Nanny state gone mad!

[tjtops]

I passed through East Midlands airport last week on my way back to Spain. I am a frequent traveller and therefore keep up to date with the latest security regulations concerning hand luggage.
Imagine my astonishment, therefore, when I was told I could not take a roll of adhesive tape (for mending pipes, hoses and numerous other DIY jobs) in my hand luggage.
I was told: “It could be used as a restraint.” Extremely unlikely that anyone would keep still long enough to be “restrained” with sticky tape in the absence of any other weapon, I would have thought, and there is certainly no mention of any such regulation on ANY of the airlines’ or airport’s websites.
However, despite my entreaties, I was relieved of the tape – other options being to check in the whole case as an extra bag (which would have cost at least 20 euros if not more as I was already up to my weight allowance in my hold bag – or try and find an envelope and post it to myself here in Spain.
I decided that good money should not follow the £5.50 I had already spent buying the tape, and left it behind.
So, when I went through to airside and saw rolls of heavy duty parcel tape on sale in W H Smith and therefore free of any restrictions in hand luggage, I was absolutely furious.
What idiot thought this one up?
As yet, I have had no reply to my email to customer services at the airport, but if one does materialise, I will be very interested to see how they wriggle out of any responsibility!

[Lavanda]

Madness! Madness! Total madness!

[julian]

let´s hope that Bin Laden doesn´t get hold of that sticky tape stuff , he could finish of the US in 5 minutes with it !

[Jool]

In my experience EMA is full of people who breakfast on sour lemon and love to bully people....they hide behind the lack of name tag and if you want to speak to a supervisor they are just as stone walling, even saying "do you want to fly or not" when voices were not even raised and there was no swearing!! Apparently you are supposed to be humbly grateful that they allow you to get on a plane........

They act like little tinpot Gods, power hungry sour-pusses, especially one woman there who looks like she has lived on sour lemons all her life and tops up just before she comes on duty to make sure she cannot smile or be civil........

I would love to see their answer to your complaint - perhaps the difference is the roll of tape in duty free has been security checked and would simply refuse to be used as a restraint............

THe terrorists have achieved their aim as far as I can see as our freedoms are restricted and we are treated as potential terrorists and criminals while women (and escaped terrorists) can escape in burkas or not even be asked to remove them for security........

Rant over but I am, sadly not surprised at your post.......

[pete_l]

...
Imagine my astonishment, therefore, when I was told I could not take a roll of adhesive tape (for mending pipes, hoses and numerous other DIY jobs) in my hand luggage.
...
What idiot thought this one up?

Ans: a security guard who needed a roll of duck tape for his/her personal use. I have no doubt that anything slightly useful that is removed from passengers ends up in various staff members' pockets. Personally, I would've destroyed it or thrown it in a bin rather than surrender it to the plastic piggie.

[pkates]

we need security . . . . but this is security gone mad!! . . . . you could swallow the required materials to restrain a person and re-acquire them in flight

the days of personal liberty have passed us . . . . .

[oliveview01]

I wrote to complain about the security staff on the ´shoe x-ray´ machine. The lady let at least 12 pairs of shoes through while she sat with her back to the screen and chatted to the man behind about smelly feet (he was not a member of staff, he was another passenger) I was told in the reply from the BAA customer service dept (Gatwick) that it only took a few seconds for an x-ray to show up on the screen and the image was retained for 20 minutes........... fine............ but how do you trace a shoe bomber once the shoes have been put back on and are walking about the airport?????????
I had already spoken to the folk on the information desk that was next to the shoe check area and they had said they were getting very concerned that the lady wasn´t doing her job correctly and said they would be pleased if I spoke to the Managers of the security bit....... I did and they were not bothered one little bit. So why check the shoes if they are not looking at the screen? I know it must be one boring job, but all it takes is 1 person to slip through.

[tjtops]

In my experience EMA is full of people who breakfast on sour lemon and love to bully people.

I totally agree...but compared to Luton, EMA is bliss. I won't bore you all with my personal experience of that s**thole recently, but suffice to say there is one staff member (oversized herself and works in oversized baggage -- how apt) who puts Attila the Hun to shame. Gratuitously offensive doesn't even come close!!! Sorry if it upsets anyone but she is faar from alone there -- IMHO LTN is a nasty smelly place full of nasty smelly jobsworths who don't possess one degree of humanity!!! Now I'll stand back and wait for the flak

[flan_taster]

Same thing happened to me at Gatwick. I had a roll of Duct tape confiscated from my carry on. I remonstrated. I asked to see the actual regulations that would be available to Joe Public and got nowhere. I subsequently searched the Government, Airline, BAA web sites for more information but nothing came up.
Apparently this duct tape stuff is good at restraining people.
I then put myself in the mindset of a terrorist. (difficult)
If I needed a restraining belt I would just wear several belts or at least pack them in my carry on luggage. I don't suppose the security people would worry about these.
But where the **** is information available to the travelling public about duct tape?

[louise225]

Confiscating tape is definitely a step too far, and unfortunately typical of the UK these days.

I must fly from a different East Midlands though as I've never encountered the problems that have been referred to here. I'm pretty low maintenance but do expect anyone I deal with to be courteous and helpful, which they always have been.

[julian]

they do sell duct tape in Spain you know? although it´s really bizarre taking it from you at the airport,is there really any use for it on the flight that you need it in your hand luggage?..or is it a new addition to the UK diet these days so you need it in the butty bag?

[Jool]

I agree re Luton......will never fly from there again although we had no problems I recognise the woman you refer to ......it was the most depressing and soul-less place....like a warehouse.......

Our experience at EMA was the first flight of the day so perhaps that made a difference, ......

[tjtops]

Julian....I am quite aware they sell duct tape in Spain, but this was needed urgently on my return and I happened to see it! And FYI, the only reason it was in the curiously-named 'butty bag' (mine has never contained butties in its long life) was because I knew I would be overweight with my hold bag and this was one bit of 'weight' I thought I could safely transfer into the 'carry-on' (a MUCH better name!!!)

[rafiki]

I was relieved of a bundle of electrical ties by a jobsworth at Stansted once for the same reason 'could be used as a restraint'. I enquired if I should also leave my necktie and the wife's tights with him for the same reason. I couldn't be bothered to argue or complain. Just brought the same item through with no problems the following week.

[tjtops]

Well guys...this is the reply I got from EMA yesterday.....make of it what you will. Should I be holding my breath do you think??

Dear
Thank you for your email referring to your recent visit to East Midlands Airport.

We have forwarded a copy of your email onto G4S, they are the security company contracted to carry out the security operations at East Midlands Airport. We have asked G4S to investigate your comments and respond direct to you.

Hopefully you will receive a satisfactory response in due course - we have also asked for a copy of their response.

Regards




Denyse Hall
Customer Relations Officer
East Midlands Airport

[katy]

I don't know if it is still so but EMA is/was owned by the Local Authority which explains a lot

[Dealer]

Confiscating duct tape is just Quackers.......
[img]http://smilies.sofrayt.com/^/aiw/jester.gif[/img]

[Jennifer]

Hi Dealer,
Welcome back
J

[Dealer]

[img]http://smilies.sofrayt.com/^/aiw/offtopic.gif[/img]

Hi Dealer,
Welcome back
J

Thank you.

No need to worry well not too much as I am only passing, I am looking at the local boards as I have a load of stuff to sell before I go to new climes.
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[Sandramay]

It was at East Midlands where I had the most ludicrous confiscation by security. They removed the tiny sewing needle from a travel sewing kit...... It was so small I would have struggled to thread it. At the time I was wearing a large brooch on my jacket. I pointed out the two / three inch pin on it, but was told 'it's not luggage'