canada who is doing a bit of research about airport security since 9/11. The administrator thought it would be OK to post a message to all of you.

 

I'm trying to get a sense of how people who work at Canadian airports feel about security these days. I'd especially like to know what sort of changes in security you have experienced since 9/11 and what effect this has had on your own jobs as pilots, etc. For example, have there been changes made to your own jobs? How you have to clear security? How you are trained? How do you feel about all of this? Have the right things been done to improve security?

 

I would really appreciate any and all opinions you would be willing to share with me. I am not going to print your comments anywhere. This is simply for my own background research. I'm really interested in knowing what the people who are directly affected by security measures think about all of the changes (or maybe lack of changes?) in security.

 

Please feel free to post a message or email me directly at danielle_stone@cbc.ca (Please write in subject heading: "airport security")

 

I'd be happy to explain what I'm doing in more detail to anyone who emails and is interested.

 

Thanks so much for this.

[Rosco]

dstone,

 

WELCOME TO THE ASYLUM.

 

You might have to pry quite hard to get opinions from the gang here.

 

Quite the reserved and politically correct bunch we have here.

 

All kidding aside, there was a thread started on this particular topic prolly the beginning of last year. There is also bunch here who do international work, so you'll get feedback from both domestic and international.

 

Cheers

 

R

[Guest Bullet Remington]

Security? You have got to be joking!! I travel to to the East (from Calgary) quite a bit. There is no standards, and little training for those people. While I understand they have a job to do, it would be rather nice to see a standard set nation wide.

 

For example, I carry a restricted area pass. Which means I have been screened by the appropriate security concerns. When passing though Montral for the 6th time, as with the other five times, they asked me to remove my roping boots (flat heeled cowboy boots). plus the belt, rings and watch. The next time I went through, I wore sneakers, no metal on them. Again they had me take them off and I sat there like a moron while they scanned my BARE feet! What the heck were they doing, a stink level scan of my feet??

 

 

The seventh time I went threw Montreal, I removed my jacket, opened my computer, emptied my pockets, removed my shoes and socks, took off my shirt and started pulling down my pants! They told me it wasn't necessary to remove my pants. I told them I'd thought it might be a little easier for them, just in cause they wanted to scan my prostrate, since they've scanned every thing else!

 

All this happened despite my wearing a restricted area pass! Go figure! I've also had them try and confiscate a flashlight while working here on the line in Calgary! You've gotta be kidding me! Same for Furnishing guys, and other mechanics. We can't fix anything without tools, who the heck is training this people!!

 

Security?? That's an oxymoron. Pay people dirt, they treat people like dirt!

 

It's a big freakin joke! They only succeed in slowing the movemnets of cleared employees, and paying customers! There is no standards that I can find and I've checked with Transport Canada offices in three different regions!

 

PM me if you really want to know how I feel about this!!

 

 

Love

 

BR

[Rosco]

he's actually quite loveable, dstone.

[Elvis]

dstone ....here's the link to the old topic

 

 

http://www.caaviation.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1692

[justfly]

Ms. Stone,

 

While I applaud your efforts to get the story straight, you have asked some direct questions about operational details as regards security. I cringe every time I read these exposés because while it may bring to light some inadequacy that should be addressed I think the greater and more immediate effect is to provide intelligence to those who might endeavor to circumnavigate the safeguards. A quote from the earlier topic:

 

Gents

 

I do not believe it is appropriate or responsible to be discussing the inadequacies or difficulties that security may or may not have as it  pertains to Canadian Airport Security, in a forum that is accessible to anybody in the world. Remember, we live in dangerous times and to borrow an expression from the WW2.

 

" the walls have ears"

 

If you have a concern or a productive suggestion send a letter to TC.

That being said though, I also believe another quote from that thread sums up the security efforts most eloquently:

 

...Quite frankly I think it is mostly a political knee jerk that has evolved into parkinsons disease...

So will you writing a story have a positive influence on our security, or sell articles by capitalizing on people's fears, further sensationalize the situation, and add to the pressures to do something causing the imposition of further spasms?

[Skidz]

HER name is Danielle Stone Justfly...

 

I can only hope that this CBC story will be well balanced and not feed public paranoia any more than the whole climate in airports has created...

[justfly]

...I can only hope that this CBC story will be well balanced and not feed public paranoia any more than the whole climate in airports has created...

I'm afraid that is too much to hope :down: To cast MORE light on this subject will have more effect, but of what nature?

 

"The more precisely the position is determined, the less precisely the momentum is known..."

--Heisenberg, uncertainty paper, 1927

[transquebecniece]

i've attached a picture of denver international. I've been there with the line ups even worse than what you see. The military personel at the end of it, with their guns...was sure intimidating to say the least, i thought i might get shot if i had forgotten to remove the nail clippers. I was also at a small airport in wyoming where they had one commercial flight per day and was immediately centered out of the crowd of...say 10 people...while I was sitting right outside the front entrance with our fuel truck. It didn't take them (the two big burly military guys in combat fatigues) long to come to my aid and point me in a more appropriate place to park the truck. good thing they have good trigger control. I was a major threat in their eyes at the time. once on our side of the fence...it was like business as usual...nothing out of the ordinary. Is it because our security didn't feel there was a threat, or was it the americans going overboard? your guess is as good as mine. http://www.burningwell.org/albums/crowd_sc...02435.sized.jpg

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Your entire statement begs the question: How soon after the September 11th tragedies was this incident that you experienced at DIA once air-traffic flow resumed again? And it should go without saying that a fuel truck anywhere near a terminal can be a cause for concern. As for Americans "going overboard," I really don't know how anyone can say such a thing unless they have not really grasped the full magnitude of what happened here.

 

I fly through DIA 7-10 times a year at present, as well as through 7-10 other major U.S. airports, and it's nothing like you describe above at present. Sure, security is heightened. Once one's own aircraft are used against them as guided missiles, extremely heightened security can and should be expected. And so what? A little inconvenience here and there for air travelers shouldn't be any big deal if they're "on the up and up." Don't like it? Take a bus. Next, I'll tell you how I really feel.

 

Sincere apologies to Reporter Stone, who asked about Canadian airport security.

[transquebecniece]

Mags. Because the security you describe does not appear to be contemporary or of present time. That's all. Just don't want people to get an incorrect impression of present airport security here. Nothing more.